Managing Money Order Status for Direct Sales: Tips and Strategies for Success

[MHPampered]

Ok... I know I screwed up some where along the line and now I am picking up the pieces. Now with money order status only I am stuck with it for 6 months... So what do you think the best way of going about this is? I sooo many people that want to write checks and it would be so much easier if everyone used a credit card or their bank card.

With this status you have to close your show out and send a money order for any remaining amount. my incentives will not count until the money order is processed by HO.

"So if I close a show today 6/7 and mailed the money order from CA today. They recieve say 6/10 in HO. Then it would count as a show submitted on 6/10"

But I can pay for the remaining amounts with a debit card on the show... under the host. I am not sure if thats not allowed or not.

Just trying to figure out how to work with this. And still earn for my efforts.

Should I tell people I am not accepting checks anymore and if they absolutely have to have them write it to the hosts?

Does anyone else have their guests write the checks to the hosts instead of yourself?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[MLinAZ]

Are you on money order status or the 10-day hold? Mine is on the 10-day hold so what I've been doing to get around it is just enter my regular (not PC) debit card number as a payment under the host or a guest for whatever the show balance due is. So far it's been working.

I wish I could say to HO, see, I'm still paying from the same account and it hasn't bounced a single time so take me off 10-day hold. But I can't. And I honestly don't even really know how I get off the 10-day hold. As long as I can still put in a payment and have my shows submitted and fulfilled immediately, then I don't really care how I do it LOL It was just me being a procrastinator and not transferring the funds from my checking to the savings account my PC debit was attached to a few too many times. In fact I ended up changing my PC debit card to my checking account so I wouldn't have to worry about it, but it was too late and it didn't change my status at that point.

 

[lisasfuncooking]

If you do get checks from guests, just deposit it into your checking account. Make sure the funds will be available before you are ready to submit your show. Then just put your credit/debit card under the hosts name as payment. As long as there is a $0 balance when you submit the show, they do not expect you to mail in the show/payment.
Just remember, I think you are limited (maybe 2) to how many payments you could list under the hosts name.
If you are going to do this, put in every ones orders and payments. Then print the sales receipts. (If you do include a printed receipt with there order) Then just before you are ready to close, put in your credit card information. This way if you give the host a printed receipt, she does not have your information on it.
At least you won't have to worry about things getting lost in the mail or having your show submitted date delayed.
Believe it or not, 6 months will fly by.
Personally, I have never had guests write out the checks payable to the host.
While it would be easier, I would be annoyed if I was the host.
But unfortunately, I have been there. I am so bad at getting to the bank quickly, or my bank would put a hold on the checks for a week. Over the weekend I had to deposit 20 checks via the ATM. They changed the ATM and now have to deposit them one by one, instead of a total balance in the envelope. But I have to do it through the ATM because for some stupid reason, if I make a deposit through the ATM, the funds are available in 1-2 days. If I make a deposit at the counter, It clears in a week.
Don't stress about it, we all make mistakes! Good Luck.

 

[MHPampered]

Thanks for the advice!! I have been stressing out about this alot. I just wasn't sure if it was allowed to put my debit card under the host to pay for the checks I recieved. Thats what I have done but I have been using my husbands card since it has his name and not mine. I feel embarrassed this happend, but my bank is lame and they put ridiculous holds on personal checks because I deposit so many. I have never had any come back from a customer. And I hate to switch because I have been with them for so long.

 

[lisasfuncooking]

Trust me I know. I think all banks are the same. I don't have time to go to each bank to cash them, then deposit the cash. Unfortunately, I really can't afford to have much cushion in my pampered chef checking account. But now that I figured out depositing
via ATM, it saves me a lot of worry and can get my shows submitted quicker.

 

[lesliec]

I offer plastic for plastic. I tell guests that if they pay with their debit card I will give them a twixit clip. I have very few pay with checks. There are always still a few, but this could help.

 

[AJPratt]

I offer plastic for plastic. I tell guests that if they pay with their debit card I will give them a twixit clip. I have very few pay with checks. There are always still a few, but this could help.

WHAT A FABULOUS IDEA!!! That would save me SO much aggravation!

 

[kayleigh]

That is a good idea. I, like many others, find it hard to find the time to go to the bank all the time. The sad thing is, I changed banks to a bank right next to me at work thinking this would help the problem. : ) Love the twix it idea

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Just remember, I think you are limited (maybe 2) to how many payments you could list under the hosts name.

This isn't true ... I had a host pay for a few orders with her credit card and had the customer repay her .. that was her decision ... another one is doing the same this year.You just can't put the entire show on one credit card.

 

[MLinAZ]

This isn't true ... I had a host pay for a few orders with her credit card and had the customer repay her .. that was her decision ... another one is doing the same this year.

You just can't put the entire show on one credit card.

I think she just meant you can only put up to 2 credit card payments per customer/host.

 

[lockhartkitchen]

This isn't true ... I had a host pay for a few orders with her credit card and had the customer repay her .. that was her decision ... another one is doing the same this year.

You just can't put the entire show on one credit card.

I paid with an entire show(more than 8) using my husband's debit card and it worked.

 

[JennLizFran]

I'm so glad I found this! I went out of the country and my bank put a hold on my account (really annoying since I called to tell them I was traveling) and 2 shows bounced! Ahhh!!! I was freaking out about the mailing in a money order, and was curious if I could get away with paying with my credit card under the host, and now I know it works...you guys are awesome!!!!

 

[JennLizFran]

Anyone know about placing supply orders? Will I need to mail in a money order for those, or will the debit my account?!?