Payment processing for solar installers

Treat each stage as its own invoice tied to one contract number. Collect the deposit at signing, bill equipment when it is ordered or delivered, bill installation at completion and bill the balance at commissioning. Write the triggers, amounts and cancellation terms into the agreement. Refunds follow those written terms, and each receipt should match the ledger.

Keep the lender's disbursement and the customer's card payments as separate receipts against the same contract. A financing approval is not collected money until funds arrive. RapidCents processes what the customer pays directly, and the lender sets its own timing. Link each amount to a milestone so the outstanding balance stays accurate.

Invoice the balance the contract calls for, and treat any rebate as a separate matter between the customer and the program. The customer pays you first and receives the rebate later. Put that sequence in the agreement, show the amount due on each invoice, and check the program's rules before promising a reduction.

Approve each change order in writing before you charge for it. Send an amended document through Contracts & eSignatures, then invoice the added amount as its own invoice. Do not edit a paid stage. A refund for a removed item goes back to the original payment method under your written terms.

A solar installer in Canada can offer Visa, Mastercard and American Express credit cards, Interac debit in person, payment links and EFT or pre-authorized debit for bank payments, settled in CAD. PAD needs the customer's written authorization. Your RapidCents representative will walk you through each option, and through how GST/HST shows on invoices and receipts.

Plan large stages around the limits on your account, because a five-figure milestone may not fit on one card. Your RapidCents representative will walk you through your processing limits during onboarding. You can split a large stage into smaller invoices or collect it by bank payment instead. Any split should be agreed with the customer and shown on the invoice.

Choose the one that fits how your stages run. RapidCents collects deposits at the signing table, sends milestone invoices with payment links, takes bank payments for large stages and ties each receipt to the contract number. Bring your statements to Fee Check, compare written quotes on your own payment mix, and ask your RapidCents representative to show you how settlement reports map to your ledger.

Expect interchange, your processor's markup and any equipment or service fees. RapidCents prices interchange-plus: interchange passes through at cost, your markup sits in your Fee Schedule, and equipment or service fees apply if applicable. Card-present and keyed or online payments are priced differently. It is month to month with no fixed term.

RapidCents integrates with many major platforms through APPIE and RapidBridge, so most solar teams keep the software they run today. The exact option depends on your vendor and version. Tell your RapidCents representative which edition you use and what you need to move, such as amounts or receipts, and they will show you whether it runs as a software connector, an API integration, a payment link sent from the software or a file import.

Clear authorization and receipts prevent most disputes. Get written agreement on each stage's amount and trigger, send a receipt for every payment and keep signed change orders. Save a card for later stages only with the customer's authorization, limit which staff can use it, and use tokenized storage where supported. No provider can promise a dispute outcome.

Inventory open balances, saved-card arrangements, terminals and software dependencies, then reconcile a pilot payment, refund and deposit before switching. Export reports from your current provider first. Saved cards may need vendor-controlled migration or new customer authorization, because both providers must agree. Keep the old provider active until open stages are settled.

MCC 1731 is commonly associated with this type of business. RapidCents sets the merchant category during onboarding, based on what your business actually sells and installs. If you also sell equipment separately or offer other services, tell your RapidCents representative so the category reflects your real activity.