How Do You Accept Forms of Payment?

[chefsteph07]

Just wondering how you all handle forms of payment BEFORE and especially AFTER your shows? I am having a problem being clear w/ my hosts (obviously, because this keeps happening) about the fact that I do NOT like to take checks after shows...lately, even though I explain this to my hosts clearly, I will have a host tell me upon closing "I'm just going to mail you these checks that I have for xyz outside orders"...I have also explained that I do not like taking checks in the mail! (had an incident a few years ago where a check never arrived) What I tell my hosts is this "get as many outside orders as you can BEFORE the show (I will take checks for these as she is going to have them for me before I leave), however, after the party if you still have orders to collect, please have them pay with a credit or debit card, place an order on my website (easiest!) or they can pay you and you can pay me one payment for all orders including your host order. They seem to understand this and agree with me, but do not follow my wishes. Maybe I am being too complicated? Should I just tell my hosts to direct their orders to my website for everything except at the show? I want to make it clear that it is my POLICY to not take checks as payment after the party is done. I don't like waiting for checks, driving 30 min to a host house to collect them, etc. I want to be more efficient and what I would love to do is eliminate having to go to the bank entirely! If I could find a way to have all my guests pay at the show w/ cc/debit I would be thrilled. Does this work for anyone? How do you enforce it? Help!

 

[kam]

I don't close the show until I get all payments (check or otherwise). If I closed a show and THEN the customer decided to pay by CC, I would be stuck.The only people I make an exception for are personal friends who order an item here or there and I have the product itself (either the show is shipped to me or the host gives me the products for "my" orders that I added to her show).

 

[chefsteph07]

I don't normally close until after I get all payments either...I'm just wondering if there is a more efficient way I can do it other than waiting for checks in the mail, running all over town to get them, etc. I don't want to take checks after I do their party is what I'm saying in the thread here and I am trying to find a firm way of telling my hosts this.

 

[DebPC]

I am still on P3 and encourage my hosts to put the balance onto their charge. They usually want to do this anyways. I always instruct them during my host coach call that checks should be made out to them unless I get them for orders at the show.

 

[ChefPeg]

Perhaps just say you don't take checks at all.