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new-site/docs/name-reservation-product.md
justin d5e66786a2 mcs150: enrich intake from FMCSA carrier census before PDF fill 
The MCS-150 biennial update re-confirms the carrier's existing FMCSA
record. Previously the PDF filler only had whatever the intake form
collected; rescued/sparse orders (or orders where the carrier's data
lives in FMCSA, not the intake) produced near-empty forms. Now we pull
the carrier census (legal name, address, EIN, fleet counts) from the
FMCSA carrier API and merge it under any customer-provided intake values
(customer edits win), so the form is pre-filled with the carrier's
current registered data. Refactored the FMCSA fetch into a shared
_fetch_fmcsa_carrier helper used by both enrichment and status check.
2026-06-10 12:35:52 -05:00

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Selling name availability: sell a Name RESERVATION, not a "check"

Decision (2026-06-09): the product to sell is a state Name Reservation, not a bare "name check." Here's why, with the real state mechanics.

The key distinction: a search is a snapshot, a reservation is a binding hold

  • A name search (what our TX open-data API and a SOSDirect/SilverFlume search do) is a non-binding snapshot. It tells you the name looks free right now. It does not stop someone else from taking it tomorrow, and it is not the SOS's official word. Charging for a snapshot is weak value and invites "I paid and then lost the name" complaints.
  • A name reservation is the authoritative, binding action: the Secretary of State holds the name for you for a fixed window. This is a real deliverable with a real filing receipt - exactly the kind of thing we should sell.

What each state actually offers (public fee schedules)

Texas

  • SOSDirect online name search: $1.00 per search (statutory fee, requires a SOSDirect login). Non-binding snapshot.
  • Preliminary determination by phone/email: free (call 512-463-5555 or email Corporations) - also non-binding, and slow/manual.
  • Name Reservation (Form 501): $40 state fee, holds the name 120 days, renewable. This is the binding hold and the thing worth selling.

Nevada

  • SilverFlume name availability: free (but the portal is behind Incapsula bot protection, so we cannot automate it - and a free snapshot is low value anyway).
  • Name Reservation: $25 state fee, holds the name 90 days. The binding hold.

Product recommendation

  1. Free instant pre-check (lead magnet, not a SKU): keep the TX open-data API check on the order form as a free "looks available / looks taken" instant signal. It costs us nothing, reduces friction, and qualifies the lead. Label it clearly as a preliminary check, not a guarantee. (NV pre-check returns "we'll verify manually" since NV is bot-blocked.)
  2. Sell the Name Reservation as the paid SKU. Flat service fee + the state fee at cost. This is the authoritative hold the customer actually wants, and it's a clean, deliverable-backed product:
    • name-reservation-tx: service fee + $40 TX state fee (Form 501, 120 days).
    • name-reservation-nv: service fee + $25 NV state fee (90 days).
    • or a generic name-reservation with the state chosen at intake and the gov fee resolved per state (cleaner, matches how foreign-qualification fans out).
  3. Bundle it into the formation / DEXIT flow: offer "reserve the name now" as an add-on/step before the full formation or conversion, so the customer locks the name while the rest of the paperwork is prepared. Natural upsell, removes the "what if I lose the name while you file?" objection.

Pricing note (house rule: use the higher price on any mismatch)

Suggested service fee in the $49-$99 range on top of the state fee, billed as a flat fee with the government fee passed through at cost and labeled as such (consistent with our other corporate SKUs and the no-hidden-fees trust posture).

Fulfillment reality (be honest about automation)

  • TX reservation (Form 501) is filed via SOSDirect (login-gated) or by mail/fax. SOSDirect filing automation is not yet verified (same as TX formation), so the reservation would start admin-assisted until that flow is proven by the e2e harness. The $1 SOSDirect search and the $40 reservation both require the SOSDirect account we use for filing.
  • NV reservation is filed on SilverFlume, which is Incapsula-blocked for automation, so NV reservation is admin-assisted (a person files it). Still a perfectly good paid product - the customer pays for the outcome (a held name), not for our automation.
  • Both: capture the name + entity type at intake, file the reservation, deliver the state confirmation/receipt through the portal. The free pre-check gates obviously bad names before the customer pays.

Next steps to ship this

  1. Add name-reservation SKU(s) to api/src/service-catalog.ts with per-state gov fee (TX $40 / NV $25) and create the matching ERPNext Items.
  2. Add an admin-assisted NameReservationHandler (or reuse the MCS150-style admin-assisted pattern) that records the order and surfaces an admin to-do to file the reservation, then attaches the SOS receipt.
  3. Keep the free instant TX pre-check on the form; relabel as preliminary.
  4. Offer the reservation as a step in the formation + DEXIT intake.