Do you pay movers before or after the move?

When moving from one home to another, one of the questions that you might be worried about is when to pay movers – before or after the move. This is a legit question, especially when you’re using the services of a professional moving company for the very first time.

It goes without saying that you have to pay your movers for their job – that is, for all the services that they have provided to you in accordance with your mutual agreement (the moving contract).

In addition to the principal job of loading your items from the pick-up location, transporting them to the destination town or city, and unloading your things at the new place, you will also be charged for any type of extra service that you request from the pros – professional packing, disassembly of furniture, temporary storage, unpacking upon delivery, reassembly of furniture, and so on.

Separate the booking deposit, any pickup payment and the delivery balance. Read the written schedule before signing. For interstate collect-on-delivery moves, payment can be due before unloading, so do not assume the whole bill waits until everything is inside your home. In-state moves follow state requirements.

So, when do you pay movers – before the move or after the move?

Read on to learn the correct answer.

Do you pay movers before the move?

You may be asked for a booking deposit. Confirm any pickup payment in advance and do not agree to a new demand without checking the written terms.

However, you may still need to pay a deposit if such is requested by the mover, and you can choose to tip your hired workers if you’re satisfied with their work.

Deposit terms to get in writing

During the height of the moving season (May – September), it’s not uncommon for moving companies to request a deposit in advance as a guarantee that a customer won’t just decide to cancel the move at the last moment.

This is somewhat understandable and justifiable – a deposit means commitment from both parties. In reality, a moving deposit is the insurance policy of a moving company that they will get some sort of compensation for the lost opportunity if a customer cancels the move too suddenly and too late for the mover to do anything about it.

Some movers will ask for a deposit, others won’t – after all, every moving company has their own rules, policies, and conditions. The amount of a deposit will depend on a few factors such as the size of your move, the move distance, the city you live in, and the exact move-out date – weekends are more expensive than weekdays.

No universal dollar amount makes a deposit legitimate. Get the amount, recipient, purpose, refund conditions and credit toward the carrier’s bill in writing. If you book through a broker, ask which payment is its fee and which goes to the carrier. A broker arranges transportation; the carrier transports the goods.

Learn more: Moving company deposits: What to know and what to expect

Very large deposit: NO

While it’s OK to pay a reasonable amount of money as a deposit to a company you’ve already researched and made sure it’s legitimate and reputable, you should never pay a moving deposit that’s too big to a moving company you know nothing about.

A large advance deposit or cash demand is a warning sign. Do not use a fixed dollar cutoff as a substitute for checking the business and the written agreement.

Before paying, verify the interstate carrier’s current household goods authority, insurance and complaint record through the FMCSA mover search. A USDOT number alone does not establish operating authority.

Ask which payment methods the mover accepts and keep the receipt. Choose a traceable method when available. Do not assume every mover accepts every card or that a recorded payment guarantees recovery.

Entire sum upfront: NEVER

Under no circumstances should you agree to pay the entire amount upfront. Never!

A demand for the whole bill before any work is done is a serious warning sign. Pause the booking, check the business and compare the request with the written payment schedule before sending money.

See also: How to avoid moving scams

Tipping movers after loading: it’s up to YOU

Another instance of paying movers before the move is when the hired workers have done a great job since the moment they have arrived in your home and you wish to reward their efforts by tipping them after they’ve packed up your things and loaded them up into their vehicle.

So, consider tipping your movers when they

• have arrived on time;
• have been nice and friendly;
• have treated your possessions with care and attention;
• have taken precautionary measures to prevent any property damage; and
• have worked hard from start to finish.

Remember that you don’t have to tip your movers. However, if you’re really happy with their work, there isn’t a single reason why you shouldn’t express your gratitude for a job well done by tipping each mover individually.

Follow the link below to learn how much to tip movers if you do choose to do so.

See also: How much to tip movers

Do you pay movers after the move?

The delivery balance is due according to the written agreement. On an interstate collect-on-delivery move, the carrier may collect the amount properly due before unloading.

However, there may be certain situations when you’re not sure what to do – for example, if the moving company requests that you pay them cash. Also, you may be wondering if you are supposed to tip your movers upon delivery.

Confirm the payment method before delivery

Check the delivery payment clause before the truck arrives. Ask the office to explain any amount that differs from the estimate and request an itemized bill.

But here’s the tricky part: the moving company may request that you pay them in cash – a surprising request that that can definitely catch you unprepared. What should you do?

Bear in mind that the payment method should be set out clearly well in advance in the moving contract. Before you sign the agreement, you should be comfortable with and agree fully to its terms and conditions.

Confirm card acceptance before booking if that is how you plan to pay. Interstate movers must state accepted delivery payment forms in the moving documents; card acceptance is not universal.

Keep the receipt and contact your card issuer promptly if there is a billing problem. A dispute does not automatically cancel a valid moving charge or guarantee a refund.

Check the amount due before unloading

For an interstate non-binding estimate, the amount demanded at delivery is generally limited to 110 percent of the estimate, plus charges for services you requested after the contract was executed and qualifying impracticable operations. Those operation charges collected at delivery cannot exceed 15 percent of all other charges due then. This is a delivery collection rule, not a cap on the final bill.

For a binding estimate, review the listed shipment, added services and any permitted extra charges. Read FMCSA’s delivery payment guidance before moving day and keep the agreed payment method available.

Tipping movers after unloading: it’s up to YOU

Again, you can choose to tip the movers when they do a great job unloading your belongings and taking them inside the new home. You may also need to reassemble any furniture items they have disassembled at the time of packing.

In case of a local move, the movers are likely to be the same people who have packed up and loaded your items in the truck. However, when you’re moving long distance across the country, the crew that will deliver and unload your things will most probably be different than the one that loaded up your things. When unsure, you can call up the main office of the moving company and find out that information.

Either way, feel free to reward your hard-working movers by tipping each one in person for a job well done.

Must-read: 10 Steps to select a good mover