How to collect payment for a class without chasing parents

Sunday evening. You're sitting with a spreadsheet and WhatsApp open, trying to work out who has paid for the month. Yoav's mum wrote "transferred", but it's not clear where to. Someone sent a Bit payment with no note. And three parents simply haven't got round to it yet.

Collecting money is the part of running classes that wears people down the most. Not because parents don't want to pay. Most of them do, but they're busy, and the payment sits on their to-do list. The trick isn't to chase better. It's to set up payment so you hardly need to chase at all.

Three rules that save most of the chasing

• Payment is part of registration. When parents see the amount and how to pay at the moment they register, they pay while it's still on their mind.
• One clear amount. A price for the term, a sibling discount worked out in advance, and no "we'll sort it out later".
• One place to see who paid. Not three apps, a spreadsheet and notes on the fridge.

The options, one by one

There's no single right way. Each payment method has its pros and costs, and many businesses combine two. Here's what's worth knowing about each.

Bit and payment apps

The method parents in Israel know best. Almost every parent has the app, and paying takes seconds. The downside: the money arrives with no link to the registration. You have to match the transfer to the child and the class yourself, and without a clear note that gets frustrating.

Cost: between private people there's usually no fee, but receiving payments as a business has business plans with their own terms. Check with your bank or the payment app what applies to you, and think about receipts in advance too.

Bank transfer

Good for larger amounts, such as paying for a whole year up front. The cost is usually low. But the parent needs your account details, and you need to go through your statement and match transfers to names. When the statement shows the father's name and the registration has the mother's, it turns into a memory game.

Card payments

The parent pays by card on a payment provider's page, sometimes in installments. The money arrives with the transaction details, so matching it to the registration can be automatic. It's the most convenient option for parents, especially when paying for a year.

Cost: payment providers usually charge a monthly fee and a fee per transaction, and sometimes a setup fee. Providers differ a lot, so ask for a written quote and ask about every line, including fees on installment payments and refunds.

Standing orders

Suit a class that's paid monthly through the year. The parent signs once and the charge goes through by itself. Less chasing, but there's work in setting it up: an authorisation form for the bank or card company, and keeping an eye on charges that bounce. There are fees for setup and collection here too, depending on the bank or provider. And parents can cancel the authorisation, so you still need to see that the money actually arrived.

Cash

Still around, mostly for a single lesson or a workshop. If you take cash, record it straight away, in the same place you record everything else. Cash that isn't written down is cash that gets forgotten.

When to ask for the money

It's easiest to collect before the class starts, not halfway through. Paying up front for a term, say three months or half a year, saves monthly collection and gives you a clear picture of the season. Anyone who joins mid-term pays only for the sessions that are left.

In Classo Club, the registration summary for a weekly class lists every remaining session until the end of the term and their price. A late joiner sees a pro-rated price, for example 4 of 6 sessions, so you don't have to work it out and explain it every time.

And what about someone who doesn't pay at all? Write down in advance, in your terms, what happens when a payment hasn't arrived by a certain date. When the rule is written and the parent accepted it while registering, the conversation is far less awkward.

How it works in {brand} today

Classo Club never touches the money and takes no fee on payments. The money goes straight to the business. Right now the way to collect is Bit, with you marking who has paid:

1. In settings, under payments, turn on "Bit payment (manual)" and enter the mobile number linked to Bit. You can add a payee name and short instructions for parents.
2. The parent registers on their phone. The registration is confirmed at once and the spot is kept.
3. The confirmation page, the email and the personal area show the amount, the Bit number with a copy button, and what to write in the note: the participant's name and the activity.
4. When the money arrives, you mark the registration as paid, type the amount received and choose whether it came by Bit or manually, such as cash or a transfer.

The Bit note is the important part. When the transfer says "Noa Cohen, swimming class", matching takes a second. You can mark any registration this way, including a parent who paid by bank transfer or cash, and who marked it and when is kept.

In the registrations list, each registration has a tag: "Paid", "Partly paid" or "Not paid". Above the list there's a summary such as "3 haven't paid · ₪450 open", with a link straight to those who haven't paid yet. Instead of scrolling through messages, you know exactly who to write to.

Card payment through Classo Club is coming soon. Once it's connected, parents will pay on your own payment provider's page and the money will go straight to you. Until then, collection is by Bit, marked by hand.

Two more things help: the sibling discount is applied automatically when a family registers several children together, and a coupon with an end date gives an early-bird discount without any manual sums. See Coupons and the sibling discount. All the payment settings are explained in Payments and the payment connection.

What to write to parents

Wording matters too. A message like "anyone who hasn't paid, please sort it out" in the group chat embarrasses everyone and doesn't really work. A short, personal message with the amount and how to pay works better:

"Hi, a quick reminder about payment for Noa's swimming class this term: ₪450. You can pay by Bit to the number in the registration email, with Noa's name in the note. Thanks!"

When it's several parents, the list of who hasn't paid saves the most tiring part: working out who you need to write to at all. From there it's a one-minute message.