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Step 5: Payment Options and Timing of Payment

With the price decided, the final step for the marketer is to determine in what form and in what timeframe customers will make payment. As one would expect payment is most often in a monetary form though in certain situations the payment may be part of a barter arrangement in which products or services are exchanged.

Form of Payment

The monetary payment decision can be a complex one. First marketers must decide in what form payments will be accepted. These options include cash; check, money orders, credit card, online payment systems (e.g., PayPal) or, for international purchases, bank drafts, letters of credit, and international reply coupons, to name a few.

Timeframe of Payment

One final pricing decision considers when payment will be made. Many marketers find promotional value in offering options to customers for the date when payment is due. Such options include:

• Immediate Payment in Full – Requires the customer make full payment at the time the product is acquired.
• Immediate Partial Payment – Requires the customer make a certain amount or percentage of payment at the time the product is acquired. This may be in the form of a down payment. Subsequent payments occur either in one lump sum or at agreed intervals (e.g., once per month) through an installment plan.
• Future Payment – Provides the buyer with the opportunity to acquire use of the product with payment occurring some time in the future. Future payment may require either payment in full or partial payment.

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