The overdue customer offers a card payment your business has not accepted before

The customer proposes a different way to pay

A hypothetical subcontractor has chased an overdue account for weeks. The builder says it can pay by card today, although the subcontractor normally accepts bank transfers and has no confirmed process for this transaction. Check the proposed method before agreeing to it. A willingness to pay through a particular channel is useful only if the business can receive the payment properly.

Start with the actual provider arrangement

Ask the existing bank or payment provider whether the facility supports the proposed transaction, amount and method of acceptance. Confirm any onboarding, verification or operational steps through verified channels. Do not assume a payment link used by another business can simply be reused, or that a customer's preferred service is already available under your own arrangements.

Check the costs before making a decision

Business.gov.au recommends considering service fees and transaction costs when choosing payment methods. Obtain the actual provider terms and assess the cost to the business rather than estimating from someone else's rate. This article does not advise adding a surcharge. Have any proposed customer charge separately checked against the current rules and agreement before communicating it.

Source: business.gov.au: Choose payment methods

Confirm how the transaction will be handled

Ask the provider what approved process staff should use and what information the customer supplies through that process. Do not collect card details in a shared email thread as an improvised substitute. Confirm the provider's settlement arrangements and how problems are reported. Keep expected access to funds separate from a customer's statement that they intend to pay.

Keep the overdue account terms clear

In the hypothetical example, identify the invoices and amount the proposed payment is meant to cover. Ask the appropriate adviser whether any wider settlement terms need review. A change in payment method should not quietly become a discount or release that nobody intended. Preserve the original account position until the transaction and any agreed adjustment are properly recorded.

Make a practical choice promptly

If the method is suitable, provide the verified instructions and monitor the result. If setup cannot be completed in time, discuss an available alternative without suggesting that an unprocessed card promise has cleared the debt. CRP can help organise the commercial recovery discussion. The decision is whether the proposed channel is workable under the actual provider arrangements, not whether another supplier happens to accept it.