Flagship review · Court reporting

Steno Review (2026): Court Reporting With Deferred Payment

Steno's draw is DelayPay: book court reporting now and pay when the case ends. That deferral is priced into higher rates, and not every case qualifies.

By The AI Tools For Law team

How we research: Researched from vendor documentation, pricing pages, contract terms and user sentiment.

  • 5 min read
  • 11 chapters

Last updated Prices and details checked How we reviewEditorial independence

Verdict at a glance

Recommended for

Litigation firms that want deferred deposition costs and remote depositions on Zoom.

Bottom line

A strong option for firms that want to move deposition costs to the end of the case. Confirm DelayPay eligibility in writing, compare its rates with Net 30, and get the cancellation policy for each job.

A court reporting agency with a network of independent reporters, remote depositions through Steno Connect for Zoom, videography, a firm dashboard, Clio and Litify integrations, and AI tools (Transcript Genius and Litigation Genius). DelayPay defers costs until the case concludes with no interest, but its rates are higher than standard Net 30 terms, not every case type qualifies, and confirming eligibility is your job. No rate card is published.

Not for

Firms that need a fixed, published rate card before booking.

Pricing from

No published rate card; Net 30, DelayPay and DelayPay Pro terms (steno.com, checked 2026-10-15)

Pros

  • DelayPay defers court reporting costs until the case concludes, with no interest (steno.com/delaypay)
  • Remote depositions through Steno Connect for Zoom (steno.com)
  • Transcript Genius and Litigation Genius AI tools (steno.com)
  • Clio and Litify integrations and a firm dashboard (steno.com)

Cons

  • DelayPay rates are higher than Net 30
  • Not all case types qualify for DelayPay; you must confirm
  • Estimates are non-binding
  • Late cancellation fees up to $400 per job by default

Steno directory listing → · Vendor site ↗

Quick answer

Bottom line: Steno is a court reporting agency for litigation firms that want to move deposition costs to the end of the case with DelayPay, and that like remote depositions on Zoom. There's no published rate card: rates come on each firm's rate card, and DelayPay rates are higher than standard Net 30 (vendor claims checked October 15, 2026). There's no trial; you book per job. The traps: not every case type qualifies for DelayPay and confirming eligibility is your job, estimates are non-binding, and late-cancel fees can run up to $400 per job unless your rate card says otherwise.

What this means for you: get DelayPay eligibility and each job's cancellation policy in writing, and compare DelayPay against Net 30 on a typical deposition.

In this review (14)
  1. At a glance
  2. What does Steno actually do?
  3. How does Steno pricing work?
  4. What are Steno's terms?
  5. What do users say about Steno?
  6. Buyer tips before you book
  7. Pros and cons
  8. How does Steno compare?
  9. Who should use Steno?
  10. FAQ
  11. Is any of this sponsored?
  12. Sources (all accessed 2026-10-15)
  13. Alternatives
  14. How we reviewed

The AI Tools For Law team researched this review from Steno's website, DelayPay page, rate-card guide and terms of use (effective September 10, 2026), plus our reading of public user feedback. Everything was checked October 15, 2026. Prices and terms change, so confirm with Steno before you buy.

Disclosure: Some listings on AI Tools For Law may be sponsored or include affiliate or referral links. Paid placements are always labeled "Sponsored," and payment never changes our verdicts. Steno hasn't paid for this review. Nothing here is legal advice.

What does Steno actually do?#

  • Court reporting through a network of court reporters, many of them independent contractors.
  • Remote depositions with Steno Connect for Zoom.
  • Videography and litigation support.
  • A firm dashboard for scheduling, transcripts and invoices.
  • Integrations with Clio and Litify.
  • AI tools: Transcript Genius and Litigation Genius for working with transcripts.
  • DelayPay: deferred payment of court reporting and litigation support costs until the case ends.

How does Steno pricing work?#

Steno doesn't publish dollar rates; they're on each firm's rate card. Its help-center guide explains the structure:

Typical line items include the reporter's appearance fee, the original and certified copy per page, exhibits, e-transcripts, litigation packages, expert or medical page surcharges and minimum transcript fees.

Conditional fees (except on DelayPay Pro):

  • Late cancellation after 4:00 PM local time the business day before.
  • Last-minute booking after 12:00 PM local time the business day before.
  • Waiting time and overtime.

What are Steno's terms?#

From Steno's terms of use, paraphrased:

  • DelayPay eligibility: DelayPay is offered to all parties but isn't available for all case types. It's your firm's responsibility to confirm a case is eligible before booking.
  • Estimates: quotes are non-binding estimates. You owe the full invoice even if it's higher.
  • Late payment: Steno can charge interest on invoices more than 30 days late.
  • Cancellation: unless your rate card says otherwise, cancel reporters and videographers by 4 PM (job time zone) the business day before to avoid a late fee, which can be up to $400 per job. Fees vary by provider, and it's on you to ask for each provider's policy.
  • Independent contractors: you assume the risk of contractor problems, and Steno won't pay for waiting time when its contractor is late.
  • Booking refusals: Steno may refuse bookings from firms with a history of nonpayment.
  • Disputes: individual arbitration, with jury and class-action waivers.

What this means for you: DelayPay is a deferral, not a contingency arrangement. Confirm with Steno, but expect to pay at case resolution whatever the outcome.

What do users say about Steno?#

We read public user feedback and looked for patterns.

What users like. Feedback tends to praise responsive support, organization, the technology and payment flexibility.

What frustrates them. Some users report last-minute reporter cancellations and aggressive sales outreach. Feedback is mixed and thin, so treat these as patterns to check.

Buyer tips before you book#

  1. Confirm DelayPay eligibility in writing for each case.
  2. Compare DelayPay and Net 30 rates on your typical jobs.
  3. Price DelayPay Pro if you often book or cancel at short notice.
  4. Ask for a not-to-exceed figure, since estimates aren't binding.
  5. Get the cancellation policy that applies to each job.

Pros and cons#

Pros

  • Deferred payment with no interest.
  • Zoom remote depositions.
  • AI transcript tools.
  • Clio and Litify integrations.

Cons

  • Higher rates on DelayPay.
  • Eligibility burden on you.
  • Non-binding estimates.
  • Late cancellation fees.

How does Steno compare?#

Esquire is a large national court reporting company. CaseMark produces AI deposition summaries from transcripts you already have. Rev offers transcription for recordings you supply, not certified court reporting.

Who should use Steno?#

FAQ#

What is Steno DelayPay?#

Steno's deferred payment option: court reporting and litigation support costs are deferred until the case concludes, with no interest. Rates are higher than standard Net 30 terms.

Does every case qualify for DelayPay?#

No. Steno's terms say DelayPay isn't available for all case types, and your firm must confirm eligibility before booking.

How much does Steno cost?#

Steno doesn't publish rates; they're on each firm's rate card (steno.com, checked October 15, 2026).

What's Steno's cancellation policy?#

By default, cancel reporters and videographers by 4 PM the business day before to avoid a late fee of up to $400 per job, unless your rate card says otherwise.

Is any of this sponsored?#

No. If that changes, the listing will be labeled "Sponsored," and payment won't change the verdict.

Sources (all accessed 2026-10-15)#

AI Tools For Law is not a law firm and doesn't provide legal advice. Using this site doesn't create an attorney-client relationship.

Alternatives to Steno#

How we reviewed

Researched from vendor documentation, pricing pages and user sentiment. Prices and details were last checked on . Sources are cited inline next to each claim and listed in the Sources section above.

How we review · Editorial independence and disclosure · Corrections: hello@aitoolsforlaw.ai