Do You Offer Payment Plans for Investigations?
It depends on the case. All investigations require a retainer before work begins, and we do not accept credit cards. In some circumstances, structured payment arrangements may be discussed on a case-by-case basis — this is something to raise directly during your initial consultation, not something confirmed in advance or guaranteed for every case.
Payment is a topic clients often feel awkward raising, but it's a straightforward conversation that needs to happen before any investigation begins. The structure is simple: a retainer covers the initial scope of work, and any additional costs are discussed and authorized before they're incurred. There are no hidden markups, no surprise invoices, and no pressure to commit to more than you've agreed to.
What follows is an honest breakdown of how payment works, what methods are accepted, and how to approach the conversation about payment structure if your situation requires it.
How Payment Is Structured
A Retainer Is Required Before Work Begins
Every investigation — regardless of scope or duration — requires a retainer paid in full before surveillance begins. This is standard professional practice and non-negotiable. The retainer covers the initial agreed scope: estimated investigator hours and anticipated operational expenses for the first phase of work. No surveillance is conducted before a retainer is received.
Time and Expenses Are Billed Against the Retainer
As the investigation progresses, investigator time at $85 per hour and documented operational expenses are charged against the retainer. Clients receive transparent updates on how the retainer is being consumed — not a single summary at the end. If additional authorization is needed beyond the initial retainer, that conversation happens before costs are incurred, not after.
Unused Retainer Is Returned
If an investigation concludes with retainer funds remaining — because the case resolved faster than anticipated or the scope was narrowed — the unused balance is returned. You are billed for actual time and expenses, not for the full retainer by default.
Structured Payment Arrangements — Case by Case
In some circumstances, a structured arrangement covering a larger investigation scope may be discussed — for example, splitting the total estimated cost across defined phases of work rather than requiring the full amount upfront. This is not a standard offering and is not available for every case. Whether it applies to your situation depends on case specifics and is something to raise directly during the initial consultation.
Accepted Payment Methods
What Determines Whether a Structured Arrangement Is Possible
Larger, longer-running cases with a clearly defined multi-phase structure are more amenable to phased payment than short, single-window investigations where the full scope is completed quickly.
Returning clients with an established history of professional dealings are better positioned to discuss alternative arrangements than first-time consultations with no prior relationship.
Multi-location investigations, extended pattern surveillance, or cases requiring significant upfront operational expenses may allow for structured phase-based payment conversations.
Payment structure is discussed and agreed before work begins — not requested mid-investigation or after a retainer is depleted. Raise it in the initial consultation, not later.
We do not accept credit cards under any circumstances. This question comes up frequently enough that it warrants a direct statement: there is no workaround, no third-party processing option, and no exception for any case size or client situation. If credit card payment is a requirement for you, we are not able to work together.
This policy exists for straightforward professional reasons. Chargeback mechanisms on credit card transactions are incompatible with investigation services, where work is performed and expenses are incurred in real time with no ability to reverse or recover them after the fact. The accepted payment methods above are the complete list.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the retainer, and does it vary by case?
The retainer is calculated based on the estimated investigator hours and operational expenses for the initial phase of your specific case — not a flat fee applied to every investigation. A short single-location case requires a smaller retainer than an extended multi-location investigation. The retainer amount is discussed and agreed during the consultation before any commitment is made. See the full cost breakdown for infidelity investigations in Costa Rica for how estimates are built.
What happens if the investigation costs less than the retainer?
If the investigation concludes with retainer funds remaining, the balance is returned. Billing reflects actual investigator hours at $85 per hour plus documented operational expenses — not a fixed fee regardless of what was actually spent. You will never be charged for work that wasn't done.
What happens if the investigation costs more than the retainer?
If an investigation requires scope beyond the initial retainer, you're informed before those additional costs are incurred — with a clear explanation of why, what additional coverage would accomplish, and what it would cost. The decision to authorize additional funds always belongs to you. Work never continues beyond the funded scope without your explicit approval.
Can I pay in U.S. dollars, or does it need to be in colones?
U.S. dollars are the standard currency for all investigation fees, and the vast majority of clients — particularly those based abroad — pay in dollars. Costa Rica colones are accepted for domestic clients but are not required. All invoicing and reporting is conducted in U.S. dollars regardless of the client's location.
Is there a way to reduce the upfront cost if my budget is limited?
The most reliable way to reduce upfront cost is to narrow the scope of the investigation to the most specific, highest-probability window rather than an open-ended coverage mandate. A defined trip with a fixed start and end date costs significantly less than ongoing pattern surveillance. Providing detailed information upfront also reduces the preparation time investigators need, which reduces billable hours. These are the most practical cost controls available — not alternative payment arrangements, which are limited and case-specific.
Are expenses documented, or bundled into the investigator rate?
Investigator time and operational expenses are billed and documented separately. You receive an itemized record of every expense — fuel, accommodation, access-related costs — alongside the investigation report. There are no undisclosed markups, no bundled estimates, and no expenses charged that weren't actually incurred. What you're billed is what was spent.
