Month: August 2019
“We often use the term ‘cash is king’ – and my experience as a bookkeeper, as well as a small business owner, affirms this,” says Melanie Morris, Head of Bookkeeping for New Zealand at Xero. “If the cash flow is tight, then all aspects of the business are under pressure, from purchasing goods, to being able to sell to your clients, to paying the staff and maintaining compliance. If a business is under financial stress, the owner is spending valuable time worrying about cash flow rather than working on their business.”
With over a million small businesses using Xero's accounting software, they are able to look closely at a vast trove of data on cash flow. What they have discovered is definitive. Here is the secret - using payment services – such as PayPal and Stripe – gets invoices paid faster than other kinds of invoicing.
“We’re all busy, so if a client can pay online when they receive the invoice, they don’t have to remember to pay later,” says Sue Pak, Head of Accounting for Xero New Zealand. “The sooner you receive the money (from your client), the sooner that money is working for your business.”
Steph Hinds from Growthwise, in Newcastle, Australia, says payment services and gateways are incredibly helpful for customers looking to get paid faster and improve cash flow.
“We try eliminate pain points for our clients. Once we have their invoicing sorted, how do we get them paid quicker? We’ve got to make it easier for people to take credit cards, and that often will result in a PayPal or Stripe conversation,” Steph says.
“Then we roll it out, and we show people that they’re getting paid quicker, which they love.”
“One of the best things you can do for your clients is to activate a payment gateway in Xero,” says Melanie. “Debtors can view and pay the invoice online with a touch of a button, and the invoice payment is automatically applied in Xero ready for reconciliation the following day.”
Not only does it make it easier for small business customers to make the payment, it also allows them to control their own cashflow – by taking advantage of the natural “float” that paying by credit card provides. It means the bill the customer is paying only impacts their cashflow when they pay off their credit card. It gives customers flexibility, while also getting you paid faster
Other criteria to take into account when calculating the benefit of using payment services include the fact that most small and medium businesses do not have the time or resources to chase unpaid invoices or use debt collection, which leaves cash flow languishing. There’s also an important compliance element – all over the world, compliance agencies are cracking down on uncharged invoices. If clients find it easier, they’re more likely to pay invoices sooner, and invoices are likewise less likely to stay unpaid or uncharged.
Steph Hinds says the benefits of getting paid faster hugely outweigh the cost of fees. “Accountants are really good at just looking at the cost of something, not at the real cost of something,” she says.
“I hear accountants go, ‘Ah, Stripe’s 1.75 percent plus 30 cents per transaction, therefore that’s too expensive for my client – they can just get a direct deposit.’ I’m like, well, chasing debtors takes how long?”
What’s more, both PayPal and Stripe are entirely free to set up. There are no flat fees or recurring payments – your clients only incur fees for transactions that are successfully paid through the service. In other words, if your clients’ customers choose not to pay with these online options, it doesn’t cost them.
It’s easy for advisors to calculate the effects of fees offset against these factors, and it’s a great conversation to have with your clients. “If one of your challenges is cash flow, and our data shows you’re more likely to get paid faster by connecting payment services, surely it’s worth trying,” says Sue Pak.
If you would like help to setup payment services in your accounting software get in touch with us today.
