How to go about receiving booking fee and contract

Couple of questions I need help with. I have been working on my site with Zenfolio, however I am stuck on how to receive my booking fee and signed contract. I have read they say you can create a custom product for the booking fee... but that just seems like something I don't want to do since I despise paypal. Should I make it so they have to mail me a check along with the signed contract?

What should I do? What do you guys do?

Thanks!

I almost always collect them in person, but I've taken a few payments over the phone and use Square to process the credit card payments.

I can't recall the last wedding that I booked where we were not in the same room when they decided on using me. In person seems to be the way to go. For commercial businesses I accept purchase orders as it is not always easy for them to come up with payment right then and there. I can accept credit cards and process them normally but quite frankly I prefer to get cash or a cheque which I always make sure that it clears before giving the customer any of the final product.

Bank transfer??

95% of the time people inform me they are booking via an email or the booking form on my website. I then send through the invoice for the deposit and contract for them to complete and return to me. 90% of the time payments are made by Bank transfer and on the rare occasion it isn't in cash.

I use ShootQ.com. There is an online contract they can read and sign electronically. They can write me a check in person or they can pay online by Credit Card.

Take all obstacles out of the booking process. As soon as someone has difficulty giving you money, they have an opportunity to change their mind. They can book us in the studio or they can book us when they get home.

contract via email, they print/sign and send back with check or call with cc info

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #15803039
I use ShootQ.com. There is an online contract they can read and sign electronically. They can write me a check in person or they can pay online by Credit Card.

Take all obstacles out of the booking process. As soon as someone has difficulty giving you money, they have an opportunity to change their mind. They can book us in the studio or they can book us when they get home.

ShootQ seems phenomenal but a little pricey for those without regular business earnings. Once I start to make more.... I will definitely go this route.

iamchanel wrote in post #15838859
ShootQ seems phenomenal but a little pricey for those without regular business earnings. Once I start to make more.... I will definitely go this route.

I save so much money and time by letting ShootQ take the workload off. I would have to hire an office assistant without it. We went without ShootQ until we had 10 weddings in a year.