Late Payment-Help!! Please!

[mim]

So I have dcb one day a week. Monday's only. Payment is due on Monday for the following 2 Monday's because I charge in advance. So dcm last Monday said " we are going on vacation so dcb won't be here next monday(today) payday. So I will text you this thurs or fri to bring your pmt.
Well she didn't. So today I text reminding her of pmt being due by her regular scheduled p/u time today to avoid late fees.
She just text and said "I'm sorry, I totally spaced it. I'll bring your money on Monday when I drop off dcb".
I'm a little peeved. I know it's chump change, $50. But still I may have a bill planned for that money and it could be making it late. How should I respond. I don't want her to pull over it, but I also don't want her to think its ok either. What if it was part of her check. Especially since she said she would pay me before. Which in my hb it does say if on vaca you need to pay it before you leave or if dck doesn't attend on due date you still have to pay by regular scheduled pu time.
Help please. TIA

[Blackcat31]

So I have dcb one day a week. Monday's only. Payment is due on Monday for the following 2 Monday's because I charge in advance. So dcm last Monday said " we are going on vacation so dcb won't be here next monday(today) payday. So I will text you this thurs or fri to bring your pmt.
Well she didn't. So today I text reminding her of pmt being due by her regular scheduled p/u time today to avoid late fees.
She just text and said "I'm sorry, I totally spaced it. I'll bring your money on Monday when I drop off dcb".
I'm a little peeved. I know it's chump change, $50. But still I may have a bill planned for that money and it could be making it late. How should I respond. I don't want her to pull over it, but I also don't want her to think its ok either. What if it was part of her check. Especially since she said she would pay me before. Which in my hb it does say if on vaca you need to pay it before you leave or if dck doesn't attend on due date you still have to pay by regular scheduled pu time.
Help please. TIA

"DCM, totally understand when things happen but unfortunately I am unable to waive late fees. I can discount the late fee by 50% this one time as a courtesy but after a family uses the "one time" discount, there are no further exceptions to when payment is due."

That's how I would handle it.

[Thriftylady]

I agree with BC as long as you have a late fee in your contract.

[Unregistered]

I understand how frustrating it is when parents don't seem to think that although it may be a small amount of money, it matters greatly to us as providers. Parents don't realize their $50 payment combined with the other payments during the week total a whole paycheck. Its not like that $50 is necessarily extra money. I pay my bills depending on payments, my gas and electricity bill are due today and if a parent had decided not to pay last Friday or forgot or whatever their excuse is, I would be panicking right now! The ONLY way I have figured out how to avoid non payment is by using electronic payments. I was using PayPal which was OK for a while but just got too expensive and wasn't convenient for me.
I am now using cash through square. Its an app you can download that will request payment from anyone's email address you type in. They do not have to use the app or even sign up for it. The money will go directly onto your debit card. IT IS FREE. There is a limit until you verify your identity (either by full name or using facebook) but its easy to do. I recommend it to everyone. It has really saved me that stress and frustration this summer when so many of my kids have gone on vaca.
Hope you get paid!

[mim]

Thank you for the responses. I really appreciate all your advice. I am slow growing my backbone😊