Do you always charge beforehand?

[SaijaM]

Hi there,

Hope everyone is good and happy friday!! :)

Just wondering if everyone charges their monthly / weekly fees in advance?
I'm planning to do this (monthly, in advance and parent already agreed), but just wanted to know what everyone else is doing and if there's anything that I've forgot to take into account...

Thanks
Saija :D

[Ali56]

Hi Saija

YES! always monthly in advance! I make any adjustments on the next months bill (overtime/days off etc) parents all happy with this. I do have a few part time after schoolers and these parents i charge half termly in advance!

Hope that helps-have a great friday!!

Ali x:D

[Stillgoingstrong]

No! Who else gets paid before they have worked? I just remember that when I went to work and used a childminder there was no way I could have paid up front as I had to wait to get paid and she was fine with this. I have in my contract though that if they dont pay the DAY it is due that I dont mind again until I'm paid up to date. No grace period. Nothing. No money dont bring them back! Must say that been minding off and on for donkeys years and have never had a problem.:clapping: :)

[angeldelight]

Yes I get paid in advance

Years ago I did let everyone pay at the end of the week or month but I had so many parents let me down that it got to be a real pain

I understand what you are saying Kathleen and I had used to think the same - it seemed really cheeky to ask for money when I had not done the work

Once you have one or two parents late with payments though and you have done a months work you get a bit resentful when you can not pay your own bills because of it

I had enough so started to charge in advance I have never ever had one parent moan about it

I think if I did have a parent who could not afford to pay me in advance we would obviously have to see if we could work around it

Its always worked for me and I think most minders do charge in advance

Angel xx

[Stillgoingstrong]

Yes I get paid in advance

Years ago I did let everyone pay at the end of the week or month but I had so many parents let me down that it got to be a real pain

I understand what you are saying Kathleen and I had used to think the same - it seemed really cheeky to ask for money when I had not done the work

Once you have one or two parents late with payments though and you have done a months work you get a bit resentful when you can not pay your own bills because of it

I had enough so started to charge in advance I have never ever had one parent moan about it

I think if I did have a parent who could not afford to pay me in advance we would obviously have to see if we could work around it

Its always worked for me and I think most minders do charge in advance

Angel xx

I have always been really lucky I guess and been paid on time :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Now I've probably put the kiss of death on that havent I?? :eek:

[little chickee]

I have a mixture of monthly in advance, weekly in advance and weekly in arrers!

I would like everyone to be monthly in advance as its easier to keep track of but that doesnt work for everyone so i try to be flexible.

Not had a problem yet although my weekly in arrers parent was supposed to pay yesterday but said she didnt have the money so could she pop the payment over today - i said yes as didnt really have much choice but will not let it become a regular habit. If she hasnt paid by the end of next week ( for the 2 weeks) I will refuse care until the bill is settled.

[snufflepuff]

All pay monthly in advance except one who pays weekly- i have LO Mondays and Fridays and the money goes in to my bank on a Tuesday- all to do with when her pay day is.

[little chickee]

I have a mixture of monthly in advance, weekly in advance and weekly in arrers!

I would like everyone to be monthly in advance as its easier to keep track of but that doesnt work for everyone so i try to be flexible.

Not had a problem yet although my weekly in arrers parent was supposed to pay yesterday but said she didnt have the money so could she pop the payment over today - i said yes as didnt really have much choice but will not let it become a regular habit. If she hasnt paid by the end of next week ( for the 2 weeks) I will refuse care until the bill is settled.

[Millenium]

All monthly in advance here - a mixture of cheque, BACS transfer and vouchers. I will not work any other way and I will only consider contracts on that basis. The difficulty in trying to recover money in the event of non-payment means that this is the best way to operate. The nurseries around here are all payment-in-advance too. It is important that in your contracts (or payment policy), you make provision for the time it may take for voucher/cheque payments to clear. I let the parents have their next month's invoices about the 25th/26th of the month to ensure that I have cleared funds on the first contracted day of the following month.

When someone contracts with me, I take one full month's fees as a deposit which is not offset against the first month's invoice but is instead held until the child leaves my care (which might be 3 or 4 years or more). It is then offset against the final invoice and in this way serves as a buffer for me in the event of non-payment because I have always got a month's money of theirs in my account - none of them have ever baulked at the idea.

The only issue this might create is if you are taking on a full-time child with very little notice, the parents will have to effectively find two months fees at once - one for the deposit and one for the actual month's caring that is about to start. I have only had this happen once where the child was a proper full-timer so the parents paid me £1,600 in one go! However, I think that if the parent is returning to work full time, five days a week, they are quite likely to be able to pay that without too much question.

[Mouse]

No! Who else gets paid before they have worked?

I think the difference is, I am not employed by the parents & they are not paying me a wage. I am providing a service and very often services have to be paid for before they are used.

I have always charged in advance & never had a problem with it. If parents really do struggle to find the full amount upfront, I will come to an arrangement with them, but after a whikle they are in advance.

[moljak]

Yes I charge monthly in advance.Feel cheeky asking for it but parents haven't complained so far :)

[Ripeberry]

Why should we work all month without pay, when nurseries, playgroups, pre-schools and after school clubs charge in advance? Paying up front is the fairest way for both parties.
Even builders get paid up front!

[Chimps Childminding]

No! I am paid by everyone in arrears. They get a bill at the end of the week/month depending on when they asked to pay and nine times out of ten they bring cash/cheque the next time they come (but never have to wait very long). One mum has set up a direct debit and any changes are made the following week.

Only ever been caught out once by a couple who moved away without paying their weekly bill but in 12 years thats not bad:D

[clio0602]

Yes I gat paid monthly or weekly in advance. During the first month or so I accept arrears until tax credits come through and they have paid a deposit but after that always in advance.

Nurserys always ask for fees in advance so why shouldn't we? :)

[Mookins]

am going to ask for monthly in advance
havent got the time or patience to be chasing people for money
if they dont like it they will find someone else...i cant afford to be picky but i have better things to do with my spare time than ring and text reminders for late payments...although my late payment fee is £15 a day so wouldnt be to worried i suppose lol
x x x

[Ripeberry]

It also depends on the parents circumstances as well. If you deal with other professionals, then they usually have the money anyway. It's the younger parents going back to a job who may have trouble getting the money together.
But most people are paid via their bank account anyway, let them pay at the end of the month for the first month, but from then on they should pay upfront.
So there will be one expensive month and then after that it should flow smoothly :)

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I think that once you have been stung in arrears you will always get paid in advance.

Parents can walk away after a months care and there isn't much we can do about it until it goes to court and that can take ages.

It is fine in arrears until something goes wrong

My advice, don't even start arrears.

[funemnx]

I charge in advance for almost all my children, the only exceptions are for 1 baby (only child) who's mum was starting a new job so couldn't find the money in advance and 2 lo's who came from another childminder and I carried on with what they were used to.

I prefer to be paid through the voucher scheme, very reliable method of payment :)

[karensmart4]

I work first then get paid :panic: I'm too soft :o

[SaijaM]

Thanks everyone, this has just confirmed that I will charge in advance, as I thought to do anyhow :) Makes life easy and ensures I get paid.. :D

Don't really want to chase anyone for money either, it's really uncomfortable for me...

Hope you all have a great weekend xx
Saija

[The Juggler]

always. I have one family who have a problem with voucher payment at the moment so they pay me cash for 2 weeks at start and the voucher payment mid month but this is still in advance of care so this is fine with me.