Straight answers
Fair questions before you bother.
What you're probably thinking, then the rest of it — including the answers that don't help us.
“I just text them a photo and a price.”
That works right up until it doesn't. A text shows you sent a number. It doesn't show they read it, agreed to it, or knew what it covered. If it goes bad, you're holding a screenshot and they're holding a different story.
What changes here: their signature, the time they signed, and the exact wording they agreed to, in one PDF that neither of you can edit afterwards.
“Can't I use DocuSign?”
You can. DocuSign expects you to have written the document already. It's built for a desk. You're up a ladder with the switchboard open and the customer standing in the hallway asking how much.
What changes here: three screens on your phone, priced and signed before you climb down.
“I already pay for Simpro.”
Keep it. Simpro, Tradify and AroFlo run your jobs, your scheduling and your invoicing, and ScopeLock doesn't do any of that. Variations are one screen buried in a system built for everything else, and most blokes skip it because it's quicker to say “yeah no worries, I'll add it on.”
What changes here: the approval takes less time than not doing it. Then the CSV goes to Xero or QuickBooks like normal.
“My customers won't want to sign something on my phone.”
They can, if they're standing there. If they're not, or if it feels awkward, you send a link by SMS or email and they sign on their own phone in their own time.
What changes here: nobody has to download anything or make an account. They open a link and tap.
“Is a signature on a phone even worth anything?”
Electronic signatures are recognised in Australia under the Electronic Transactions Act and its state equivalents. What usually decides an argument isn't the signature on its own though — it's whether you can show what was agreed, when, and that both sides saw the same words.
What changes here: that's the whole point of the evidence pack. This isn't legal advice — if you're in a dispute, talk to someone qualified.
“What happens to my records if I stop paying?”
Nothing. Cancel and you drop back to pay-as-you-go. Everything you've already signed stays downloadable, and evidence packs are never held back over a payment.
Do I need a card to start?
Not for anything under A$500. Those are free — no card, no trial clock. You only enter card details when you send a variation worth more than that.
When exactly am I charged?
When your customer approves. Never for a draft, never for one they knock back, never for one still sitting there unanswered.
The signed total decides the band: under A$500 is free, A$500 to A$5,000 is A$10, above A$5,000 is A$25.
Does my customer need an account?
No. They get a link, they read what changed and what it costs, they sign. Nothing to install, nothing to sign up for.
What's actually in the evidence pack?
The scope wording, the price, any time impact, whatever photos you attached, both signatures, and the timestamps on each one. It's a PDF. You can email it, print it, or hand it to your solicitor.
Will this work with Xero or QuickBooks?
Approved variations export as an import-ready CSV for either. It creates invoice drafts — it does not post invoices directly. Check the tax and account mappings before you import, because your codes are your business, not mine.
What if I only do a few variations a year?
Then don't subscribe. Pay-as-you-go exists for exactly that. Run your own numbers on the front page — if that red number is small, stay on pay-as-you-go.