The Check Is in the Mail… Right?

When “payment pending” becomes a little too permanent.

There has been a lot of chatter lately in the notary world about one of everyone’s favorite subjects:

Getting paid. Or, more specifically…Not getting paid.

Invoices sitting at 30, 60, sometimes 90+ days. Signing services that stop answering emails. Title companies promising that “the check is in the mail.”

And somewhere between sending another follow-up and checking the mailbox, I couldn’t help but wonder…

How good are we, notaries included, at actually getting paid?

Because completing the notarization is only half of running a business.

A Stamp Doesn’t Pay the Bills

As notaries, we spend a lot of time talking about what to charge.

But perhaps we don’t spend enough time talking about when we’re actually going to collect it.

At DocsxBrenda, we’ve moved toward a simple philosophy: Payment upfront whenever possible.

For individual clients, payment secures the appointment, with our fees, cancellation policies, and expectations clearly outlined beforehand.

For larger companies, it’s different. Much of the industry operates on NET-30 terms, often agreed to before we ever accept the assignment.

And NET-30 sounds perfectly reasonable. Until 30 becomes 45. Then 60.

Then “we’re waiting on accounting.”  Then silence.

When NET-30 Becomes NET-Whenever

The problem isn’t necessarily NET-30, NET-45, or any other payment structure.

The problem is when the terms aren’t honored.

A notary has already completed the assignment. We’ve spent the time, driven the miles, printed the documents, and performed the service.

Then comes the unpaid labor: follow-up emails, resending invoices, checking payment portals, and asking other notaries, “Have you been paid yet?”

It’s exactly why shared databases and community-driven vetting have become valuable tools for notaries deciding which companies they want to work with.

Because we’ve learned an important lesson:

A signed agreement doesn’t always guarantee a paid invoice.

Know Before You Stamp

Before accepting an assignment, maybe we need to ask more than “How much does it pay?”

What are the payment terms? Are they actually honored? What has the experience of other notaries been?

Because being a business owner isn’t only about deciding what your time is worth.

It’s also about making sure you actually get paid for it. And if the check really is in the mail?

Well… I’d still ask for the tracking number.