The customer said yes. Excellent. The office still may need a package selection, signature, service agreement, deposit, full payment, or an eligible recurring payment method before the work is truly ready to move forward. This Local Business Pro feature update keeps the selected estimate scope connected through that handoff and shows the customer and staff what remains. Signing is one gate, not a universal finish line. Agreement state, payment requirements, provider readiness, plan eligibility, and the current terms determine whether approval completes or stays pending.
That gives the “yes” somewhere useful to go. It does not turn every estimate into the same approval sequence, and it does not treat a signature as permission to make assumptions about payment or membership enrollment.
Start with the exact scope the customer chose
The handoff begins with the active estimate scope. That may be a flat estimate or the package the customer selected from a set of options. The chosen scope carries the relevant totals, deposit terms, and eligible agreement context into the approval process.
The office should not have to recreate the commercial story between “I choose this” and “here are the terms.” If the customer is still comparing, build the good-better-best packages first. This handoff begins after the active scope is known.
Configure the approval sequence the work actually needs
Different work deserves different gates. Local Business Pro can support an ordered flow that combines the applicable steps rather than assuming every customer needs all of them.
Signature only
A straightforward estimate may require a typed or drawn signature. With no unresolved agreement or payment requirements, that can satisfy the configured path.
Standalone service agreement
Some work requires a separate agreement built from a reusable template. The estimate can carry the customer into signing and back. Teams preparing those terms can start with a reusable service-agreement template.
Package-linked membership agreement
An active package can connect to an eligible membership plan and agreement. The package supplies the scope and totals; the agreement covers recurring-service terms. Eligibility and signed-document completion still govern progress.
Deposit, full payment, or no payment
Approval may call for a deposit, full payment, or no payment. A no-payment path does not collect funds, and a payment-required path remains pending until that requirement is satisfied.
Carry the customer into signing—and back to the estimate
When an agreement is required, the handoff uses the current estimate, selected package, and agreement terms. The customer can review and sign those terms, complete any eligible payment-method step, and return to the estimate workflow.
If the estimate, package, or agreement changes during an unsigned handoff, the older state may be rejected and a fresh handoff required. Better that than letting a customer sign terms the office no longer offers.
Completed signed terms can remain fixed under current rules. Staff can read the linked agreement and progress from the estimate workspace: pending signature, signed with payment setup pending, approval pending, or approved. It is operational readback, not universal funnel analytics.
Payment and payment setup are not the same thing
A deposit or full payment is a one-time amount connected to the estimate's approval requirement. A saved payment method is reusable setup for eligible recurring billing. They may appear in the same customer journey, but they solve different jobs.
For an eligible recurring plan, current agreement setup supports guarded Stripe and Deluxe paths. Card or ACH depends on the plan, connected account, accepted methods, and provider capability. Stripe ACH must be available for that flow; Deluxe recurring use needs the required off-session setup. Enthusiasm does not overrule configuration.
A saved method must have the right provider and account relationship, supported type, and valid status; explicit selection may be required. See how to set up an eligible saved payment method for recurring service. For eligible Stripe flows, use the Stripe connection guide.
What happens after the signature
After signing, the workflow checks what the configured approval path still requires.
- If signature is the only requirement and terms remain valid, approval can proceed.
- A required standalone agreement must be signed and complete.
- A required deposit or full payment keeps approval pending until satisfied.
- If an eligible no-payment membership is linked, enrollment can proceed after signing and signed-document completion.
- A paid recurring plan can remain pending until usable payment setup succeeds.
- Ineligible provider, account, method, plan, or terms stop the flow for recovery or review.
The broader jobs-and-estimates revenue workflow explains what comes before and after these states. Invoice and collection follow-up remain distinct work; use the invoicing and payment workflow guide when the approved scope reaches billing.
Four realistic home-service handoffs
HVAC replacement with a deposit
The customer selects a replacement package requiring a signature, agreement, and deposit. Approval completes only after those steps. Another HVAC estimate may differ; the workflow follows the estimate, not the trade label.
Pest-control recurring plan
An eligible package links to a recurring pest plan and agreement. A no-payment plan may enroll after signing and document completion. A paid plan remains pending until eligible payment setup. Signing alone is not universal membership activation.
Electrical upgrade with changed terms
An electrical upgrade requires a standalone agreement and full payment. If scope changes during handoff, the old unsigned state cannot be reused. The office prepares current terms.
Plumbing membership option
A plumbing customer chooses a package with an eligible membership. Card or ACH depends on provider, account, accepted methods, and plan rules. The package cannot manufacture payment capability.
What the workflow deliberately refuses to assume
Current eligible setup paths are Stripe and Deluxe, not every processor. The handoff withholds unavailable ACH, wrong-account saved methods, stale terms, and ineligible plans. Staff permissions and protected customer signing links still apply.
And it does not confuse a signed customer decision with every downstream task being done. If scope changes after the job begins, document the revised work with a Change Order and handle its billing follow-up deliberately.
Frequently asked questions
Can an estimate require both an agreement and payment?
Yes. When configured, an estimate can require customer scope selection, signature, an agreement, and a deposit or full payment in sequence. Approval remains pending until each applicable requirement is satisfied.
Does signing a service agreement approve the estimate?
Only if all other configured requirements are ready. A required payment or recurring payment-method setup can keep approval pending after signing.
Does agreement signing automatically activate a membership?
No. An eligible no-payment plan may enroll after signing and document completion. A payment-required plan needs a usable supported payment setup, and provider, account, plan, and method eligibility still apply.
Which payment methods are available during agreement signing?
Eligible Stripe and Deluxe flows can support card or ACH according to connected-account capability, accepted methods, plan settings, and provider configuration. Not every method appears in every flow.
What happens if the estimate terms change before signing?
An older unsigned handoff may be rejected so the customer can receive current terms. Completed signed terms can remain fixed under the applicable current rules.
Preview the whole customer handoff before sending
Choose one real estimate and walk through it as the customer. Verify the selected package, signature requirement, agreement, deposit or payment rule, eligible recurring setup, provider readiness, return path, and staff readback. The point is not to make every customer take more steps. It is to make every required step visible and intentional.
Ready to Stop Losing Customers?
Preview one real estimate-to-agreement handoff in Local Business Pro and verify every required signing, payment, eligibility, and return state before you send it.
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