Getting-paid guides · 11

Take a deposit before you start: staged payments that cut non-payment riskSplit one payment into a deposit, milestones and a final balance, and the non-payment risk is spread across the whole job instead of staked on the very end.

Most people who get stiffed weren't unlucky — they staked everything on delivery: the work all done, the files all handed over, and only then did they ask for money, when they had nothing left to negotiate with. A deposit and staged payments aren't distrust of the client; they split one large risk into several small ones so each step carries only a slice. This guide covers how to design the stages, how to raise the deposit with a client, and which receiving method makes the money land more reliably.

01Why "finish first, get paid later" is the riskiest

Negotiation has a plain truth: you have the most leverage while you still hold something the other side wants. Once the project is fully delivered, your leverage is zero — the files are with the client and all you can do is chase and wait. If you hit a client who doesn't want to pay or is suddenly short of cash, at that point you have almost no options.

Staged payments change exactly this. Split the total into segments and collect one as you finish each, and at any moment the amount you've "invested but not yet been paid for" stays small. Even in the worst case, if the other side stops paying at some point, your loss ends at the current small segment rather than the whole sum. This isn't about guarding against anyone — it's about building the relationship, at every step, on "the money matches the work".

02A staged structure you can copy

You can tweak it per project, but this three-part split suits most small-to-mid commissions — take it straight to the client:

The key is the last row: hand over the final files only after the balance clears. You can send a watermarked preview, a low-resolution version or a demo link for approval; once it's confirmed and the balance lands, send the usable source files. Flip the order of that one step and the risk is completely different.

For long, large projects, split the middle milestone into two or three so each amount stays small. For small, quick jobs, simplify to "half before starting, half before delivery" — no need to overcomplicate.

03How to set the deposit and each share

There's no single right split; it depends on three things: the amount, the timeline, and how well you know this client. Adjust along these lines:

• The less familiar the client, the more you collect up front. For a first project with no shared connection to vouch for them, set the deposit at 40–50 percent so they prove ability and willingness to pay first.
• The longer the timeline, the finer the split. For a two-to-three-month project, set two or three milestones rather than one midpoint, so problems surface sooner.
• The bigger the up-front investment, the higher the deposit. If you have to put in a lot of time or buy assets to start, the deposit should at least cover that sunk cost.

Once each amount is set, remember every payment loses a slice to receiving fees. Use the quote gross-up calculator to price the fees into the total first, then split by proportion, so you don't find every stage shrunk. To compare how much each channel takes, use Wise vs Payoneer or the PayPal fee calculator.

04Invoicing in stages vs escrow platforms

Staged payments come in two forms: invoice by stage yourself, or use a platform with escrow. Their logic for resisting non-payment differs.

Neither is outright better. With decent trust and a mid-sized amount, invoicing in stages yourself is cheap and flexible; with a completely unfamiliar client or a large project, escrow locks the money before you start and releases it on approval, and that certainty is often worth its commission. Many people mix the two: small clients invoiced directly, large projects through escrow.

05How to raise the deposit with a client

Asking for a deposit feels awkward to many, but saying it as a standard process is more natural than hesitating. A few practical moves:

• Frame it as routine, not a request. "My projects usually run a 40% deposit before starting, one payment mid-way, and the balance on approval" — state the process, don't ask "would you mind paying a bit first".
• Translate the benefit for the client. Staging helps them too: they pay by progress and see results before continuing, so their risk is spread as well. Put that way, it's easier to accept.
• Fix it in a contract or quote. Write the staged structure into a written quote or contract and have both sides confirm. Verbal agreements are almost useless when something goes wrong.
• Keep a little room to concede. If the client genuinely struggles, lower the deposit slightly or switch to a small first milestone, using a smaller amount for one trust test.

06Beyond staging, what else to spell out

Staging solves "when to collect", but a few other things cause disputes just as easily; best to spell them out before you start:

• Scope and number of revisions. State how many revision rounds are included and how extras are charged, so endless rework doesn't hold up the balance.
• Late-payment and pause terms. Agree that if a stage payment is overdue by so many days, you may pause work, keeping the risk within the current stage.
• Who bears the currency and fees. Spell out which currency you settle in and who pays cross-border fees, to avoid haggling over a few dollars after the money lands. For the trade-offs, see four ways to get paid overseas.
• When usage rights take effect. Make clear the rights to the work transfer only after the balance clears; no balance, no rights.

Keep a record of every payment: amount, date, matching stage, payer. If a dispute or tax time comes, these are your evidence. For how to build a simple receiving ledger, see a year of payments, and you can't tell where the money came from.

07Signals to be more careful

Staging catches most of the risk, but when some signals appear, it's worth raising the early shares or using escrow outright:

• They dodge a written contract and only want to "settle it verbally".
• They keep squeezing your deposit down while being generous on other terms, trying to get you to invest unprotected first.
• The payment process is vague — who pays, through what channel, how often, all unclear.
• They manufacture urgency from the start, pushing you to skip confirmation and just begin.

Any one of these alone may be fine, but stacked together they should put you on guard. Raising the deposit and first milestone is, in essence, replacing trust with structure — the most reliable move while you still don't know the other side.

08Pre-start checklist

09FAQ