I’m the PJ who asked the earlier question. Should I assume I’ve been stiffed for the allowance from my January papa-katsu dates? I have loan payments to make too, so I really want to find some way to get paid.

You were probably stiffed. If you haven’t met him this month, he likely canceled the arrangement without telling you. If you did meet but he still didn’t pay, then he has something to lose too, so why not pursue the matter as far as you can? As the seller of a product or service, you either get paid upfront or exchange the payment for the product or service. With a monthly arrangement, it’s probably best to get paid upfront or meet only after confirming the money has arrived. With a pay-per-meeting arrangement, you’d probably collect the allowance at the start and make the exchange then. If there’s trust between you, getting paid afterward may be fine—but letting someone pay later is a service in itself. When you receive your allowance is even more important than the amount. Even if the amount is disappointing, it’s still better to get something than to be left unpaid—in other words, recover nothing at all.

Was it possibly supposed to be paid afterward? The allowance should generally be paid upfront, since some stingy people may suddenly stop responding and disappear. The timing of when you brought it up may also have been a factor. Next time, bring it up after receiving the allowance—or better yet, pay-per-meeting is the least complicated option. For now, make sure to report it to the staff.

Call them repeatedly and wait outside their workplace. If that’s not possible, you’ll just have to give up and move on. Learn from it for next time. As a rule, the allowance should be paid in cash upfront.