SingleOps by Granum helps tree care and arborist businesses save time, stay organized, and run smoothly from the first site visit to the final payment. For Independent Tree Service, that meant turning a manual, multi-step payment process into fast, secure online payments—with less admin work and no disruption to how they serve customers.

Customer: Independent Tree Service

Location: Tampa, Florida

Service Focus: Certified tree care with ISA-certified arborists, delivering science-based recommendations and low-pressure guidance using industry-leading equipment

Industry: Residential and commercial tree care 

Annual Revenue: ~$2 million

In business since 1978, Independent Tree Service has built a reputation in Tampa on expertise, honesty, and science-backed tree care. As the company approached $2M in annual revenue, VP Jordan Upcavage noticed that the way they handled payments was starting to hold them back.

For decades, payments were handled the traditional way:

Each payment often took multiple steps and multiple people to complete. At scale, the process became overwhelming for the office team.

Jordan’s father, Jerry, who founded the business, was comfortable with the old approach and skeptical of digital payments.

“I don’t want the internet knowing my bank account number,” he’d say—capturing the trust concerns many long-standing business owners feel when it comes to online payments.

The family also believed that if a customer didn’t want to work with them because they didn’t accept online payments, it might not be the right fit.

But as the business grew, Jordan saw the trade-offs clearly:

Jordan knew they needed a more efficient, modern way to get paid—without creating trust issues for his father or their long-time customers.

Jordan decided to implement SingleOps Payments (part of SingleOps by Granum) to give customers a simple, secure way to pay online—while addressing his father’s concerns head-on.

To build trust in the process, he opened a separate, dedicated “money-in-only” bank account and used that account exclusively for processing SingleOps Payments transactions.

With SingleOps Payments integrated into their existing SingleOps workflow, Independent Tree Service now sends invoices directly through SingleOps by Granum. This allows customers to pay online via credit card or ACH through a secure customer portal, while automatically recording payments.

The impact was immediate.

“I’ve had a client pay an invoice online within minutes of the invoice being sent. This is so much faster than having to find their checkbook—if they even still have one,” Jordan says. “It has saved us so much administrative time.”

Jordan also embraced transparent credit card fee pass-through, listing fees as a clear line item on each invoice.

“Consumers are used to the upcharge of a convenience fee. The DMV even charges a convenience fee these days.”

Because ACH fees are capped at $10, many clients now choose ACH—keeping payments fast and easy while lowering fees compared to credit cards.alues, “teamwork and relationships,” are mirrored in their approach to technology adoption.

Since adopting SingleOps Payments, Independent Tree Service has seen $60,000 to $150,000 in transactions processed digitally on a monthly basis —revenue that would have required countless hours of manual processes under their old system. Jordan acknowledges that they’ve saved significant time by eliminating unnecessary phone calls, voicemails, trips to the bank and manual data entry.

Getting started cost Independent Tree Service nothing, just a couple of minutes to submit the application and processing was up and running same-day.

“I don’t even remember the signup process—that just tells you how easy it was. I only remember how it’s worked since then, which has been great.”

For tree care businesses still hesitant to adopt digital payments, Jordan offers practical advice:

Today, Independent Tree Service enjoys the benefits of getting paid with zero manual tasks, improved customer satisfaction for those who prefer to pay with card or bank transfers, and zero trust concerns. The integration of SingleOps Payments has not only reduced inefficiencies but also strengthened Independent Tree Services’ ability to take on more business.

Granum isn’t just a software company. We’re your partner in building the business, and the life, you’ve been working for. Your success isn’t just our goal, it’s our shared mission.