The problem
Billing lawns per visit means 220 customers get a stack of small invoices from April to October, some pay late, and almost nothing comes in over winter. If invoicing takes the office 2 hours a week and chasing 30 late payers a month takes 15 minutes each, that is about 16 hours a month (2 × 4.3 + 30 × 0.25), or about $386£290€345A$557C$546 at an assumed $24£18€21A$35C$34 an hour.
What the AI does
LawnPro puts each customer on a level billing contract, so the season's price is split into equal payments on a set schedule. On the Plus plan, cards on file are charged automatically, and sequence automations can send past-due notices when a payment hasn't come in. The customer gets the same bill every month, and the business has income in the months the crews aren't mowing.
A worked example
A three-crew lawn care company in Kansas City, Missouri, has 220 residential contracts. A typical lawn is 30 weekly mows at $55£41€49A$79C$78 plus 2 fertilizer and weed visits at $65£49€58A$94C$92 $1,780£1,338€1,593A$2,570C$2,516 a season. They move every contract to 12 level payments of about $148£111€132A$214C$209 on LawnPro Plus ($199£150€178A$287C$281 a month billed annually, up to 15 users) and ask each customer to save a card on file.
Before
About 16 hours a month of invoicing and chasing, and about 2 unpaid accounts a season
After
About 3 hours a month handling declined cards and contract changes
What it's worth
About $362£272€324A$523C$512 a month saved, against $199£150€178A$287C$281 for LawnPro Plus billed annually. That is 13 fewer office hours a month at an assumed $24£18€21A$35C$34 an hour ($312£235€279A$450C$441), plus about $50£38€45A$72C$71 a month from avoiding 2 unpaid $300£226€268A$433C$424 accounts a season ($600£451€537A$866C$848 ÷ 12).
How to set it up
- Work out each customer's season price, divide it by the months you'll bill, and put the same figure in the service agreement and the welcome email.
- Set each customer up on a level billing contract in LawnPro and ask for a card on file at sign-up.
- Turn on auto-charge, and build a sequence that sends a past-due notice when a payment is missed.
- Write the cancellation rule into the agreement: if a customer leaves mid-season, the difference between work done and payments made is settled.
- Each month, read the list of failed charges and call anyone whose card has failed twice.
What goes wrong
- LawnPro's site describes auto-charging and past-due notices but not what happens when a card is declined. Test with one customer and check what they see.
- Auto-charge is included only on Plus. On Startup and Grow the pricing table lists it as an add-on with no price shown.
- By midsummer some customers have paid less than the work done. If one cancels in August, the agreement has to let you collect the difference.
- If past-due notices go by text, get consent to texts at sign-up and keep promotions out of them; marketing texts need prior express written consent under the TCPA.