NSF and Non-Payment Policies
“The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.”
~ Colin R. Davis
Unfortunately, sometimes cheques bounce, sometimes people forget their wallets, and life just happens. This policy keeps you from appearing like the bad guy and your clients can make informed decisions.
Clients need to be aware of what the procedure is if they run into a sticky banking situation or if non-payment becomes a habit. Below is some scripting that can be adapted for your purposes.
Always use your discretion but it is helpful to have some type of disclaimer about what will happen if someone decides to not pay their invoices. Again, you rarely will need to use this policy, most clients are more than happy to pay on time, but good to have a plan in place just in case.
Potential Scripting:
A (insert amount) fee, plus any bank fees incurred, will be charged for NSF cheques. In the case of payment not being made before the appointment or at the appointment time, clients will be charged a $10 fee per unpaid session for each full or partial month that they have not paid. Clients have 30 days before this fee will begin to accumulate. If more than (insert amount) sessions are unpaid without an expressed agreement with your therapist, further sessions will be put on hold until payment has been made.