Do you ask for money for lessons weekly, monthly, per block of 10, per term? What do you find are the advantages and disadvantages of each option? Or do you leave it a bit open for people to decide what payment method suits them? My viola teacher had her payment system in chaos, just like the rest of her life. Everything was written on the back of a packet somewhere! We paid in assorted lumps of money whenever she remembered to ask for some.

Half a term at a time, so six invoices a year.

Dates based around local (state) school terms, as I have found this is when the majority of my students are most likely to be available and most likely to want lessons. Invoices sent around the first lesson of the billing period, with the dates listed that are being charged for.

Regard these as my 'core' teaching dates. Lessons outside these dates ad hoc and charged in arrears.

Works for me.

I give an invoice out at the end of each half term and it must be paid on the first lesson back. It usually covers 6 or 7 lessons

Monthly either for the lessons per month or as a flat fee for the 40 lessons per year. Payments due on the 1st of the month and invoices are sent out a week before. Those paying the flat rate usually set up a standing order. Lessons outside normal term times are charged individually on a pay-as-you-go basis, as are those booked by pupils on an 'ad-hoc' basis.

I invoice quarterly and some pay it all at once while others pay monthly.
I charge for a 40 week year with equal monthly or quarterly payments throughout the year.
I use to charge monthly but that meant some months I'd have less money coming in.
I find that with this system I don't even need to think about when anyone cancels. I offer a replacement lesson if I can.

Per term. I ask for payment in the first month from the start of term and give a 20% discount to compensate for missed lessons. I remind non-payers at half term. Individual and holiday lessons are charged at full rate. I currently have 48 pupils so that's still 144 invoices a year. I think the discount is balanced out by the fact that my schedule stays full all term, and it saves a lot of hassle chasing people up. I seldom get a non-payer.

Do you regularly miss lessons?
If they are missing lessons how is that your loss?

I've been back to pay-as-you-go for a while now. I did the monthly flat-rate for a few years, and it worked brilliantly - I'd still recommend it to anyone who has trouble with cancellations/missed lessons etc and finds it hard to confront people about payments for missed lessons.

The only reason why I went back to pay per lesson is that I am so busy at the moment that I find it hard to reschedule if need be. The monthly flat-rate is great for regular payments, but sometimes not so great for flexibility if you are really busy, so I just found it didn't work for me anymore. That's quite personal though, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend pay-as-you-go for everyone - especially not if you find it hard to put your foot down.

I am quite a tough cookie with regards to cancellations meanwhile (and I also have a "security system" in place), so I don't find this an issue any more. That hasn't always been the case though.

Per block of 10.

I do exactly the same

I've been allowing my families to choose their method, but from next term I'm standardising: invoice for the half term goes out at the first lesson, and if they want to pay by the lesson they still can, but T&C will say that cancellations must be by 9am on the day or 100% will be charged

I'm expecting to be at saturation point next term so any cancellations notified in advnce will either be used for re-scheduling or used for admin.

Per lesson. Unless someone particularly want to pay up front - I do have a couple who pay monthly (so this could be for four or five lessons) on the first lesson of the month. I don't have trouble with cancellations, and people do pay if they cancel for a non-exceptional reason. I don't observe academic terms, so that wouldn't work for me, and everyone comes for lessons unless they are away on holiday.

That's what I do too.

My teacher bills her regular students (usually children doing grades) half-termly. Adhoc students like me pay a few lessons in advance, usually 2 to 4 at a time, roughly monthly or six-weekly frequency. I did ask her if she wanted me to pay on the same schedule as the regulars but she said she was OK with adhoc. She has not asked me to observe any formal terms and conditions but sometimes either of us reschedules lessons with advance notice.

Four weeks up front. Once upon a time, I tried to keep everyone in sync so that there would be a 'bill week', but that gradually fell apart. When there's a cancelled lesson not being charged for, such as when I'm ill, it's often much easier to carry it forward to a fifth week. I'm also happy to tweak things for those who prefer for the bill to coincide with payday. I've ended up with a situation which I prefer, with a handfull of bills being paid each week, the majority being done online or in cash with only a few cheques to deal with.

However, I'd hate to try doing this without having it all recorded with accounting software! This also makes things much easier when it's tax return time.

I don't / can't usually re-schedule if pupils miss a lesson. If they miss 2 lessons a term we kind of break even, if they turn up every week they are getting a bargain, if they mess about I get a lot of paid free time. I like a system which favours the industrious!

I too bill by the half term. I issue invoices at the last lesson of the half term and they should be paid on or before the first lesson of the next half term.

I credit those that have missed a lesson but given me a weeks notice. I don't credit those who give less than a weeks notice, nor do I credit for illness. I keep a register for attendance which also doubles as an income for the next half term calculator and note on there when the notice was given so that it's easy to work out the next bill.

Pretty much everyone pays on time, just the odd one or two who fall into the second week, but they know that I have a full list and a waiting list so don't tend to mess me around!

I am considering offering a monthly fixed rate for one family who currently take 7 of my slots (4 x piano and from September will be taking 3 x violin!) as their bill for the 8 week Autumn 1st half term was rather high (even with some discounts we've agreed upon) and in my opinion rather a large chunk to pay in one go. I need to work out for myself how this will work for me as I don't want to add to my admin load too much.

Cheers

Catherine x

Until recently, I have always had a pay-as-you-go system, but began doing a monthly fixed rate earlier this year, when one lady asked me directly if she could pay for her daughter's lessons by Standing Order. She does this now, and it doesn't add anything to my admin - no bills to worry about, and no cash handling during the lesson or writing out of cheques (and she always used to forget her chequebook). All I do once a month is check my account online to make sure the payment is there, and that's it. She started doing this part way through the year, which meant that the first payment was different (to take account of how many lessons remained for the academic year) and now it can roll on ad infinitum. The only other thing I will have to do is work out exact term dates for the next academic year, since I am basing this on a 40-week teaching year. Possibly like you, I wasn't sure how it would work out, but it is so easy that I have offered the same facility to all my other students too.

I think the bit I don't get is the crediting if they can't make it and have given me the required notice. How does this get dealt with as I simply don't have any spare time in my week to make up these lessons and pretty much only teach to term times. What have you done Misterioso, and anyone else offering these payment terms?

This is what I don't get either - making up lessons is not always possible. Also, what do you do if someone needs extra lessons for an exam or concert - I wouldn't give those for free!

I have a policy that if they miss a lesson, regardless of the reason, they get a make-up credit (not a refund) which can then be used at another time to make the lesson up. They are allowed three each year, and after those three, that's it. This means that (a) I don't have to decide who has a legmitimate excuse or not, (b) I don't have to have a policy about how much notice is given, © it allows people to plan holidays etc. around this, and (d) I know what my income will be regardless of whether they miss lessons.

The make-up lessons can be used up whenever we fit them in; some have them during the holidays if I'm available, and some might have an extra or double lesson one week. Some just don't bother to make them up, but that's their decision.

If they are the ones to cancel there's no problem. If you can't rearrange you can't.
Extra lessons you can charge on a pay as you go basis.
Basing it on a 40 week teaching year the only problem would be if I was not available for a minimum of 40 weeks. 40 weeks is what they pay for in a year. If they attend for less that's up to them and usually only really adds a small amount to lesson fee over the year.

The particular girl in question is a good attender, and the situation hasn't arisen yet. But since my schedule is less hectic than some, I can usually reschedule - although sometimes this has had to be on my day off. There is no compunction to make them up in the same week that they occur; if you get a cancellation a week or two later, you could offer that slot. Or maybe you could make them up in the first day or two of the holidays? But if you offer a slot and they can't manage that, then the lesson is lost.

Extra lessons during the summer holiday are on a pay-as-you-go basis.

I charge for 4 lessons in advance. No exceptions. Works well for me.