Notarize

What is Notarize?

Notarize is an online notary service that enlists freelancers to verify document signatures. Pay depends on whether you’re notarizing documents presented to you from the platform or are using the platform to facilitate your own online notary business.

How it works

If you live and work in Florida, Nevada, Texas or Virginia, you can sign up for free and accept notary assignments that are sent to you. These assignments pay $5 to notarize an ordinary document — say a bank signature card; and $25 to notarize a real estate transaction, which is far more time consuming and complicated.

In 30 other states, Notarize will allow you to sign up and simply use the site’s documents and software to notarize documents for your own clients. In these cases, you set your own rates. But you’ll pay Notarize $10 per transaction, plus $3 for additional seals. You keep the rest.

Naturally, you need to be a licensed notary, following all of the legal requirements of your state, to use either service.

Pay

Notaries are paid through Stripe within a few days of completing a transaction.

Notarize review

Notarize appears to be a great option for freelance notaries. But it’s not such a great place to work as an employee.

When we reviewed worker comments they were divided into two camps:

1. People who worked for Notarize’s corporate office, who liked the product but hated management.

2. And people who worked with the product and didn’t have any contact with management. This second camp,  largely made up of the freelancers who use the platform, were enthusiastic. (See “what their users” say below)

Since SideHusl.com is all about freelance work opportunities, we see Notarize as a good option. But, don’t work in the corporate office.

Recommendations:

This is a good way to digitize your notary business, whether you’re in a state where you can work through Notarize directly or if you use their turnkey system to digitize your independent notary service. You can learn more about Notarize and sign up here.

Notaries in the 20 states where Notarize doesn’t offer a service can market themselves through local contacts at banks, brokerage and mortgage firms and through neighborhood websites, such as Nextdoor. You could also offer notary services through broad freelance platforms, such as Fiverr.

What their users say (from Indeed):

I’ve been working with them for a few months now, I enjoy it. I do it fully remote from the comfort of my own home. The enrolment process was difficult and took a while. (Remote notary; Jan. 2024)

Things while working at Notarize were great! I think it was a lot better in 2020-2021 but right now it’s still not that bad and would recommend anyone to join. (Remote notary, Nov. 2023)

Working for notarize is great. You make your own hours and create your own schedule. There is straightforward work and expectations. No one is hovering over you. (Remote notary, Sept. 2023)

Tech issues and not enough work

They pay $5.00 per notary assignments but you can sit at your computer all day and not get an assignment. They hire to many notaries and it’s a total let down. Run if you can. (Remote notary, April 2023)

Often I spent time signing the document with the client just to lose the call because of a technical error.
It was not easy to catch the call also. But I worked on my schedule from home. (Remote notary, June 2023)

I would like to say that this platform is the best in the market to work as a RON (remote online notary). The interface is easy to use and has little bugs on the system. It’s a very good opportunity to learn and start as a notary. The pay is fair most of the time but the way to make more money is the amount of calls instead the amount of seals placed. (Remote notary, January 2023)

Updated 1/12/2024