Thursday afternoon, three moves tomorrow, two unpaid
The office checks the bank feed for tomorrow's moves. One balance has arrived with a reference nobody recognises. One has not arrived at all. The third customer says they paid last night, which may be true, but it has not shown yet.
Someone phones round, reads out the sort code again, and asks the crew leader to take a card payment on the doorstep if it still has not arrived. The crew leader does not like doing that, and the customer, halfway through the most stressful day of their year, likes it even less.
Why balances slip to the last minute
Your terms say when the balance is due. The problem is that nothing in the process makes it easy for the customer to pay on time, or easy for you to see who has.
- Invoices go out as PDFs with bank details and a reference the customer mistypes.
- Reminders depend on someone checking the diary against the bank.
- Payments arrive with odd references and are matched by hand.
- Move dates change, so the due date for the balance moves too, and the old reminder is wrong.
What late payment costs you
Office time is the first cost, spent matching transfers and making awkward calls. Then there is the risk of moving a customer's belongings before they have paid, which leaves you chasing a debt from someone who now lives somewhere else.
It also sours the day. A crew leader discussing money on the doorstep is not how you want the move to start.
How we tie payments to the booking
- Each booking carries its deposit and balance, with due dates set from the move date by your own terms.
- The customer receives a payment link by email or text, through Stripe or your existing card provider, as well as your bank details if you still accept transfers.
- Reminders go out on the schedule you set before the balance is due, and they move automatically if the move date changes.
- Card payments mark the booking as paid straight away. Bank transfers are matched from your bank feed or Xero by amount, name and reference, with uncertain matches shown to a person.
- A daily list shows confirmed moves in the coming days that still owe money, ranked by move date.
- Paid bookings are flagged on the crew sheet, so the crew leader knows there is nothing to collect.
| Step | Today | After |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | Invoice PDF, bank transfer | Payment link on booking |
| Balance reminder | Phone call when noticed | Timed to the move date |
| Matching | Bank statement by eye | Automatic, doubtful ones queued |
| Move day | Doorstep payment | Crew sheet shows paid |
We do not change your terms. Deposit amounts, due dates and what happens if a balance is late stay as you decide.
What the day before looks like
Most balances are paid when the reminder arrives, by card, from the link. The office opens a short list of the few that are still outstanding and calls those customers, knowing exactly what is owed. The crew goes out knowing whether there is anything to collect.
Accounts sees payments already matched to bookings, so month end is a check rather than a hunt.
Are you chasing money at the last minute?
- Balances are checked against the bank by hand before each move.
- Customers mistype references and payments sit unmatched.
- Crew leaders take payments on the doorstep.
- Date changes leave balance reminders wrong.
- You have moved customers before they paid in full.