First let me complement you. Nice to see someone who joins and makes an immediate contribution. It's not required but you are off to a great start. Glad you had a nice time!
Now, to answer your question... no, that's not normal (to provide house fee at the end). Generally you provide HF up front. If you are familiar with the place (i.e. some places are consistently "$ X" all in) then you can also give the full amount up front, so there is no confusion about the kind of session you are interested in.
Welcome, and I hope your future sessions are as good or better!
jim