You work hard to raise money for your troop, but when it comes time to collect, you may be challenged to track everyone down. Even though you don’t deliver the product until you get the money, you still may find yourself left with extra products. There are ways to make sure each person pays once items have arrived. Boy Scout wreath fundraisers are hard work. Here are a few tips to improve the process of collecting funds for your troop fundraiser.

1. Collect Up Front

If you’re a parent, selling items to your co-workers and close friends, you’ll likely have no problem collecting once the items arrive. Have each person complete an order form and state exactly what they want. Give them the option of paying in advance and note this on the form, carefully storing the funds somewhere until it’s time to turn it in. If you can collect a large percentage of your funds from people you know up front, you’ll have a good start toward paying for most of the products when they arrive.

Collection becomes much more complicated when troops go outside of their regular social circles. If you’re knocking on doors or selling in front of a grocery store, you’ll always want to require payment at the time of commitment, rather than promising to collect when you deliver. Even if you have the person’s home address, there’s no guarantee they’ll pay when you show up, products in hand.

2. Use Online Money Collection

Electronic payments have brought fundraising to a new level. Square now has a service specifically dedicated to fundraising, allowing groups to set up a website to collect and track collections. Once the fundraising page is set up, your troop supporters can share the page on social media, getting payments from people in the community from people who might not even directly know your troop members. This is especially beneficial if you’re selling a popular seasonal product like Christmas wreaths.

Troops can also be equipped with Square card readers that attach to their smartphones or tablets and allow them to swipe cards as they go. Since many people don’t carry cash, this can be a great alternative for the many times someone says they don’t have cash on them and ask to pay later.

3. Have a Contingency Plan

If someone doesn’t pay, the worst-case scenario is that you will have an extra product to unload. Your troop should develop a contingency plan to handle the sale of any extra product. Whether it means setting up a table at a local event or visiting neighborhoods to drum up extra sales, having a plan in place will provide comfort to troop members when they are faced with a person who can’t pay.

Scouting troops often rely on the funds they bring in for trips and extra supplies. By coming up with ways to make sure every product is paid in full, your troop will reduce shortages and ensure it brings in as much money as possible with this year’s fundraiser.