What is Pay at Close?
Pay at Close is a risk free payment method that allows your clients to defer their inspection payment until the home closes, thus reducing upfront costs and encouraging upsell opportunities.
Benefits of Pay at Close for the Client
Benefits of Pay at Close for the Client
No upfront costs
Clients don’t need to pay at the time of scheduling, which can ease financial pressure during the home-buying process.Encourages upsells for more thorough inspections
Additional services, like radon tests or sewer scopes, can be added through the Client Portal for a more thorough inspection without requiring immediate payment.Adapts to transaction changes
Any updates from repair negotiations, such as re-inspections, can be included in the final invoice and paid at closing.No credit check
There is no credit check involved when your clients use the Pay at Close method. This simplifies the process and avoids potential impacts on their credit score.
Benefits of Pay at Close for the Inspection Company
Benefits of Pay at Close for the Inspection Company
Increases bookings: Clients are more likely to schedule when upfront payment isn’t required.
Provides flexibility: Reduces financial stress for clients during the home-buying process.
Saves time: Spectora handles invoicing and collects payment from the settlement company.
Streamlined payout: You get paid the next 1- 2 business days after publishing the inspection—no waiting 30–60 days for closing.
No client disputes: Since Spectora pays you directly, you're shielded from chargebacks or payment issues with the client.
Spectora carries the risk: We take on the financial risk and follow up with the settlement company, not you.
Professional experience: The agreement is built into the Client Portal and signed digitally, giving your clients a seamless experience.
Cost of Pay at Close
Cost of Pay at Close
What is the Pay at Close fee?
There is a flat $50 fee per inspection when a client selects Pay at Close.
This fee is automatically deducted from your payout by Spectora and will be clearly visible in your payout reports.
What does Pay at Close cost my client?
There are no fees charged to your client to use Pay at Close.
Due to lending laws, Spectora is not legally allowed to pass this fee on to the client.
Can I pass the Pay at Close fee to my client?
Currently, Pay at Close does not support passing the $50 fee to your client.
Due to federal and state regulations surrounding real estate transactions, adding a separate “Pay at Close fee” to the invoice is not advised, as it could lead to regulatory non-compliance, closing delays, or legal consequences for your business.
Spectora does not guarantee the legality of passing on this cost and assumes no responsibility if you choose to do so.
Read about our Minimum Limit feature to help protect your bottom line while still advertising Pay at Close to your clients.
Is there a minimum inspection cost for Pay at Close?
Yes. The minimum cost is $50, which matches the fee amount. You can set your own minimum limit higher than $50 to ensure you’re not offering Pay at Close on low-cost inspections that may affect your margins.
We also recommend enabling the Pay at Close upsell banner:
If the current invoice total is below your set minimum limit, the banner will appear in the Client Portal.
If you have upsell-enabled services, the button will direct clients to add them.
If no upsells are available, it becomes a Contact Us button linking to your contact page.
Is there a maximum inspection cost for Pay at Close?
Yes. At the moment there is a $2,500 maximum limit per inspection to qualify for Pay at Close. This cap helps manage Spectora’s financial risk and determines whether Pay at Close appears as a payment method.
How to Set Up Pay at Close
How to Set Up Pay at Close
⚠️ Please note the following requirement:
To enable Pay at Close, you must have Spectora Payments set up, as this is how inspection payments are distributed.
Steps for Setting up Pay At Close:
Go to Settings → Payments
Toggle on "Enable Pay at Close"
(Optional) Toggle on "Set a minimum per transaction"
(Optional) Enter Minimum Amount
(Optional) Toggle on "Show banner on Client Portal"
Go to Settings → Services & Fees
Click into a Service (e.g., Home Inspection)
Toggle on "Pay at Close"
By default, Pay at Close is enabled for all services once it's turned on in payment settings. You can disable it for specific services as needed.
How Do I Disable Pay at Close for a Specific Service?
How Do I Disable Pay at Close for a Specific Service?
If you do not want Pay at Close enabled for a specific service, you'll need to disable it by going to Services and unchecking "Pay at Close" under "Payments" for the service in question.
Keep in mind that if you schedule multiple services and at least one of those services has Pay at Close enabled, Clients can use Pay at Close to cover the entire bill for that combined inspection.
However, if a service is scheduled on its own, and that individual service does not have Pay at Close enabled, then Pay at Close cannot be applied to that bill.
In short, Pay at Close can cover all services on a single inspection when at least one service includes it, but it can’t be used for standalone services without Pay out Close enabled.
How Pay at Close Works for the Client
How Pay at Close Works for the Client
Clients can choose the Pay at Close option in their Client Portal. Watch the video and follow the steps below to see how it works.
Steps for Clients to use Pay At Close:
Click "Pay Now"
Click "Pay at Close"
Add Closing Date
Input Title Company or Closing Attorney
Click "Next"
Review and Sign the built-in agreement
Click "Next"
Add Backup Form of Payment
Click "Submit"
Client's view on the Client Portal:
Multi-Party Payment with Pay at Close
Multi-Party Payment with Pay at Close
Multi-Party Payment is a new feature and is compatible with Pay at Close! Check out this article on the full details of Multi-Party Payments with Spectora. There are a few things to note when using both Multi-Party Payment and Pay at Close, and we'll go over those below.
With Multi-Party Payment Clients can still select Pay at Close as their payment option, and separate invoices can be sent to third parties, but those third parties cannot use Pay at Close.
If services are added or removed on the client’s invoice that relate to a third-party payer (like an agent), Spectora will automatically update both invoices.
The inspector will always receive the correct payout based on the final client invoice.
Example:
An inspection is created and the client chooses Pay at Close.
The agent offers to pay for a portion of the inspection or a specific service, like a radon test.
The inspector generates a separate invoice for the agent for that radon service using Multi-Party Payments.
Spectora automatically updates the client’s invoice and recalculates the Pay at Close amount the inspector will receive.
The agent pays their invoice by card or any other accepted method.
Everything stays aligned behind the scenes, ensuring accurate payments for everyone involved.
Pay at Close Requirements and Limitations
Pay at Close Requirements and Limitations
Rule | Details |
Per-service setup | This is automatically enabled for each service. |
Invoice limit | Eligible only for inspections under $2,500. |
Minimum threshold | Minimum inspection total is $50, but you can set your own higher. |
Client opt-in required | Clients must choose Pay at Close, provide all necessary information regarding their closing details, and sign the agreement in the Client Portal. |
Built-in agreement | Automatically shown—no upload needed. |
Company-level control | Pay at Close can’t be toggled on/off per individual inspection. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don’t I or my client see “Pay at Close” in the portal?
Pay at Close may be disabled on the selected service
The total inspection cost might exceed the $2,500 maximum limit.
Can I disable the $2,500 limit for one inspection?
No, Pay at Close does not support per-inspection overrides.
I have already published the inspection report. What happens if I remove or add a service after the client selects Pay at Close?
This will depend on the status of Pay at Close. You can find the status on the "Fees & Payments" box on the Inspection Details page.
If the status is “Client selected to Pay at Close”:
You can remove or add a service, and Spectora will automatically update and resend the invoice to the closing contact with the client and buying agent cc’d.
No need to let the Pay at Close operations team know that you updated the order as we see the same invoice you see.
If the status is “Client completed Pay at Close”:
Removed service: You must refund the client by check, since the invoice has already been finalized.
Added service: You will need to collect payment directly from the client as the additional service is outside of the completed Pay at Close transaction.
What emails will my client receive?
Confirmation Email – Sent when the client selects Pay at Close. Includes a process overview, signed agreement, invoice, and our contact info.
Closing Contact Intro – Sent 14 days before the closing date to the closing contact (cc: client and agent). Includes the signed agreement, invoice, and payment instructions.
Updated Invoice Email – If services change after the intro email is sent, we send an updated invoice (cc: client and agent).
Payment Follow-Up – Sent 8 business days after the closing date if payment hasn’t been received.
Payment Confirmation – Sent immediately after payment is received, with a paid invoice attached.
Do I need to upload or attach the Pay at Close agreement?
No. The agreement is built into the Client Portal flow.
Clients will be shown and asked to e-sign the agreement when they select “Pay at Close.”
What if the client needs to update the closing date or title company information?
Please notify our Pay at Close Ops team at payatclose@spectora.com.
Can Pay at Close be used for listing inspections?
No, the closing date must be within 60 days of the inspection date to qualify.
What happens if my client's closing was canceled?
Payment is still due per the agreement the client signed with Spectora. Please notify our Pay at Close Ops team at payatclose@spectora.com.
Is Pay at Close available for seller clients as well?
Pay at Close can work for seller clients if a closing date is provided at the time of opt-in and that date is within 60 days of the inspection. However, sellers typically use this less often since they’re less likely to provide a closing date upfront.
Who should my client contact with questions about Pay at Close?
As part of the service to utilize the Pay at Close feature, Spectora is happy to handle any and all questions from clients regarding this payment method.
If they have questions, please direct them to email payatclose@spectora.com.
What if the title company or lender doesn’t allow Pay at Close?
This is at the discretion of the title company or lender, and it does happen occasionally.
If so, Spectora works directly with the client to collect payment before closing—at no extra cost to the client.
What information will my client need in order to sign up for Pay at Close?
Name and email address for their closing contact (title company or closing attorney)
Closing date
Backup form of payment that is to be charged if we do not receive payment or an ETA of payment within 10 business days of the closing date on file.
Current mailing address
Why did Spectora charge my client $0.50 when they signed up for Pay at Close?
Per the agreement to utilize the Pay at Close payment method, Spectora places a $0.50 hold on the client’s card to confirm the validity of the card.
The hold is removed after 7 days.
Why can’t my client select their closing date when signing up for Pay at Close?
We require payment within 60 days of the inspection date.
If their desired closing date is outside of that window, the Pay at Close sign up process will not let them proceed.
My client changed their mind and would like to use a different payment method. Can we cancel Pay at Close?
If the inspection report is NOT published:
We can cancel the Pay at Close payment method on our end
Please contact the Pay at Close operations team ASAP so we can remove this payment method and the client will be able to select a new payment method in their client portal
If the inspection report is published and you have already been paid by Spectora on behalf of the client:
Because you have already been paid, payment is due to Spectora directly from the client.
Let us know and we will coordinate directly with the client to collect payment for no additional fees to them.
If you have any questions or feedback, please email payatclose@spectora.com. Interested users can also email the PAC Operations Team to inquire about joining the beta program and express their interest.
