Poll: Do you find yourself turning down certain clients because of the payment method(s) they use? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you find yourself turning down certain clients because of the payment method(s) they use?".
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The payment methods I provide my clients are bank transfer (my preferred) and Wise, TransferMate or Revolut.
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About three years ago I did a small job for a client in the US and for some reason they were getting blocked by PayPal, and they wouldn't pay me via (Transfer)Wise because it was too complicated (or some similar silly excuse). After an exchange of almost 20 emails over the course of a month, they suggested they could send me a US dollar cheque (check).
I pointed out that we were now in the 21st century, not the 19th, and asked them to donate the money to their preferred charity inst... See more About three years ago I did a small job for a client in the US and for some reason they were getting blocked by PayPal, and they wouldn't pay me via (Transfer)Wise because it was too complicated (or some similar silly excuse). After an exchange of almost 20 emails over the course of a month, they suggested they could send me a US dollar cheque (check).
I pointed out that we were now in the 21st century, not the 19th, and asked them to donate the money to their preferred charity instead. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 22:11
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
One of the main reasons (besides the fact that virtually all of them that contact me seem to be bottom-feeders of some sort) why I still don't work with customers outside of Europe is the ease and zero cost of wire transfers.
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Alex Lichanow
Germany
Local time: 22:11
Member (2020)
English to German
+ ...
| Yes, but very rarely | Aug 23 |
Most of my customers use simple bank transfers, which is also by far my preferred payment method. One British customer also uses Wise for what basically is the same as a bank transfer from my perspective, so they are probably using Wise to reduce fees on their side, which I find absolutely legitimate.
I'm a bit on the fence when it comes to PayPal. I do have an account and do accept PayPal payments from one client, but I insist on them paying the fee.
In the past, I had to rej... See more Most of my customers use simple bank transfers, which is also by far my preferred payment method. One British customer also uses Wise for what basically is the same as a bank transfer from my perspective, so they are probably using Wise to reduce fees on their side, which I find absolutely legitimate.
I'm a bit on the fence when it comes to PayPal. I do have an account and do accept PayPal payments from one client, but I insist on them paying the fee.
In the past, I had to reject payment proposals via WeChat and Skrill, simply because I really hate having too much of anything. I have PayPal, so I don't see why I should use another payment processor. It's like with game launchers. I have Steam, so please leave me alone with Epic and all the other launchers-slash-digital stores. ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 22:11
Spanish to English
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In my case it’s not so much the payment method (bank transfer), but the rigmarole and hoops I would be obliged to jump through in order to use their online billing system (FACe platform in Spain). Every time an accounting office of an academic or government institution has asked me to use it, they have been unable to explain to me how I am supposed to fill in all the boxes. I have tried over the years, downloading and installing the necessary software and certificates, but to date, no one has ... See more In my case it’s not so much the payment method (bank transfer), but the rigmarole and hoops I would be obliged to jump through in order to use their online billing system (FACe platform in Spain). Every time an accounting office of an academic or government institution has asked me to use it, they have been unable to explain to me how I am supposed to fill in all the boxes. I have tried over the years, downloading and installing the necessary software and certificates, but to date, no one has been able to explain to me how to issue an invoice via the platform - which appears to have been designed for businesses with accounting and secretarial staff to do this kind of thing, rather than self-employed translators working out of a broom cupboard.
If I did have to invest the time and effort required to learn how to use the darn thing, I would have to raise my rates accordingly, so, since I already have other clients who are willing to accept my electronic invoices in tried and trusted Excel/PDF format, I simply haven’t bothered. I’m already past retirement age anyway, so tend to no longer bother about these things. And don’t get me started on AI…
PS: I've found that when a client really wants me to do the job rather than looking for other language service providers, they can usually find a way around their institutional billing stipulations. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 22:11
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
If they require a payment method that I can't handle, then obviously I'll turn them down.
But I'll rarely turn down a client simply because I dislike their payment method. E.g. I dislike Western Union, but if the client is a good payer, then I'll accept it. The $10 cost of getting to a Western Union office is a business expense. But: I don't accept American cheques. Well, I can, but the transaction fee is around $100 per cheque, so... nope. I've never been offered gift cards ... See more If they require a payment method that I can't handle, then obviously I'll turn them down.
But I'll rarely turn down a client simply because I dislike their payment method. E.g. I dislike Western Union, but if the client is a good payer, then I'll accept it. The $10 cost of getting to a Western Union office is a business expense. But: I don't accept American cheques. Well, I can, but the transaction fee is around $100 per cheque, so... nope. I've never been offered gift cards (except from scammers). W.r.t. Apple Pay or Google Pay, I guess I would try it if the client insisted that that is all that they're willing to use, but I'm not sure if it's truly available in my country for receiving payments. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:11
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| PayPal can be hugely expensive | Aug 23 |
Kind of acceptable for small amounts common but just horrible for larger sums. I only keep it because I have one small client who occasionally uses it, but I am thinking of closing the account.
Dan
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Kay Denney
France
Local time: 22:11
French to English
All my clients pay by bank transfer. Before Covid a couple used to send me cheques, then switched because the banks were all closed to the public during Covid. Nobody has ever suggested or requested any other system.
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