Pay at Close is an easy, flexible payment option you can offer clients that helps remove upfront cost barriers — while still getting you paid quickly and reliably. This guide is designed for inspectors who are new to Pay at Close and want to understand what it is, why it’s valuable, and how to turn it on with confidence.
💡 New to Pay at Close?
Check out our free Pay at Close training course on Spectora University for a guided walkthrough!
What is Pay at Close?
Pay at Close allows your clients to defer paying for their inspection until their real estate transaction closes. Instead of collecting payment at scheduling, the inspection fee is paid at closing, but you don’t have to wait to get paid.
Once the inspection report is published, Spectora pays the inspection company within 1–2 business days, then handles collecting payment from the title company or client.
Think of Pay at Close as a way to offer more flexibility to buyers without adding risk or extra work for you!
How It Works
Enable Pay at Close in your Spectora settings for the services you want to offer it on
Clients select Pay at Close in their Client Portal, enter closing details, and sign the built-in agreement
You publish the inspection using "Publish All" when the report is ready
Spectora pays you within 1–2 business days after publishing
Spectora collects from the client at closing — you're already paid and protected from any collection risk
Who Can Use Pay at Close?
You'll need:
Spectora Payments enabled (this is how payouts are distributed)
Inspection totals between $50 minimum (or your custom minimum) and $2,500 maximum
Closing dates must be within 60 days of the inspection date
Pay at Close toggled on for the specific service(s) under Settings → Services & Fees
Eligibility: Pay at Close is currently available to select users and rolling out gradually. Interested in joining and don't see Pay at Close available in your account? Contact the Pay at Close operations team at payatclose@spectora.com.
Why Use Pay at Close?
Benefits for Your Clients
No upfront payment: Buyers can schedule without paying out of pocket during an already expensive home-buying process.
Easier add-ons: Clients are more likely to say yes to additional services (radon, sewer scope, re-inspections) when payment isn’t immediate.
Flexible when things change: If negotiations or repairs require updates, those services can be included in the final invoice.
No credit check: Pay at Close does not impact the client’s credit.
Benefits for Your Business
Higher booking potential: Removing the upfront payment barrier can help convert more leads into booked inspections.
Fast, predictable payout: You’re paid shortly after publishing — no waiting for closing.
No payment risk: Spectora carries the financial risk and shields you from chargebacks or non-payment.
Less admin work: Spectora handles invoicing, payment follow-up, and communication with the title company.
Professional client experience: The agreement is built directly into the Client Portal and signed digitally.
Payment Details
Inspector Fee:
There is a flat $50 fee per inspection when a client selects Pay at Close.
The fee is automatically deducted from your payout.
Pay at Close Additional Fee (Optional):
Inspectors may now add an optional fee of $1–$100 as a line item on Pay at Close transactions.
This fee is shown to the client as a separate line item at checkout and identified as a fee owed to the inspector.
You are solely responsible for determining whether this charge is permitted by applicable law.
When the Pay at Close Fee is enabled, the Minimum amount for Pay at Close field will be disabled.
Client Cost:
Inspectors may pass the Pay at Close fee on to the client as an optional line item.
You are solely responsible for determining whether passing this fee on to the client is permitted by applicable law in your area.
Amount Limits:
Minimum: $50 (you can set a higher custom minimum in Settings → Payments)
Maximum: $2,500 per inspection
These limits determine whether Pay at Close appears as a payment option in the Client Portal
Pay at Close Settings (Redesigned)
The Pay at Close settings page has been redesigned to support the new optional inspector fee. Navigate to Settings → Payments → Pay at Close to access your updated settings.
Pay at Close Fee off (not passing on fee to client):
Pay at Close Fee on (passing on fee to client):
The settings page is organized into the following sections:
Fees & charges — View the Spectora Pay at Close submission fee ($50) and optionally add a Pay at Close charge for your clients.
When clients see Pay at Close — Set the minimum transaction amount and manage which services are eligible.
Program terms — Review and download the Pay at Close Program Terms for Inspectors.
⚠️ Note: Enabling the Pay at Close Fee will disable the Minimum amount for Pay at Close field. If you need a minimum transaction threshold, do not enable the additional fee, or set your desired minimum before enabling it.
How the PAC Fee Appears in the Client Payment Flow
When a client selects Pay at Close during checkout, any additional inspector fee you’ve configured will appear as a separate line item in the payment summary.
Important Things to Know
Publishing triggers payment: Using "Publish All" on a Pay at Close inspection will trigger your payout. Once published, Spectora becomes the system of record for the inspection invoice.
Spectora manages payment collection: Title company outreach, reminders, and follow-up are all handled for you. You don't need to coordinate with the title company or track down payment.
Keep Spectora updated: If services or fees change, or if you receive payment directly from the client, those updates must be recorded in Spectora to keep everything accurate.
Inspection quality remains your responsibility: Any questions about inspection findings or service quality are handled directly between you and the client, just like with any other payment method.
PaySplits: PaySplits are not fully compatible with Pay at Close. The Pay at Close fee of $50 will be included in the PaySplits calculation if the PaySplit is percentage based.
Ready to Learn More?
Whether you're just getting started with Pay at Close or need help with a specific scenario, we've created detailed guides covering setup, day-to-day workflows, reporting, special situations like multi-party payments, and troubleshooting common issues. Explore the articles below to find exactly what you need:
Setting Up Pay at Close
Step-by-step instructions for enabling Pay at Close in your settings, configuring service-level toggles, and setting minimum transaction limits.
Managing Pay at Close Inspections
Complete workflow guide covering inspection creation, publishing, tracking payment status, handling service changes, and managing closing date updates.
Pay at Close: Client Experience
What your clients see and experience when selecting Pay at Close, including the agreement signing process and payment method setup.
Pay at Close Reports
Access and understand your Overview Report and Detail Report showing all Pay at Close transactions, transfer statuses, payment tracking, and payout summaries.
Using Pay at Close with Multi-Party Payments
How to handle inspections where clients use Pay at Close while third parties like agents pay their portion immediately through separate invoices.
Pay at Close Troubleshooting
Resolve common issues including payment visibility problems, payout timing questions, service changes after client selection, and when to contact support teams.
If you have any questions or feedback, write in to our chat bubble or email support@spectora.com!
