A deposit is the simplest protection against unpaid invoices and clients who disappear halfway through. It shows the client is committed, covers your time if the project stops, and sets the tone that this is a business arrangement. Copy the wording below and fill the brackets.
Paste into your agreement under payment terms
Deposit. A non-refundable deposit of [percentage]% of the total project fee ($[amount]) is due before work begins. The project start date and any reserved schedule are confirmed only once the deposit is received. The remaining balance of $[amount] is due [on delivery / in installments on (dates) / within (number) days of the final invoice]. If the client cancels after work has begun, the deposit is retained and any work completed beyond the value of the deposit will be invoiced at [rate].
Send right after the client says yes
Subject: Next step to get [project name] started Hi [Name], Great to be working together on [project name]. To lock in the start date of [date], here's the deposit invoice for [percentage]% of the project fee ($[amount]): [payment link] As soon as it's paid I'll send over the kickoff details and the first milestone dates. The remaining balance is due [when], as outlined in the agreement. Looking forward to it, [Your name]
For "can we skip the deposit?" or "we pay on completion"
Hi [Name], Totally understand. A deposit is standard for every project I take on. It reserves time in my schedule for you and lets me turn down other work for those dates. If the upfront amount is the concern, I can split it: [smaller percentage]% now and the rest across [milestones]. Happy to go with whichever works better for you. [Your name]
The Proposal, Contract & Client Onboarding Pack includes a proposal with a "not included" list, a plain-English agreement with deposit, late fee, revisions and kill fee terms, and a welcome packet that sets feedback rules. Word and PDF versions included.
Get the Proposal, Contract & Onboarding Pack ($27) Get-Paid Bundle: proposal + scope + invoice ($49)Grab the 3 free emails that get unpaid invoices paid, the free late fee wording, the final notice before collections template, the client ghosting follow-ups, the scope creep scripts, or the free client follow-up tracker.