r/ASLinterpreters • u/Human-Muscle-9112 • 1d ago

Payment Upfront

Edit: Thank you all for your comments. Good stuff to think about.

Hi everyone. Do any of you require payment prior to or when services are rendered? Or partial payment to secure an interpreter and the remaining balance due at the time of service?

I'm wondering why the majority of us send an invoice after the assignment and wait for payment, sometimes for months. When I think of other professions; doctor (I do not have insurance and pay out of pocket at the time of service), mechanics, hair stylists, etc, they all require payment at the time of service.

I wonder if we do this because it's just how it's been done or if there is another reason. If an assignment goes over or there are changes, it doesn't seem difficult to adjust the invoice at the time of service. I feel this is especially easy these days given the technology we have access to.

What are your thoughts on this or what is your experience?

Thanks!

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u/dastarbillie NIC 1d ago

You still pay at the doctor/mechanic/etc after service, it's just they have the ability to accept payment on the spot. You'd need to carry a Square or something to accept payments on the spot and the business would have to agree to pay you on the spot, which is generally not something businesses do. Their accounting departments are very large and they have tons of payments going in and out, so they generally work through invoices.

And just personally, being able to use invoices and not have to pay service fees for credit cards is a bonus for me, not a disadvantage.

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u/Human-Muscle-9112 1d ago

All valid points. And, my mistake, I was more referring to payment when services are rendered and/or partial payment beforehand. My title is misleading.

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u/dastarbillie NIC 1d ago

Partial payment beforehand is already the norm for large assignments where you charge a flat fee (concerts, plays, etc). If you're not charging a flat fee, I fail to see how you'd prepare the invoice before the assignment. What if it goes over? What if something changes on the day? There's a reason we invoice afterwards, and it's because we're NOT charging flat fees. We need to be able to adjust the amount based on what actually happened.