Pay at Close and Multi-Party Payments work together seamlessly, allowing your clients to defer their payment until closing while third parties (like real estate agents) can pay their portion immediately by card or other accepted payment methods.
For more details on Pay at Close, see our Pay at Close Overview article.
For complete information about Multi-Party Payments, see Multi-Party Payments with Spectora.
How It Works
When you use Pay at Close with Multi-Party Payments:
Clients can still select Pay at Close - Your client can choose Pay at Close as their payment option in the Client Portal
Third parties pay immediately - Separate invoices can be sent to third-party payers (like agents), but those third parties cannot use Pay at Close. They must pay by card, ACH, or other accepted methods.
Automatic invoice updates - If services are added or removed on the client's invoice that relate to a third-party payer, Spectora automatically updates both invoices
Accurate payouts guaranteed - You'll always receive the correct payout based on the final client invoice amount
Important: Pay at Close can only be used on the primary client invoice. Third-party invoices created through Multi-Party Payments cannot use Pay at Close — those must be paid immediately by card or other accepted methods.
How to Use Both Together
You can use Pay at Close with Multi-Party Payments in either order, depending on when you learn about the third-party payment arrangement:
Client Selects Pay at Close First
Client Selects Pay at Close First
Use this workflow when the client selects Pay at Close, then later a third party (like an agent) offers to pay for part of the inspection.
Create the inspection and ensure the total is eligible for Pay at Close (between your minimum limit and $2,500)
Client selects Pay at Close in their Client Portal for the full invoice amount in the Client Portal
Agent offers to pay for a portion (like a radon test)
Create separate invoice for the third party:
On the inspection details page, click Add Invoice in the Payments box
Select the third-party contact from the dropdown (contact must already be added to the People box)
Select the service or enter a fixed amount they'll pay
Click Save and Send
Automatic adjustments happen - Spectora automatically updates the client's Pay at Close invoice to reflect the reduced amount, and the third party receives their invoice to pay immediately
Create Multi-Party Invoices First
Create Multi-Party Invoices First
Use this workflow when you know upfront that a third party will pay for certain services, before the client selects their payment method.
Create the inspection with all services
Create separate invoice for the third party:
On the inspection details page, click Add Invoice in the Payments box
Select the third-party contact from the dropdown (contact must already be added to the People box)
Select the service or enter a fixed amount they'll pay
Click Save and Send
Client selects Pay at Close in their Client Portal for the remaining balance (which must still be between your minimum limit and $2,500)
Third party pays their portion immediately by card, ACH, or other accepted methods
Both invoices are tracked - You can see both the third-party payment and the Pay at Close arrangement in the Fees & Payments box
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the client already made a partial payment?
If a client has already made a partial payment (by card or ACH) before selecting Pay at Close, they won't see the Pay at Close option in their Client Portal.
To enable Pay at Close in this situation:
Refund the original payment first
Refunds incur a small fee (the original transaction fee + 0.9% of that fee), which is debited from your Stripe account
Learn more about refund fees
Use Multi-Party Payments to split the remaining balance
Place the amount the client wants to pay with Pay at Close on the primary invoice (up to $2,500)
Create a secondary invoice for the amount they want to pay with an alternate payment method
Can third parties use Pay at Close?
No. Only the primary client can use Pay at Close. Third-party payers receive separate invoices and must pay by card, ACH, or other accepted payment methods.
What happens if I add or remove services after creating a third-party invoice?
If you add or remove services on the client's invoice that relate to a third-party payer (like an agent), Spectora automatically updates both invoices. The Pay at Close amount will be recalculated based on the updated client invoice.
How do I know the payout amount is correct?
You'll always receive the correct payout based on the final client invoice. Spectora automatically recalculates your Pay at Close payout amount whenever changes are made to either invoice, ensuring everything stays accurate.
If you have any questions or feedback, write in to our chat bubble or email support@spectora.com!
