Hand Parents Invoice at Pick-Up?

[Boymom]

I love this family, but they always forget to pay me on time. I'm done with it. They were supposed to pay me yesterday. I am tired of asking for my pay. They are really nice, they are just incredibly forgetful! I've thought about handing them invoices a few days before it's due, but I haven't done it yet. Well I'm thinking about printing one out of MMK right now and then handing it to them at pick-up! Is that awkward to hand them an invoice since I've never given them one before??

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

No. What's awkward is they are late paying their bill and aren't embarrassed about it.

You need to be paid on time. Do what you need to in order to get paid on time. That is not asking too much since I'm sure they are paid on time at their job or they wouldn't go to work.

I charge a late fee once a payment is a minute past due and the child cannot attend until it's paid in full. I don't want to be chasing after what they agreed to pay me. That's just not something I'm willing to add to my job duties.

[Thriftylady]

You need to start a late fee, and enforcing it today! Mine is $10 per day late. Since I have restarted and stared that late fee, I haven't had late payments. I had one flakey parent ask a year ago if she could pay Monday instead of Friday. I said "sure, just remember to add your $10 per day late fees, so that will be an extra $30 for the week". She paid on Friday!

[childcaremom]

No. What's awkward is they are late paying their bill and aren't embarrassed about it.

You need to be paid on time. Do what you need to in order to get paid on time. That is not asking too much since I'm sure they are paid on time at their job or they wouldn't go to work.

I charge a late fee once a payment is a minute past due and the child cannot attend until it's paid in full. I don't want to be chasing after what they agreed to pay me. That's just not something I'm willing to add to my job duties.

[Blackcat31]

I love this family, but they always forget to pay me on time. I'm done with it. They were supposed to pay me yesterday. I am tired of asking for my pay. They are really nice, they are just incredibly forgetful! I've thought about handing them invoices a few days before it's due, but I haven't done it yet. Well I'm thinking about printing one out of MMK right now and then handing it to them at pick-up! Is that awkward to hand them an invoice since I've never given them one before??

Set a payment date.
Have a late fee
Do not allow drop off with out payment (including late fees)

Don't waiver from that ^^ policy.

[Boymom]

Thank you everyone! I just printed an invoice out of MMK and put a very detailed note reminding them of my policies and that I will absolutely start enforcing my late fees (which I should have been doing in the first place!)

[rosieteddy]

I had a couple of parents like this.They thought nothing of bringing payment at end of the day or next day.I started a late payment policy.I also started taking a months checks ahead of time.Parents gave post dated checks for the entire month on the first Thursday of the month.This worked out well.I had all the checks and was able to send them with my husband to the bank in the am.No more waiting for that last check.

[Thriftylady]

Thank you everyone! I just printed an invoice out of MMK and put a very detailed note reminding them of my policies and that I will absolutely start enforcing my late fees (which I should have been doing in the first place!)

Sadly we have to do this. It would be so nice if all parents just paid on time because that is what you do.

[Blackcat31]

Sadly we have to do this. It would be so nice if all parents just paid on time because that is what you do.

I don't. I haven't sent an invoice or payment reminder to a single family in many years now.

My parents KNOW payment is due BY 5PM on Friday or there will be an additional fee added and NO services will be provided until FULL amount has been paid.

I set the tone IMMEDIATELY and never waiver from it.
It confuses parents less that way

[Thriftylady]

I don't. I haven't sent an invoice or payment reminder to a single family in many years now.

My parents KNOW payment is due BY 5PM on Friday or there will be an additional fee added and NO services will be provided until FULL amount has been paid.

I set the tone IMMEDIATELY and never waiver from it.
It confuses parents less that way

This is what I do now also. I don't give invoices, unless for some reason the fee changes. But it seems you have to let them know for sure that there will be a late fee. So the "we have to do this" was meaning the late fees, not the invoices.

[NillaWafers]

I just had to charge a late fee for my first time, for a parent that pays the 1st and 15th. My policy states that the payment must be give by 5:30PM on the due date. The 1st was a weekend so I guess this parent thought she could just pay a day late? She was pretty miffed/POd that I enforced a late fee and tried to argue that I wasn't open and I couldn't have cashed the check anyways (I actually could have, my bank has mobile deposit and I get a 200 immediately available credit). She tried to argue she didn't know, but it is in my contract and doesn't even say that paying a day late is ok. :confused:

Anyhow I stuck to my guns and you should too. Once you start enforcing the late fees they'll stop paying late.

[Blackcat31]

I just had to charge a late fee for my first time, for a parent that pays the 1st and 15th. My policy states that the payment must be give by 5:30PM on the due date. The 1st was a weekend so I guess this parent thought she could just pay a day late? She was pretty miffed/POd that I enforced a late fee and tried to argue that I wasn't open and I couldn't have cashed the check anyways (I actually could have, my bank has mobile deposit and I get a 200 immediately available credit). She tried to argue she didn't know, but it is in my contract and doesn't even say that paying a day late is ok. :confused:

Anyhow I stuck to my guns and you should too. Once you start enforcing the late fees they'll stop paying late.

Wouldve been easier to pay a day earlier verses later.... but its funny how so many families think the opposite. :confused:

I say payment is due "on or before" or use the words "NO later than X". I also tell my parents the late fee is automated and is added automatically within my accounting software so don't even ask me to waive it.... I provide child care services not accounting services.

My parents all get it.

[NillaWafers]

Wouldve been easier to pay a day earlier verses later.... but its funny how so many families think the opposite. :confused:

I say payment is due "on or before" or use the words "NO later than X". I also tell my parents the late fee is automated and is added automatically within my accounting software so don't even ask me to waive it.... I provide child care services not accounting services.

My parents all get it.

I told my husband that I felt bad, but really if she were paying ANY OTHER SERVICE, she would have paid ahead of time. People seem to think dealing with an entity vs. a person will be different.

[Unregistered]

I don't. I haven't sent an invoice or payment reminder to a single family in many years now.

My parents KNOW payment is due BY 5PM on Friday or there will be an additional fee added and NO services will be provided until FULL amount has been paid.

I set the tone IMMEDIATELY and never waiver from it.
It confuses parents less that way

When your parents pay on friday are they paying in advance for next week or the current week

[Blackcat31]

When your parents pay on friday are they paying in advance for next week or the current week

For the upcoming week(s) of care.
Some families pay weekly and others pay bi-weekly.