New notary with lots of newbie questions that honestly, feel silly to ask. I have tried to go through the beginner threads/scanner threads but I haven’t found the answer I’m looking for. So, at the risk of feeling awkward…here is my question. Can someone explain to me how and when you are using your mobile scanner in the field? If you are driving to and from appointments, when/how do you have time to scan?
Thanks
As you’re a newb, think I’d hold off on buying one until you know you need it. I’ve been around a long time and have never felt the need for a mobile anything. I guess, if you were a good distance from your home scanner & they need it right now (usually don’t) it would save a trip home to scan & then on to the next one. At this point, you don’t even know if there’ll be a next one/same day. In the 25 years I’ve been doing this, I think I’ve had maybe 10 signings where I could go 10 miles to first & 2 miles from first to second. It’s mostly go east 10, now back that 10 & 10 more west.
That makes a lot of sense to me, and was what I was thinking. Thank you for the information/feedback. BTW Congrats on 25, that’s amazing! 
I had been thinking and looking into a mobile scanner/printer a few months ago. I finally weighed the pros and cons for myself and it was not worth me making an investment for that. I also got a little “nervous” thinking to buy one and then something happen and signings decline (like they are right now)… but hang in there, there is always a comeback! 
My experience mirrors that of Arichter. There is not a strong business need for a mobile scanner.
Once you’ve established your level of professionalism, most clients no longer request scanbacks, unless the Signing Order is a Purchase, etc.
I have used my phone and Adobe scan to scan some documents when need be but usually I wait until I get home to scan the full package.
Agree, very much! It will rarely be required but I will tell you this-a company asked me to scan within an hour of signing, I told them I could but I’d have to charge $100 for my time and travel back home. They paid me, which was pretty cool!
Yep, getting paid what the job is worth is cool…and profitable. And also makes the point that they can pay a fair fee for a job.
I met one notary signing agent who had her car outfitted with a portable printer to catch assignments on the fly. A few months later she was driving a different car without the printer on board. I think rattling around printing and scanning equipment is a headache and if you explain that owing to distance you cannot get the scan back before X hour, most companies understand.
Thanks for all the information. This is very helpful!!
I’m in the opposite category of a scanner being absolutely necessary for me on the road. No matter the experience level where I am in Florida, Scanbacks seem to be 75% of my signings. I take my scanner to my client’s home and scan either while I’m doing the signing, or wait until the end after double checking the documents. Within 1 hour, I complete the signing and scan everything in. No need to stress out trying to get docs back within the required 2 hours (average). I keep going to the next appointment and then the next. I also use Adobe.com to compress my files on the go. It’s amazing. My scanner has paid for itself with the amount of jobs I can do per day. All the same concept of having a mobile printer in your car. To each his/her own, but in 2021 my goal was to reduce as much stress as possible.
there are no silly questions, I’m a newbie my self and benefit from all the answers to your question.
The crime is so awful in some areas, I can’t possibly think of carrying equipment or stopping to scan.
Which scanner do you have??
