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What would you say is the most common reason why customers don’t pay their bills?
If you work in a restaurant, you are likely to assume that a customer who refuses to pay has a complaint about the meal or the service.
If you work in the retail industry, you might believe that customers try to exchange their blogging or vlogging services against your products, claiming that if you give them a sample for free, they are going to write a positive review about your brand.
If you work in the financial or medical sector, you are probably used to customers relying on compensation claims to return an invoice unpaid.
However, while these cases are not rare, there are not, by far, the most likely reason why your customers don’t pay. Customers don’t like complicated processes. If you make it difficult for them to pay, they’re unlikely to bother.
Handling order payments
Customers who make an order via email or phone, typically receive an invoice around the time where their order is prepared or delivered. However, unless you’re dealing with B2B clients who are comfortable with bank transfer payment for their transactions, most B2C customers dislike managing bank details. Instead, they prefer to be able to pay effortlessly, either over the phone or via a payment interface – if you sent the invoice via email. Using a payment interface means that the customer is directed to your secure merchant gateway. However, when the payment occurs over the phone, you need to use a MOTO payment processing terminal that acts as a virtual terminal. The virtual terminal replaces the physical POS credit card machine and encrypts all data.
Helping shop payments
What could be difficult about using a credit card machine in shops? For places such as restaurants, where your reputation can drive new patrons, it may not help them to handle the bill. Indeed, in a touristic area, for instance, you need to account for foreign visitors who may not be familiar with the tipping system in your region. Making sure you explain these differences directly on the bill can avoid a lot of confusion. Additionally, it’s a good idea to accept as many payment cards as possible and to offer alternative payment methods such as Apple Pay.
What if they can’t pay now?
Depending on your business sector, you should consider offering delayed payment strategies to your customers. Credit financing can prove useful for large purchases. Similarly, you can also introduce installments that let the customers spread out the price over a period of several months or years. Installments are particularly effective for home improvements, vehicles, and specialist plastic surgery buyers.
What’s the preferred online payment method?
If, as a merchant, you are trying to expand your business and reach out to a global audience, you need to be au fait with the local payment preferences. Indeed, while American customers prefer paying with their credit or debit card and Paypal, German customers are more likely to pay by invoice and direct debit. Understanding and respecting cultural differences can facilitate payments.
As usability experts claim, the KISS principle, Keep It Simple Stupid, that applies typically to online functionality and navigation should be a golden rule for every customer interaction. Therefore, keeping transactions and payments as straightforward as possible can give your customers control over the payment method.
