Comparing software on the headline price is a trap, because two plans at the same number can include wildly different things. One bundles users, cases, e-signatures, onboarding, and support. Another charges for each of those separately, so the real bill is double. The useful question is not the price but the inclusions.
What should be included
- Unlimited staff users, so a new hire does not raise the bill.
- Unlimited cases, so a busy month is not penalized.
- Unlimited e-signatures, with no per-signature fee.
- Guided onboarding and migration support.
- Data export on demand.
What is reasonable to bill separately
Payment processing fees are charged by the card and ACH provider, not the software vendor, and they apply wherever you take payments. It is fair for those to sit outside the subscription, as long as the vendor does not add a markup on top. Almost nothing else should be a surprise line item.
The hidden costs to watch
| Charge | Why it adds up |
|---|---|
| Per-signature fees | Scale with your busiest, highest-volume months |
| Per-seat pricing | Penalizes adding staff |
| Per-case pricing | Penalizes a busy season |
| Setup or implementation fees | A large one-time cost before value |
| Paid data export | A toll to leave with your own data |
What to ask software vendors
- What is the all-in monthly cost for a firm my size?
- Are users, cases, and e-signatures unlimited?
- Is onboarding and migration included?
- What is billed separately, and is there any markup on processing fees?
- Is there any cost to export my data?
How FuneralHQ handles this
FuneralHQ bills per location, with unlimited users, cases, and e-signatures with no per-signature fee, plus included onboarding and migration support, on every plan. Processing fees are standard from the provider with no markup, and data export is free. See the full breakdown on the pricing section. To weigh a price against the work it covers, see what funeral home software does.
Related resources
Read funeral home software red flags and the funeral home payment processing guide.
The FuneralHQ advantage
Run the whole case in one place
Keep intake, arrangements, documents, payments and the books together. Bring one of your cases to a demo and see how your team would work through it.
We will work through a real example with you, from the first details to the finished record.
See it on one of your casesAbout the FuneralHQ Editorial Team
This guide was written by the FuneralHQ Editorial Team, the in-house team behind funeral home software used by independent firms to run cases, documents, payments, and QuickBooks sync in one record. Our editorial standards explain how we review product claims, outside sources, automation, updates, and corrections.