Translations agencies that refuse other than Paypal payment platforms..(e-payment) Thread poster: Alexandre Chetrite
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Hellon,
I have switched to Skrill.com for my e-payments (to receive payments from translation agencies and clients).
However my current customers (translations agencies) refuse to pay me other than through Paypal. Paypal takes a commission for every payment I receive, not withstanding the currency exchange rates . All in all I lose some valuable money for each transaction.
What can I do and say if a customer refuses to pay me through my e-payment platform?<... See more Hellon,
I have switched to Skrill.com for my e-payments (to receive payments from translation agencies and clients).
However my current customers (translations agencies) refuse to pay me other than through Paypal. Paypal takes a commission for every payment I receive, not withstanding the currency exchange rates . All in all I lose some valuable money for each transaction.
What can I do and say if a customer refuses to pay me through my e-payment platform?
Regards,
[Edited at 2017-01-07 11:14 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 13:29
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
You can't force them to use your method; nor can they force you to use theirs. This needs to be sorted before work starts. Obviously it's in your interests to be as flexible as possible. But you need to receive fair fees. So negotiate.
I don't see much difference between PayPal, which charges you to receive fees, and Skrill, which charges you to withdraw your funds. I offer both, but only when a cheaper method is not available. And I have different terms for those payment types.
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Cristiana Coblis
Romania
Local time: 15:29
Member (2004)
English to Romanian
+ ...
| Adjust your rates | Jan 7, 2017 |
I cannot see where you are located. I know both PayPal and Skrill have different commissions and terms for different regions of the world. Of course, there is always the exchange rate, but that is always a factor, with any payment method.
I always look into the payment method before agreeing on rates or payment terms. This allows me to adjust my rates and payment terms to offset the shortcomings of using certain payment methods. Let's say Paypal charges you 5%, you can adjust your r... See more I cannot see where you are located. I know both PayPal and Skrill have different commissions and terms for different regions of the world. Of course, there is always the exchange rate, but that is always a factor, with any payment method.
I always look into the payment method before agreeing on rates or payment terms. This allows me to adjust my rates and payment terms to offset the shortcomings of using certain payment methods. Let's say Paypal charges you 5%, you can adjust your rate by 5% to offset that cost.
I will be honest, in some cases, I had to reject work due to the payment method the client preferred. It is too expensive and it creates a lot of accounting hassles to offer all payment methods, so I just offer bank transfers and Paypal for non-EU clients or where bank transfers are too expensive for clients.
HTH ▲ Collapse
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| Food for thought | Jan 7, 2017 |
ok Thanks.
[Edited at 2017-01-07 12:02 GMT]
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| I only accept wire transfers | Jan 7, 2017 |
Because I am the seller and the client the buyer, I am the one setting the conditions when the client approaches me. I’m much more flexible about payment terms which are always determined before starting the job. My standard terms of payment are 30 days, though I might occasionally agree on different conditions (that's the exception, not the rule). The faster, the better! I have one very dear long-standing customer who for over 20 years has been paying like clockwork the day after receiving my... See more Because I am the seller and the client the buyer, I am the one setting the conditions when the client approaches me. I’m much more flexible about payment terms which are always determined before starting the job. My standard terms of payment are 30 days, though I might occasionally agree on different conditions (that's the exception, not the rule). The faster, the better! I have one very dear long-standing customer who for over 20 years has been paying like clockwork the day after receiving my invoice, most of the others pay at 30 days, one or two at 60 days and of course I had occasionally to chase payment… ▲ Collapse
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Teresa Borges wrote:
Because I am the seller and the client the buyer, I am the one setting the conditions when the client approaches me. I’m much more flexible about payment terms which are always determined before starting the job. My standard terms of payment are 30 days, though I might occasionally agree on different conditions (that's the exception, not the rule). The faster, the better! I have one very dear long-standing customer who for over 20 years has been paying like clockwork the day after receiving my invoice, most of the others pay at 30 days, one or two at 60 days and of course I had occasionally to chase payment…
Hello,
But who pays the bank fees for the wire transfer? You? Most of the time I noticed it is the translator, not the client...This is unfair , because the translator has to wait up to 30 days after completion (standard deadline), with the risk of not being paid at all or very late.
Is it a common practice to do 50/50 split of the bank fee with the customer or not advisable at all in terms of negotiation?
There must an equilibrium. All parties must win. If one side loses, then there is a problem IMHO.
Regards,
[Edited at 2017-01-07 15:53 GMT]
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 13:29
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Where are your clients? | Jan 7, 2017 |
Alexandre Chetrite wrote:
But who pays the bank fees for the wire transfer? You? Most of the time I noticed it is the translator, not the client...This is unfair , because the translator has to wait up to 30 days after completion (standard deadline), with the risk of nopt b eing at all or very late.
Firstly, if your client is anywhere in the Eurozone there's unlikely to be any expense at either end for a wire transfer, assuming you're living in France as your profile says. Banks can only charge the amount they'd charge for a national transfer, which is more often than not free. And as it can be done online in most cases there's no reason for your client to have any expense.
Where there are expenses related to international transfers then it's certainly standard within Europe for "shared" fees to apply. My own Spanish bank presets the field to that. I've never had a client expect anything else. It isn't 50/50, you pay your own bank's fees. The only grey area is where monies are routed through a third bank.
It sounds as though you're having a lot of problems with clients. I've never not been paid in 20 years, aside from two bankruptcies. I have had three clients who have delayed payment and tried to avoid it, but they've always been made to pay in the end. A late payer for me is one who constantly needs a reminder and only pays after about 40 days rather than 30 days. They might do that a few times but then the relationship ends. You can't spend all your working time running after a couple of bad clients. It's better to put that effort into finding a better replacement. Or into some training.
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| There are no bank fees involved | Jan 7, 2017 |
Alexandre Chetrite wrote: Teresa Borges wrote:
Because I am the seller and the client the buyer, I am the one setting the conditions when the client approaches me. I’m much more flexible about payment terms which are always determined before starting the job. My standard terms of payment are 30 days, though I might occasionally agree on different conditions (that's the exception, not the rule). The faster, the better! I have one very dear long-standing customer who for over 20 years has been paying like clockwork the day after receiving my invoice, most of the others pay at 30 days, one or two at 60 days and of course I had occasionally to chase payment… Hello, But who pays the bank fees for the wire transfer? You? Most of the time I noticed it is the translator, not the client...This is unfair , because the translator has to wait up to 30 days after completion (standard deadline), with the risk of not being paid at all or very late. Is it a common practice to do 50/50 split of the bank fee with the customer or not advisable at all in terms of negotiation? There must an equilibrium. All parties must win. If one side loses, then there is a problem IMHO. Regards, [Edited at 2017-01-07 15:53 GMT]
Almost all (but one) of my customers are in the Eurozone and pay me exactly the total I invoiced using an online service (no fees or commissions). With the only client I have outside the Eurozone (Angola) we have agreed beforehand on splitting the bank charges.
Regards,
Teresa
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 14:29
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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| @Alex and @Teresa | Jan 7, 2017 |
Alexandre Chetrite wrote:
I have switched to Skrill.com for my e-payments (to receive payments from translation agencies and clients).
You should not switch. You should offer multiple options. Otherwise you reduce your own client pool to those who are willing to switch along with you.
Paypal takes a commission for every payment I receive, not withstanding the currency exchange rates. All in all I lose some valuable money for each transaction.
Yes, that is the "cost of doing business".
If you don't want to lose that money, increase your rates by 10%. After increasing your rate by 10% you can also offer a 10% discount if payment is made through Skrill.
Alexandre Chetrite wrote:
But who pays the bank fees for the wire transfer? You? Most of the time I noticed it is the translator, not the client.
Yes, that is so. The problem is that the translator has no control over whether or not the client requests his bank to allow him to pay the wire fee (and in fact whether the client's bank even offers that option), so if you get paid by wire, you're really risking being charged a wire fee, regardless of what the client said or intended.
Teresa Borges wrote:
Almost all ... of my customers are in the Eurozone and ...
All right, but that is not "wire", then. That is IBAN. IBAN payment is an exceptional case due to a special arrangement that exists only between EU countries.
[Edited at 2017-01-07 18:39 GMT]
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I refuse work where they only want to pay through PayPal and I explain why - most of them know about the fees, yet refuse to pay for the fees, but most of them do not know either some of the practices of PayPal in Europe, which has them Under scrutiny from the Banking watchdog in Luxembourg following many customers' complaints. I explain that I refuse to deal with dubious institutions and offer to willingly pay for the bank transfer charges (in the SEPA zone, they are not high) and the clients u... See more I refuse work where they only want to pay through PayPal and I explain why - most of them know about the fees, yet refuse to pay for the fees, but most of them do not know either some of the practices of PayPal in Europe, which has them Under scrutiny from the Banking watchdog in Luxembourg following many customers' complaints. I explain that I refuse to deal with dubious institutions and offer to willingly pay for the bank transfer charges (in the SEPA zone, they are not high) and the clients usually comply. ▲ Collapse
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Sheila Wilson wrote:
You can't force them to use your method; nor can they force you to use theirs. This needs to be sorted before work starts. Obviously it's in your interests to be as flexible as possible. But you need to receive fair fees. So negotiate.
I don't see much difference between PayPal, which charges you to receive fees, and Skrill, which charges you to withdraw your funds. I offer both, but only when a cheaper method is not available. And I have different terms for those payment types.
I din't know Skrill charged for withdrawing funds..If that is the case, then I will stick with Paypal..Paying a fee when receing a payment or when withdrawing funds to the bank is the same at the end...
I believe it is utopic to look for an e-payment platform that doesn't take any commission at all at the end..It's the price to pay to receive and send money online I guess...
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