I’ve been in this industry since 2011. It’s disheartening that signing companies are continuously not paying their notaries- or very slow pay after MONTHS of nagging. I thought that getting assignments from SnapDocs, and Notary Dash and other platforms would be safer to avoid these. Now we are at a time that I have to vet every company before accepting an appointment. This is not always convenient. For those of you struggling to receive payment, here are a few tips of things that have helped me to get compensated.
I always ask what the payment terms are and how it will be sent. (E-check, ACH, paper check) My terms state that I will accept the signing and their terms and that if I am not compensated within 15 days of DUE DATE, a $25 late fee will be assessed. And will continue to be assessed each 30 days thereafter. To be honest, it’s rarely paid, but it gets their attention.
*I always save information from the documents. Loan officer/title producer name, contact information, file/loan number. I have found success that reaching out to them when I’ve been ghosted for payment will result in payment fairly quickly. I don’t expect the title companies to pay me, but I do let them know that if they continue to use “XYZ Company” that they will find a hard time getting signings completed. I’ve shared that other notaries, including myself, will stop working with said company and they should read the reviews on Notary Cafe and other forums. I have had great success with this tactic when signing companies refuse to respond to emails, voicemails and signing platforms.
*Some shady companies are putting a clause in their terms and conditions that if you contact the lender/title to complain about payment, that it will void the agreement, and they won’t pay. DON"T FALL FOR THIS! Remind them that the moment they didn’t pay when their agreement stated, THEY broke the agreement first.
*I had a new company ghost me. ZERO reply to all forms of communication. As soon as I contact the title officer- BOOM! I got a call same day. They were not happy that I contacted the title/lender. I explained that too many signing companies lately are not paying their notaries. I explained that since they ghosted me, I had no choice. I suggested that they respond to emails and voicemails. They claimed accounting software issues. I understand things happen occasionally but next time respond to my emails, voicemails, etc. I told them that because of a few bad apples in the industry, notary signing agents are not standing for it anymore.
*I have also contacted a company after being assigned, but before any work was done, and asked to be removed because of their horrible reviews on Notary Cafe and other forums. They panicked and begged me to complete the order. I stated I would only do so when they paid me 50% of my fee upfront. I explained that until we have established a business repour, this is my policy. To my surprise, they paid me the full amount once it was completed and scans were received. (I made sure the title company needed the originals and was prepared to hold them until payment was received. )
Continue to put those deadbeat signing companies on blast on these forums. It helps others not fall into the same trap that you did- and you are NOT ALONE! Many seasoned signing agents have fallen victim.
Do update your post if you got resolve with payment issues. Names, phone numbers, emails are always helpful to others.
Let’s take back this industry in 2025
Smart. If they don’t specify or are too vague, stating your expected methods of payment is also good. On invoices, you could write “DUE UPON RECEIPT” and include a link or QR code to your business Venmo or PayPal acct so they can instantly.
The key is to be very cautious about taking jobs from companies that you aren’t familiar with. You know the payment policies of the ones you always deal with and they have proven to uphold them. It’s the fly-by-night companies you’ve never heard of that randomly text you or call you on the phone for a one-off job that you need to be concerned with.
@redrovermobilellc – perhaps you misunderstood about Apostille work? Anyone can get an Apostille. It’s just a matter of taking (or mailing) a notarized document to your Secretary of State. The SOS will issue either an Apostille or an Authentication attached to the notarized document. In many cases, the interested party will hire the notary involved to accommodate the entire process – notarize, procure the Apostille/Authentication and then either return the Apostille/Authentication to the hiring party or forward to the final destination in the foreign country.
The process is simple but can be time-consuming especially if you have to wait for hours at the SOS office or, if mailed, wait for days/weeks for the SOS to complete and forward. Bill accordingly.
@jennjoneis Our procedure is similar in FL - the SOS is the apostille issuing authority.
I had one in 18 years here - last year. Client contacted me about an apostille for a deed going to Puerto Rico. I obtained the form from the SOS website and researched what was required, what fees, and inquired with the post office about mailing fees.
I then consulted with the client, itemized the fees to be charged and told her the total fee was to be paid up front, unless she wanted me to just notarize and she could deal with the SOS on her own. She opted to have me handle the entire procedure so I did, sending it priority mail to the SOS and including a prepaid priority mail return envelope sending the document back to me.
The only problem I ran into is our website says turnaround time is approximately one week - when the week passed and I had not received the document back, I called the SOS and the clerk told me that, in reality, they were running about 6 weeks behind.
I relayed that to my signer and promised to follow up and keep her updated.
All in all, it’s a simple process. Just check the website Yolicue gave you and you should be fine.
Is “Puerto Rico” a typo? I’ve never dealt with apostilles but I understand they are only for documents going out of the country. Puerto Rico is part of the United States.
Attorney in Puerto Rico issued the deed and sent instructions and asked that an apostille be included. If it wasn’t necessary, our SOS would not have supplied it.
P.S. Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory, not a state. And they are a member of the Hague Convention.
Many Notary Cafe members will benefit from your post. 
