Chasing payment after the appointment

The work is done, the client has left, and now you have to send a message about money to somebody you would rather keep as a client.

The part of the job nobody trained you for#

Collecting money after the fact puts you in a position you did not want: reminding a customer, in writing, that they owe you. Most people put it off, some never send it, and the ones who do send it worry about the tone for twenty minutes.

Cash has its own version — a fumbled exchange at the end of an appointment, no change, and an envelope somebody forgot to bring.

What it costs#

• Time. Invoicing, following up, reconciling.
• Money. Some of it is never collected and quietly written off.
• The relationship. The last interaction of a good appointment should not be about money.

Payment at booking, not after#

The customer pays by card when they book. The appointment is confirmed once the payment succeeds, the money lands in your own Stripe account, and there is nothing to chase. Charging for bookings

You are the merchant of record — the payment is created directly on your Stripe account, not ours — so the money is yours from the moment it settles and Business Box takes no commission.

Or just a deposit#

If the total is not known until the work is done — most clinics, most trades — take a deposit at booking and the balance on the day. It does most of the work. Taking a deposit

Or agree the price without taking it#

Paid in person shows the price to the customer and records it on the booking, but charges nothing online. No Stripe account, no subscription, and no surprise on the day. It is free, and it fixes the half of the problem that is really about expectations.

What it costs you#

Card payment for bookings is ¥1,200 a month with no commission. Stripe takes its own processing fee per payment, which is between you and them. Showing a price and collecting it in person is free.

Last reviewed 28 September 2026.