Payment in kind was substituted by money payment from the mid-17th century onwards. These compositions, as they were known, varied widely, resulting in various degrees of accuracy when it came to the exact tenth. A wealthy tithe owner could commission valuations of crops on a yearly basis. The question was whether the cost of evaluation was covered by the more accurate composition. Less well-off tithe owners might commission a more infrequent valuation, usually when making alterations to a previous composition. The alternative for most other owners was to put in place a composition for a crop on a per acre basis.

Many variations on this theme were observed in the customs of the parishes. Some compositions were agreed for a certain time, to be reassessed at the end of this period. Others linked the tithe-per-acre composition to the price of a commodity such as wheat or other arable products. Care was taken not to enter any binding agreements that might lessen the income in the future. In some cases where there was disagreement on composition, the tithe owner would threaten tithe payers with invoking his right to tithe in kind.