Jonny Venvell
Accepting a booking with someone you haven’t met can be a risky business.
You’ve set aside a date in the diary for a particular gig that you’re 99% confident is confirmed, but you’ve not heard from the client recently and you’re now receiving other offers for gigs on the same day. Can you be sure the gig you were first booked for is secure?
With the new deposit feature in Encore Pay, we’re giving our members complete peace of mind when accepting gigs.
Once a booking is secured, you are guaranteed to receive at least your deposit payment, even if the client cancels. On top of that, our updated Cancellation Policy accounts for almost every possible scenario, so you can focus on what really matters – the music.
Here’s how the deposit works:
- The client sends you a booking request which you can review before accepting.
- You receive a deposit of 15% and Encore holds the rest of the fee securely.
- You receive the remainder of your payment 48 hours after the gig.
It’s important to note that your deposit is based on your Performance Fee only, and does not include travel expenses. Travel expenses are transferred alongside the remainder of your performance fee 48 hours after the gig.
*If expensive train or flight tickets must be purchased before the performance, please contact Encore to make alternative arrangements.
In the event that your booking is cancelled, Encore’s robust Cancellation Policy will ensure you receive appropriate pay to account for potential earnings lost. Hopefully you’ll never have to use it!
Here’s an example to show you exactly what happens every step of the way.
1st of March 2017: New enquiry
Greg, a guitarist, receives an Encore alert about a wedding gig on the 2nd of July 2017. Emma wants a versatile guitarist to play classical music during her wedding ceremony, and then upbeat Spanish music during the reception.
Greg is the perfect guitarist for the gig, and sends his quote to Emma:
2nd of March 2017: Conversation
Emma and Greg discuss the finer details of Greg’s repertoire through the Encore messenger.
3rd of March 2017: Booking Request
Emma sends a booking request, which Greg promptly accepts.
5th of March 2017: Deposit Paid
Emma pays the 25% (£50) deposit and Greg instantly receives 15% of his Performance Fee (£30) in his bank account.
18th of June 2017: Remainder Paid
Two weeks before her wedding, Emma pays the remaining amount through Encore Pay.
This amounts to 75% of the Performance Fee (£150) and the travel expenses (£40), which combine to give £190.
1.30pm, 2nd of July 2017: Performance
Greg delivers a stunning performance. Emma’s guests will be raving about his playing for weeks to come.
1.30pm, 4th of July 2017: Automatic Payment
Greg receives the remaining £140 of his earnings + his travel expenses (£40) automatically, as well as a 5-star review from Emma later that day!
Throughout the whole process, Greg never had to think once about:
- invoices
- deposits
- manual bank transfers
- cashing cheques at the bank
- when he might get paid, or
- what to do if his payment never arrived
With Encore, all Greg had to focus on was his performance, and all Emma had to focus on was enjoying her day.
Last but not least, click here to get clued up on our third and final feature of our Payments update – transparent quote negotiation.
To start benefitting from these changes, download the latest version of the Encore app on Android and iOS or head to the updated website.
George Gretton
