1. Take payment at pickup, every time
Tap-to-pay on iPhone/Android, card-on-file from the initial deposit, or QR-code on the invoice. The customer should never leave the lot without paying — that is the entire battle.
Slow collections aren't a customer problem — they're a process problem. The fix takes one afternoon.
Most shops still email a PDF and wait. Average days-to-pay sits at 11–18; healthy shops collect in under 3. The leverage is automation, not chasing.
Tap-to-pay on iPhone/Android, card-on-file from the initial deposit, or QR-code on the invoice. The customer should never leave the lot without paying — that is the entire battle.
A pay-now link converts 4–6x faster than an attached PDF. Email AND SMS the link the moment the job closes.
ACH costs 0.5% vs 2.9% on card and clears in 1–2 days. Make it the default for tickets over $1,500 and all fleet invoices.
Verbal net-30 = collections nightmare. Require a signed credit application, run a D&B or business credit check, set a credit limit. Suspend any account over 45 days.
Day 7: friendly SMS. Day 14: SMS + email with link. Day 30: phone call from owner. Most shops never send anything after the initial invoice — that is why they wait 18 days.
Take payment at pickup with tap-to-pay, send SMS pay-links instead of PDFs, and automate day 7/14/30 reminders. Most shops cut days-to-pay by 60% in 30 days.
Both. Card for sub-$1,500 retail (convenience), ACH for fleet and big-ticket (cost). Integrated payments handle the routing.