I prefer real cash.

ETA: I use a CREDIT card online and at stores. We had trouble with his this spring. Checks as a very last resort. I will not use any of those pay things ever. We used Paypal one time and it was a mistake!

We use Venmo. No fee to you, and you control it. Ask if you can use that. If the landscaper's form wants account info, then decline. Cash always works.

Thanks, friends. I understand not wanting paper checks and the merchant not wanting to pay the 3% or whatever fee to Amex or Visa. I'm just not sure what's 'safe' as an alternative. Seems to me *somebody* has to pay for the transaction.

I would just put an envelope with cash in it out on the days they work. I, too, don't use any cash payment apps. and really don't want to pay fees or even have others pay fees when cash works just fine. Edited to add that I do use paypal online when I can. I like that I don't give my credit card info to random stores where I might want to purchase something. And I've used their dispute system a couple of times (very successfully) to get my money back when a company wouldn't respond to an error or problem.

I use Paypal and Venmo once in awhile. Ive never had a problem. They’re both easy to use

Ive been told that Apple Pay is the most secure way of paying but Ive never tried it for person to person payments.lSeems like every bank has their own system, such as Zelle, and its a nuisance.

Cash never costs extra. If they cannot take cash, I would find another company.

When you say landscaper, what is the scope of work involved? Is this a large, multi-thousand dollar job, a smaller once-and-done, or ongoing routine maintenance work (like grass cutting, weeding, etc).

For really large jobs, personal check, cashier's check, or credit card, depending on what they'll accept. Smaller one-time jobs = personal check, cash, or credit card, depending on amount; same for routine jobs though I'd probably make seasonal or monthly arrangements for that type of work and not have to pay every week or two. Always get a receipt for cash, obviously. But that's just me, I realize other folks prefer the apps -- I don't, and I choose to work with contractors who will work with me and my comfort level on payment arrangements. I have no use for you-must-pay-me-this-way-or-I-won't-take-the-job sorts of people -- trust me, there's always somebody else who will be more than happy to take cash...and might just give me a discount for paying that way too.

I’ve heard that several landscapers in the area like being paid by Z or V, but I hadn’t heard of Intuit for that. We just had a plumber here (well-recommended locally) who asked to be paid by Venmo and emailed us the receipt. I wasn’t in the room, I don’t know if DH saw a detailed invoice first.

I regularly use all of the following - Zelle, Venmo and PayPal, in addition to automated preauthorized recurring ACH pull payments (like for utilities) and other payments I initiate myself. I've never had an issue, never had a problem.

I suspect the Quickbooks (Intuit) approach described is an automated ACH pull from your bank account. I have something similar in place for recurring HOA dues

From an information disclosure standpoint, the provider receives no more info from you than is on a check - bank routing and account numbers.

I pay my yard maintenance guy by Zelle. If I'm not home when he comes (most of the time), he messages me that he's working and I send him a payment. It's easier than cash and I can pay him instantaneously when I'm out of town.

If you don't want to do it, push back. Offer him cash or check.

We use Zelle.

However, for our landscaper, we pay them cash. We have a hiding spot if we are not around.

Who wouldn’t prefer cash?

Chisue, our gardener texts me (well, his wife does) with a current bill, and I pay right away with Venmo. No charge to me, and the money comes from my bank account. I also help my grandson with some college expenses, and I know that he doesn't pay to get the money. Now the gardener is a business, so maybe there's a charge to him, but I'm actually paying to him by name, not a business name.

I've come to like the system, and have extended to use it for other household services, like gutter cleaning.

Very few tradespeople here will accept cash or cheque. It's a nuisance for them to have to carry and bank cash. If they ask for cash it raises suspicions of illegal working and tax avoidance. We wouldn't use anyone asking for cash.

They email an invoice and we make direct on line transfers from our bank account to theirs. Is that not possible for your landscaper?

Very helpful. Thanks.

We started using this service in April. They're somewhat beyond Mom & Pop but not a big company. We have a formal contract with them for weekly maintenance for one year. Our former guy had gotten sloppy when 'Junior' took over, and there is considerable catch-up work to do. I paid the April statement by check. The May statement is a bit over $1000.

Our local bank messed up over and over last year when we tried making deposits using Zelle.

Is it so difficult to deposit a check? Can you photograph a check to deposit it without going TO the bank or mailing it in?

Maybe Venmo would work? Have most of the kinks been worked out of this part of electronic banking now? I know banks were complaining about fraud in the recent past.

I pay my landscaper with cash in an envelop left in an agreed upon spot . Very easy for me. With multi-hundreds of $ jobs I pay cash, check or credit card and for multiple thousand$ check or credit card only. Done. I would pass on anyone needing any other form of payment - never had an issue yet. (Edited to remove repeated word).

I use Zelle to pay my parent's (who lives in another state) landscaper, housekeeper and pool service. I've had no issues. I pay my gardener and hair stylist with cash. Both seem happy to accept cash. I've never used Intuit.

We’ve used Venmo many times for peer-to-peer payments, mostly to our grandkids. Since it’s not safe to mail checks or gift cards anymore, this is the best way to send them birthday cash or just a surprise. I’ve also used it to pay some people I know well.

If you are paying someone for the first time that you do not know well, just be sure you have their phone number (last 4 digits). That is the correct way to verify are sending the funds to the right person.

chisue, there are no kinks with Zelle that I've ever encountered or hear of. I'd suspect the problem is with your bank.

Payments are processed by the Zelle system, not by the bank. If you'd like to give it another try, use a different financial institution.

I think Zelle is probably my best bet -- along with changing banks! Only aversion to paperwork is preventing me from leaving the current bank.

I should go to our Senior Center or the library to learn how to sign up for and use these money transfers.

Sue, maybe your bank has a confusing or crappy interface to Zelle? Since you mentioned having multiple issues, it is possible it was user error. Can you try stopping in at your local branch and making an appointment with a customer service rep to ask them to show you how to set up an on demand payment to your landscaper? I have a hunch they will show you how it works and probably even recommend how you can keep it secure.

If you want to try a fairly easy to use app, I just tried Cash App and it was simple to use. Not a fan of venmo so the cash app is my quick and easy substitue. But I use the Zelle payment function via my bank monthly, and I do it manually. Maybe your bank has a video showing how it works?

Venmo did not require anything except my bank account info. I did not have to contact the bank or fill out anything for them. Just Venmo. Look at the website.

https://venmo.com/

About Zelle - I just checked and the bank where I have my checking account - USAA - offers Zelle only by using the mobile app. It can't be done a browser online.

Two banks I know that Zelle payments can be made from using an online browser are Wells Fargo and Ally Bank. Ally Bank has an interesting past - it's the former GMAC (General Motors Acceptance Corp, the financing arm for GM.) It was renamed and spun-off about 15 years ago.

Some financial/brokerage accounts also provide Zelle.

PS - Zelle is free. No charge to send or receive money.

Alternatively, you could send the guy a bank generated check. I think all banks have this service.

Chisue - If you need to set something up either way, why not just pay him as he’s asked to be paid?

My only concern would be if he’s trying to get you to sign authorization for automatic debits. That I would absolutely NOT do. Ok for a utlility perhaps, but not a landscaper or other such business. You should control payments.

He’s likely ising intuit for all billing, expenses, tax reporting, etc., trying to keep it all in one place. I’d play along if possible.

On the recipient's side, there's a difference between the means used to originate a payment and then the second step, recording/classification of a bank transaction in accounting software. I'm going to speculate that if it's the Quick Books system that triggers a "pull" ACH payment, that would be no different than having a payment hit the bank account a different way.

Recurring transactions can be memorized so that whether a receipt comes from within the Quick Books world, or is external as a customer triggered Zelle payment, a payment the bank receives from Chisue would be "memorized" and recorded exactly the same way without intervention by the person maintaining the Quick Books records.

I never meant to imply that Venmo was difficult to use. It was super easy. Too easy in fact. Once they linked to my bank there was no way for me to limit their access to only one account. Even worse, they display all of your accounts on the screen, for any broke relative to see. I am joking a little but Venmo will not be getting access to all of my accounts. I can’t imagine why they designed it this way. It was very off-putting.

" Once they linked to my bank there was no way for me to limit their access to only one account. "

What was the consequence of that, that you found displeasing? Allowing you to designate which of different accounts in the one institution to use is done for your convenience, isn't it?

I have four linked accounts at Chase, only my primaey checking shows up on Venmo.

When I wish to make a Zelle payment with Wells Fargo, it asks me which account to use. USAA doesn't, it's as food describes above re his use of Venmo with Chase.

After all your kind help...I asked the landscaper if checks are still OK...and they are "perfectly fine" with them.

I know. I know. I'm only postponing it, but it is quite possible that I will never HAVE to create another 'file' to tangle.

I wish I could have figured that out FOAS. I tried every option offered. I am pretty sure it was the iPad app that I was working with.

Elmer, the interface I was working with was crude and all of my accounts and all of their balances from that bank were displayed. Sure you get to choose which one when making a transfer but all of the data on that screen was neither venmos business nor the relative I was trying to give money to. I did not want it displayed and could not isolate the screen to only show the checking account used for the transfers. Could be user error but I am not trying a second time with all the other options available. I hacked at it for awhile since just about everyone uses it now. I won’t try again.

JoanM, what app were you using and looking at the time you describe?

When using Zelle, the only app involve is the bank's. A transfer command results in a transmission through the Zelle system - send $X to person Zelle registered user ABC, whose bank and account info are already in the Zelle records. Taking the money from your account or accounts is your bank's concern, not anyone or any other company.

Have I misunderstood what you said?

Elmer, I was complaining about the Venmo app on the iPad. I use zelle via my bank access on a monthly basis. It is free and easy with my bank. They have just implemented daily limits but that does not affect me.

Thanks for explaining, Joan M

chisue, if you like checks, and the guy likes checks, problem solved!

Thanks for your understand, dear Friends in Space.

We've started cleaning our attic. If we want to sell stiff (unlikely, but possible), I think we'd have to initiate one of these systems for dealing safely with 'persons unknown'.

Zelle does not work if you have a commercial checking account.

We use paper checks to pay all contractors. They can take a photo of the check with their phone and deposit it immediately, and no one pays a service charge. My only expense is the cost of the check, which is often as much as the cost of postage, but often I pay the contractor in person, thus avoiding the cost of postage. I've not had any problems with checks getting lost in the mail, and I use a special ball point pen for writing the check that prevents someone from changing info on the check.

lars, most banks and financial institutions offer a free service of sending bank generated and bank mailed paper checks. Usually called "Pay Bills".

You enter the payee's name, address and phone number. Then select Make a Payment, enter the amount, and the date you want payment. There's a field for optional added info to print on the bill, like customer number or invoice number.

The payees can be individuals or businesses. The bank remembers the payee info the customer enters and will retain it for the next time you wish to make a payment to the same recipient.

For large businesses (like a utility), the bank may convert the payment to an ACH transfer (electronic transfer) for its own convenience. Again, no charge.

As a measure of how the banking world has changed, some tax authorities require electronic payments be used.

Ah-HAH! I bet that is why I couldn't get Zelle to work. This is a business account. I don't know why the bank couldn't show me an alternate route. Maybe the difficulty was because these are*deposits*? (We own one two-flat; our tenants couldn't use Zelle to pay rent.)