The problem
Knocking for payment, notes through the door and bank transfers that never come add up to an owing list that keeps growing. A one-person round of about 300 cleans a month at $24£18€21A$35C$34 might have 40 late payers a month at 10 minutes each to chase (about 6.7 hours), and 2 cleans a month that never get paid ($48£36€43A$69C$68). Matching 200 bank transfers to customers at a minute each takes another 3.3 hours.
What the AI does
Squeegee connects to GoCardless on every plan, so customers set up a Direct Debit once and are charged only when the work has been completed. Marking the job done sends the invoice by text or email and takes the payment, and the payment is recorded against the customer. CleanerPlanner's Pro plan also offers Direct Debit through GoCardless.
A worked example
A one-person window cleaner in Peterborough has about 300 customers cleaned every 4 weeks at an average of $24£18€21A$35C$34. They move the round into Squeegee Core ($25£19€23A$36C$36 a month excluding VAT) with GoCardless Standard, and 200 customers switch to Direct Debit within two rounds.
Before
40 late payers a month to chase, 2 cleans a month never paid, and every bank transfer matched by hand
After
About 10 late payers a month, and 200 payments collected and recorded automatically
What it's worth
About $325£244€290A$468C$459 a month saved: about 8.3 hours of chasing (30 fewer late payers at 10 minutes, 5 hours) and matching payments (3.3 hours) at $33£25€30A$48C$47 an hour ($277£208€248A$399C$391), plus 2 $24£18€21A$35C$34 cleans a month that no longer go unpaid ($48£36€43A$69C$68). That is against about $146£110€131A$211C$207 a month: $25£19€23A$36C$36 for Squeegee Core and about $121£91€108A$175C$171 in GoCardless fees (200 payments at 38p each, plus VAT).
How to set it up
- Choose round software that connects to GoCardless: Squeegee on any plan, or CleanerPlanner Pro ($39£29€35A$56C$55 a month).
- Open a GoCardless account on the Standard plan and connect it.
- Message existing customers inviting them to set up a Direct Debit, explaining they're only charged after each clean.
- Mark each job done in the app on the day, so the invoice and payment go out automatically.
- Check failed payments once a week and contact those customers yourself.
What goes wrong
- GoCardless charges VAT on its fees even if you're not VAT registered, so 38p a payment is about 46p with VAT.
- Standard doesn't automatically retry failed payments; Success+ is on Advanced (1.25% + 20p, capped at $7£5€6A$10C$9).
- Squeegee is priced per user, so a second worker with a login adds another $25£19€23A$36C$36 a month on Core.
- Squeegee's pages don't say whether it adds its own charge on payments. Ask before you switch the whole round.