Lawn Care Prepay vs Autopay: Which Should You Offer?
Chasing payment after every visit is the slowest way to run a lawn business. Most shops that grow past a truck or two move customers to one of two options: prepay the season or autopay. Many offer both and let the customer pick.
Here's how each one works, what it really costs you, and how to set it up so the numbers hold.
Example numbers only. Use your own program prices and your card processor's actual rates.
The three common ways lawn customers pay
- Pay after each visit. You bill after every round. Simple to explain, but slow cash and lots of follow-up.
- Prepay the season. The customer pays the whole program up front, usually for a small discount.
- Autopay. A card or bank account is kept on file with your payment processor and charged on a schedule: after each visit, or the same amount every month.
Pros and cons
| Prepay the season | Autopay | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash timing | All up front, often before spring product buys | Spread over the season |
| Cost to you | The discount you give | Processing fees on each charge |
| Customer appeal | Customers who like a deal and paying once | Customers who want smaller payments |
| Cancellations | Rare mid-season (they've paid) | Easier for the customer to stop |
| Office work | One payment, then done | Failed cards and expired cards to chase |
| Renewals | Needs a new prepay offer each year | Can roll into next season if the customer agreed to that |
How to set a prepay discount without giving away your margin
A prepay discount comes straight out of profit, so size it on purpose.
Step 1. Start from your program total. Example: $522 for a five-round program. (See how to price a lawn care program.)
Step 2. Pick a discount. Example: 5% = $26.10 off, so the customer pays $495.90.
Step 3. Check what it buys you. That $26.10 is worth it if the money up front:
- lets you buy spring product without borrowing,
- stops that customer from cancelling after round 3, or
- saves your office several reminder calls and a late-payment chase.
Step 4. Check your margin. If your program runs at a 40% margin, a 5% discount leaves you roughly 37%. A 10% discount leaves roughly 33%. Bigger discounts add up fast across a whole book.
Most shops keep prepay discounts small and simple, one number for every program, so the office can explain it in one sentence.
How to split a program into monthly autopay
"Same amount every month" is easy for customers to budget. The trick is making the total come out exact.
Step 1. Choose the months you'll bill, for example April through November (8 months).
Step 2. Divide the program total by the months. $522 ÷ 8 = $65.25 a month. Clean.
Step 3. When it doesn't divide evenly, let the last month absorb the difference. Example: $500 over 7 months = $71.43 for six months ($428.58), then $71.42 in the last month. Total: exactly $500.
Step 4. Decide what happens if the season changes. If a round gets skipped, do you credit it in the last payment? Write the answer down once so the office handles it the same way every time.
What to put on the proposal
Whatever you offer, put it in writing on the estimate the customer accepts:
- The program total, and the prepay price if you offer one
- For autopay: the amount, how often, and when the first charge happens
- Whether the program renews next year, and how the customer stops it
- How skipped rounds and cancellations are handled
Check your state's rules. Many states have rules on automatic renewals and recurring charges, and your card processor has its own terms. Confirm what applies to you before you set up renewing autopay.
Never keep card numbers yourself. Card and bank details belong with your payment processor, not in a spreadsheet, a notebook or your field software's notes.
Which should you offer?
- Mostly residential, customers who like a deal: lead with prepay and offer autopay as the backup.
- Customers who balk at a big number: lead with monthly autopay.
- Commercial accounts: usually a monthly statement or invoice instead of either.
Offering both is common and not much extra work once your proposal shows both options side by side.
Worksheet
| Line | Your number |
|---|---|
| Program total | $ |
| Prepay discount % | % |
| Prepay price (total × (1 − discount)) | $ |
| Autopay months (first month to last month) | |
| Monthly amount (total ÷ months, rounded to the cent) | $ |
| Last month (total − monthly × (months − 1)) | $ |
| Renews next year? How does the customer stop it? |
Want both options on every estimate? MiteyRoute proposals let you offer a prepay price with your discount, or autopay, and the office sees which customers still need a payment method on file. Online card payments are still being tested, so we'll tell you exactly what's ready before your start date. We're taking a few pilot shops now. The pilot is free, and we set up your programs with you. Email hello@getmiteyroute.com or see pricing.