How buyer’s agents handle seller-side verification cost
The seller-side check feels like a surprise only if the authority never said the seller was a customer.
Quick answer
Buyer’s agents handle seller-side verification in three ways: the agency absorbs it, the buyer pays a disclosed disbursement, or each customer pays their own check. On FreeAML the firm suite is A$0 and verification is client-pays, so a seller-side check need not come out of the agency’s pocket. See /pricing for the current amount. Do not describe it as an AUSTRAC fee.
The cost appears because the seller is a customer
The bill is a consequence of the customer test, which is set out in do buyer’s agents verify the seller?. AUSTRAC’s real estate starter kit puts both parties on the customer list when you broker the purchase. Agencies are already arguing about who should fund that second check. Two public versions of the argument are this buyer’s-agent thread and this thread on charging for the verification. Treat them as the market mood. Your authority and your program decide the wording.
Absorb, pass through, or client-pays
Commercial patterns. The reporting duty does not move with the card.
| Pattern | Who pays the check | What the buyer hears |
|---|---|---|
| Absorb | The agency | Nothing, until the margin on a company seller disappears |
| Pass through | The buyer, as a disbursement you collect | A named line for customer due diligence, disclosed in the authority |
| Client-pays | The customer the check is about | The seller pays the seller’s verification. The buyer pays the buyer’s. |
Pass-through still needs a plain name. Customer due diligence for your AML/CTF program is that name. Estate-agent line items in general are in AML fees for estate agents. The disclosure page aimed at every profession is can you charge the client for an AML check?.
A worked file with no invented total
Use the count on the file, then read the list price on /pricing. The arithmetic is the count times that price. The firm’s cash depends on who pays, not on a seat.
Illustrative files for a buyer’s agent who brokers the purchase. Confirm the people your program actually requires.
| File | Checks | Firm cash if each customer pays | Firm cash if you absorb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual buyer, individual seller | Two individual verifications | A$0 | Both checks, at the current list price |
| Individual buyer, seller company with two people who must be identified | Buyer verification, plus the company, plus those two people | A$0 | Each of those checks, at the list price |
| You rely on the listing agency for the seller | Buyer verification, plus your reliance record | A$0 on the buyer’s check | The buyer’s check only, if the seller file is truly relied on |
Why this is not a subscription credit
Some vendors publish a customer-pays credit against a monthly licence. AML Guard’s pricing article describes that shape, capped at the licence fee. Visibl’s cost note is another public budget discussion. Confirm their figures on their sites. FreeAML has no licence to credit. The firm suite is A$0. Verification is client-pays. That is the whole commercial sentence.
How to say it in the authority
- Name the buyer and say they will receive an email to complete their verification and pay it.
- Name the seller as a customer when you are broking the purchase, and say the seller completes their own email request.
- If you will invoice the buyer for the seller’s check instead, say that before the authority is signed, as a disbursement.
- Say the line is customer due diligence for your program. Keep “government fee” and “AUSTRAC levy” off the invoice.
- If the seller is a company or trust, warn that the entity and the people behind it are separate checks.
FreeAML sends the verification request by email, so the authority and the request match. Start from /aml-check. The role differences across the sale are on who is the customer. Obligations for the sector are on /tranche-2.
📚 Related Resources
Real Estate AML Toolkit →
Complete compliance toolkit for property agents.
Real Estate AML Guide →
Everything agents need to know about Tranche 2.
Free KYC Check →
Verify customer identity in 60 seconds. Government ID + AML screening.
Free AML Program →
Board-ready AML/CTF Program template. All 10 AUSTRAC sections included.
Risk Assessment Generator →
AI-powered ML/TF risk assessment. 20-page compliant report in 5 minutes.
Free AML Training →
Online courses for staff. CPD-certified certificates included.
Frequently Asked Questions
See what the customer pays
The firm suite is A$0. Verification is client-pays. Current amounts are on the pricing page.
View pricingQuestions: team@freeaml.com.au