Two phrases cause most of the confusion in STC pricing: registered and unregistered. They are about timing and risk, and each changes what a fair price looks like.
What each term means
Registered STCs exist as records in the REC Registry. Whoever created them has lodged the claim and, once validated, the certificates can be transferred to a buyer. The claim risk is mostly behind them. See what the REC Registry is.
Unregistered STCs are the right to create certificates from an installation that has not yet been lodged. The buyer, as registered agent, lodges the claim and carries the risk that it fails or is audited.
Why prices differ
A registered, validated STC is a finished commodity, so it prices near spot, roughly $38 to $40 at the time of writing. An unregistered STC includes a risk and funding discount: the buyer pays you now and collects later. The size of the discount is set by each buyer, and by how clean your claims are.
Which should you sell?
| Unregistered | Registered | |
|---|---|---|
| Who lodges | Buyer (agent) | You |
| Price | Slightly below spot | Closer to spot |
| Claim risk | Buyer’s, per contract | Yours |
| Cash timing | Fast, often 1 to 3 days | After validation |
| Admin | Minimal | Heavy |
For most installers the unregistered route wins once admin, fees and risk are priced in. If you self-register, you pay account and per-STC fees, see what registering costs, and then need a buyer.
How to find the best price either way
- Ask for a net rate, in dollars, on a stated date.
- Confirm when it locks.
- Check the settlement time in hours or business days.
- Ask who bears the cost if a claim fails.
- Compare two providers on the same three claims.
See how to get the best STC price.
What this means for installers
Most of you will assign rather than self-register, which makes the question “which provider’s unregistered rate is best, net”. Ours is published on pricing, locked when a complete claim is lodged, with zero fees and 24-hour settlement for established partners. See start trading, how it works, and the STC trading pillar.
Watch the contract wording
Some agreements let the buyer revise the rate if a claim is delayed or amended. Check whether your price is locked once a complete claim is lodged, and what happens if the CER holds a claim for audit. Those two clauses decide how much of the headline you keep.