Customer Financing Software for Contractors: What to Look For
Customer financing software lets a business offer monthly-payment options at the point of sale: the customer applies through a link with a soft credit pull, sees offers from one or more lenders, and the lender funds the purchase while the business is paid in full. For contractors, the best platforms bundle financing with quoting, contracts, invoicing, and payments — because the payment quote is what moves close rate.
- Soft-pull prequalification — non-negotiable
- Loan ceiling matched to your top-quartile ticket
- Close-rate tooling, not just a lender referral link
The 6 things that actually matter
Soft-pull prequalification
If browsing offers dings the customer's credit, your crew won't send the link. Non-negotiable.
Multiple lenders vs one
Single-lender programs mean one underwriting box; marketplaces widen approvals across the credit spectrum — Hearth's network covers scores down to 550 and loans $1K–$250K. Terms vary by lender and credit.
The fee model
Software with embedded per-transaction dealer fees (roughly 3.9%–15%+, higher on 0% APR promos) charges you more the better it works. Flat-subscription models ($1,499–$4,999/yr) cap the cost. Free marketplaces exist (Acorn) with lighter tooling. Run your volume math first: Customer Financing for Contractors.
Loan ceiling above your best jobs
A $25K cap can't finance a $40K roof-and-solar or premium HVAC + ductwork. Match the ceiling to your top-quartile ticket, not your average.
Where it lives in your workflow
Embedded-in-FSM (Wisetack inside ServiceTitan/Jobber) is frictionless if you finance occasionally. Standalone platforms with their own quote/contract/invoice/payment stack (Hearth) fit companies where financing is the sales strategy, not a checkout option.
The stuff around the loan
Payment-quoted proposals, contract e-sign, missed-call capture — Harper's AI receptionist, financing follow-up, and social content are why software beats a bare lender referral link.
Quick landscape
| Type | Examples | Cost | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat-fee platform + sales stack | Hearth | $1,499–$4,999/yr, no per-loan fee | Financing as core sales motion |
| Embedded in FSM | Wisetack | 3.9%+/transaction | Occasional financing in ServiceTitan/Jobber/HCP |
| Dealer-fee lender programs | GreenSky, Service Finance | Roughly 0%–3% on standard-rate loans, into the teens on 0% APR promos (varies by lender and plan) | Promo-rate (0% APR) selling |
| Free marketplace | Acorn Finance | $0 | Zero-cost entry, lighter tooling |
All lending via third-party lenders; rates and terms vary by lender and customer credit. Dealer-fee figures based on GreenSky's most recently available published rate sheet; Service Finance's exact schedule is not independently verified here — confirm directly with the lender before citing a specific number.
Your top questions, answered
What does customer financing software cost?
Three models: flat subscription ($1,499–$4,999/yr, no per-loan fee), per-transaction fees (roughly 3.9%–15%+ of each financed sale, higher on 0% APR promos), or free marketplaces funded by lenders.
Does customer financing software check my customer's credit?
Prequalification uses a soft pull with no score impact; a hard pull occurs only when the customer accepts a lender's offer.
Is customer financing software worth it for a small business?
If you lose deals to price on tickets over ~$5K, quoting a monthly payment typically pays for the software many times over — track your close rate with and without a payment quoted for 90 days and let the data decide.
Software that pays for itself in close rate.
Flat annual subscription, no per-loan dealer fee, and the quoting/contracts/invoicing stack built around it.
