And you're on net 14 (or similar) do you consider a postmark by the due date acceptable or does the check need to be in your hands by the due date?

This is a new one for us - now that we're in the country we're just starting to accept checks from select clients and I'm just not sure what's appropriate in terms of when the late payment penalty kicks in.

I so do NOT want to get stuck in the roundabout of 'the check's in the mail' so am really curious what the rest of you think about this one...Thanks!

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The check is due in your hand by the invoice due date - just like any other bill. Sure, you can pay your cable, internet, rent, credit card bills late - but you have to pay a fee.

You may have to add a 'we are not responsible for lost/stolen/delayed payments' clause to your contract though to prevent the whole 'the post office lost it' fight.

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Amanda Moore
Virtual Assistant
VagabondetteVA Blog

I would also say that if a customer has always been on time with payments and a payment shows up a day or 2 late, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt that one time and maybe reflect it somehow on the next invoice by stating that as a one-time courtesy, the late payment fee was waived for the previous invoice/bill.

I'm working on 4 hours of sleep - did that make sense?

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Jeanne
NowAssistingYou.com
Virtual Assistant :: Web/Blog Design & Hosting :: Writer

I don't worry about it - if it's a few days late, that's okay.

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Julia

I would take it on a case by case basis. If the postmark is the day it is due, then I'd have a problem. If it was a few days before then I would let it slide. The postal system where I live is very inconsistent. Sometimes it takes 2 weeks for a simple card to reach PA from here.

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Dawn Riley
A Virtual Assistant in Paradise
Our business is about making yours better

I have a grace period. If it's due by the 10th of the month then I don't charge a late fee until the 15th to allow for the mail, but if the payment isn't received on the 15th then the late fee is charged as of the 10th.

I do check the postmark though. If it took 2 weeks to get to me I'll let it slide, if it only took one day to get there then they get charged a late fee.

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Rebecka Melson ~ Virtual Business Services

Payments are due in my hand or bank account on the due date. When I first started out, I had some clients who paid by check and could never seem to pay on time - checks written and mailed after the due date. Because of that, I instituted a policy that payments by check are acceptable, but must be sent by trackable means to arrive by the due date and they have to send me the tracking number when it goes out. Ever since then, I don't have a problem.

By the way, I don't charge a late fee. If a client consistently pays late and conversations with them to determine and correct the cause of lateness are not effective, I do not continue to work with them.

In my contract it states that it is considered late if due after the 1st of the month. However, my one client that pays by check didn't have that in her in contract (she was my first client, I didn't know better yet). But she will ask me, have you gotten the check yet?? so at least I know its coming.

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Tamika R. Johnson, MBA, Principal
administrative partners, llc
www.administrativepartners.net | http://adminpartners.blogspot.com