Whatever you do online, whether you’re a freelancer, a remote worker, or a business owner, it can be hard to figure out what your client expects from your payment terms – especially when they don’t explicitly state it in their contract. Here are some of the most common payment issues you might come across online and how to deal with them politely.
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Transaction Process
There are three ways for people to pay you online. First is the standard credit card payment, which is the easiest but most expensive way for your client to pay you. Many businesses use it because they feel safer when their clients’ data are safe in the hands of a third party. It’s also very convenient – anyone can use it without having to enter their bank information. To ensure this goes as planned, every business or individual needs a payment transaction monitoring system. The second option is PayPal, which has a higher transaction fee but lets your client securely pay you without sharing his or her financial data. The third option is an offline transaction, which involves your client organizing a wire transfer or cash in person. Again, this method is safe for both parties involved, but it’s also the most inconvenient.
Common Transaction Problems
The most common issue is the promotion of an offer that ended or expired, which can cause a payment error or a decline. If you have a fixed price for your services and marketing messages promote a specific deal but it isn’t stated in your contract, then this could be considered a false advertisement. In some cases, especially with large companies, this could lead to a decline in the future. Clients also make mistakes when sending payments. One common issue is typing in the wrong amount, which often causes an underpayment or overpayment. The other mistake is not knowing how much you used PayPal’s payment option, which does not charge your client for transferring money to you. This creates an issue because both you are your client are charged a transaction fee.
Failed Payment
If payment was declined, the first thing you should do is check your contract to see if this payment method is allowed. Sometimes, people want to pay but they were victimized by a phishing attack, or their credit card information was stolen. In that case, you might have to work out another arrangement with your client. It’s important not to get frustrated over this situation. Many experts recommend sending a follow-up email asking for an explanation and offering to help fix the issue. Your best course of action would therefore be to resend the payment information. If your client still has an issue, you can ask them to use their PayPal account or send a paper check.
Late Payment
Some clients are late on payments because of their poor budgeting skills, while some delay payments because they need more information from you first. If there is no set date for paying in your contract, it’s best to wait a week before starting the discussion. Asking your client politely and suggesting they pay you through PayPal might solve this issue quickly. if they still haven’t paid, send them an email or call their office asking for confirmation that they received the payment request. If they ignore your message, follow up with another email after a week. If you get no response, get in touch with your client’s boss to solve the issue before it causes a bad reputation for both parties.
Fraudulent/Stolen Payment
There are many ways people try to scam you, from using stolen credit cards to sending counterfeit money orders. Whatever the case may be, it’s important not to take your client’s side without knowing all the facts. Maybe your client was hacked and had no control over what happened to his or her payment. Or maybe they were scammed by someone pretending to be your business partner (the scammer will request a wire transfer and then disappear with everyone’s money). You must understand both sides of the story before recommending payment alternatives.
Server Issues
If your client is having issues with their credit card transaction, ask them to resubmit the payment information. If they’re still having problems after a few days, another option would be to use PayPal as a payment method. Your client will have an easier time using this service since it’s available everywhere and most people already have an account. Also, if PayPal declines your client’s payment, it could be because their account has been frozen. That’s a bigger issue that should be handled by the company directly. A crashed server is another common problem. In this case, contact your client and let them know you’ll send another invoice as soon as the server is up and running.
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Security Breaches
Lastly, security breaches are another common payment issue that should be taken seriously. This can happen when your client’s payment information is compromised and used by someone else without his or her consent. Unfortunately, the only way to prevent this from happening is to avoid storing sensitive information on your website or any other unsecured network. You should also encourage everyone in your business to use strong passwords and change them every few months. If you need to store payment information, you should encrypt it and only offer the service through secure pages on an HTTPS domain. If your client’s information was compromised, you could offer to let them pay for it once the issue has been resolved. This is another situation where having a contract with clear payment terms would be beneficial.
There are many different ways clients can take advantage of your business, but being patient and understanding in certain situations will create a long-term relationship that benefits both parties. If you suspect that there is something wrong with the payment, always contact your client before doing anything else. There might be an explanation for the issue or it may simply be a mistake on their end. If that doesn’t work, then you can try to contact your bank or PayPal for help. You may also want to consider using a payment-tracking service to monitor all of the transactions going on in your accounts. Good luck!
