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Staged contract payments for solar installers

A solar contract is paid in stages: deposit, equipment, installation, commissioning, usually running alongside a financing or rebate application. RapidCents keeps the signed agreement and its schedule together with contracts and eSignatures, invoices each stage as it is reached, sends payment links for the smaller amounts, and takes the large ones by ACH or ACH so a five-figure milestone is not sitting on a card limit. Solar installers process under MCC 1731.

Solar Installers team reviewing payments in the RapidCents dashboard beside a card terminal.
A Solar Installers team manages checkout and transactions in the RapidCents dashboard.
  • PCI DSS Level 1
  • SOC 2 Type II
  • All major card brands: Visa · Mastercard · Amex · Discover · PIN debit
  • Interchange-plus available
  • Specialist onboarding support

Operational workflows

  1. Roof assessed and the array sized in a proposal

  2. Contract signed electronically with the deposit

  3. Equipment and installation stages invoiced separately

  4. Final stage released at commissioning

Payment challenges

  • Milestones stretched across months

    Deposit, panels, install and commissioning are four separate collections on one contract, and each has to stay traceable to the same system.

  • Amounts above any card ceiling

    A full array costs more than a homeowner can put on a card, so the equipment stage usually moves to a bank transfer.

  • Paperwork sitting between stages

    Homeowners wait on a financing or rebate decision before funding the next milestone, leaving a signed contract with an unpaid stage in the middle.

Choose the right payment setup for Solar Installers

  • Choose solar installer payment processing

    For Solar Installers, map the deposit, staged payments, and final balance, online checkout and remote payment, and the sale and reconciliation with business systems before choosing a setup. Select channels that match those moments, then confirm that the chosen solution genuinely covers each channel.

  • Payment hardware for Solar Installers

    For Solar Installers, physical hardware may be secondary to the checkout flow. Prioritize gateway or payment-page requirements first, then add a terminal only when an in-person payment point is genuinely needed.

  • Compare payment processing fees

    For Solar Installers, request a written fee breakdown covering deposits and final balances and online checkout and dispute handling. Compare the effective cost across the real card and channel mix; do not choose on a headline rate alone.

  • Set up or switch Solar Installers payments

    To set up Solar Installers payments, document how payment data moves into business systems and the checkout, confirmation, and refund path, confirm compatibility before purchase, then test a real payment flow before going live.

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How this gets set up

  • Design signed with its payment schedule

    The system design and its price are signed with contracts and eSignatures, and the stage schedule is part of the document the homeowner signs rather than a separate email.

  • Deposit releases the equipment order

    A payment link covers the deposit, which is what lets the panels and inverter be ordered against the signed design.

  • Milestones invoiced, large balances by ACH

    Equipment, installation and commissioning are invoiced as each is reached, and the big amounts settle by ACH or ACH so a five-figure stage is not sitting against a card limit.

  • Commissioning closes the contract

    The final stage is billed once the array is energized and the utility and rebate paperwork is filed, so the last invoice matches the real completion date.

Integrations

  • Aurora Solar exports

    Aurora Solar exports carry the system design, production estimate and proposal out as a file that the contract and its deposit are priced from; it is an export, not a live feed.

  • Jobber

    Jobber schedules the crews and site visits, so the installation-stage invoice is raised against the same job the crew actually completed.

  • Sage

    Sage is where settled milestones are recognized in the ledger, which is how a staged contract is spread across periods instead of landing as one sale.

Operations, security and going live

  • A contract read as a schedule

    Reporting shows each contract's stages billed and still outstanding, so a job stalled between equipment and installation is visible before the quarter closes.

  • Bank payments for what a card cannot carry

    Milestone amounts in the tens of thousands move by ACH or ACH, and reconciliation matches each bank credit to its milestone invoice rather than to a day's batch.

  • Lender money kept apart from yours

    When a homeowner finances, what you invoice them directly changes; keeping the signed schedule and your invoices on one record separates what the customer owes you from what a lender pays.

  • Proven on one contract first

    The eSignature template, the milestone invoices and the bank payment path are run end to end on a single job before the whole pipeline moves across.

Payment questions from Solar Installers

What should businesses compare when choosing solar installer payment processing for Solar Installers?

Compare solar installer payment processing against the real payment journey: the deposit, staged payments, and final balance, online checkout and remote payment, and the sale and reconciliation with business systems. Start with the required channels and hardware, then confirm compatibility and support before committing.

What payment hardware is practical for Solar Installers?

If Solar Installers sells primarily online, do not choose physical hardware before validating checkout. Add hardware only for a clearly defined in-person payment need.

Which payment channels are relevant for Solar Installers?

For Solar Installers, start with the deposit, staged payments, and final balance, online checkout and remote payment, and the sale and reconciliation with business systems. Keep only the channels that match those moments, then verify the complete customer flow before offering them.

How should payment processing fees be evaluated for Solar Installers?

For Solar Installers, compare costs related to deposits and final balances and online checkout and dispute handling using actual transactions. Request a written breakdown of fees and terms rather than relying on an advertised rate alone.

What should be confirmed before setting up payments for Solar Installers?

For Solar Installers, document how payment data moves into business systems and the checkout, confirmation, and refund path, verify the needed compatibility, and test the flow before going live. This exposes manual steps and exceptions before customers encounter them.

How should deposits and high-value payments be planned for Solar Installers?

Separate the deposit, staged payments, and final balance in the process. Confirm the authorization and refund rules that apply to the business before communicating terms to a customer.

What MCC category applies to Solar Installers?

MCC 1731 is commonly associated with Solar Installers. Our onboarding team confirms the correct category for your business.

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