There are two circumstances where I'll make an offer. 1) generally a provider will have established dates for an hour/two hours and overnight. If I hire for longer duration of time than those options, I'll make an offer based on their rates. 2) I'm always able to pay the full rate in cash, but if a provider (who I've already met at least once) wants payment in advance of meeting, then I'll send $ early but at a 5-10% discount.