Deposits and partial payments help service businesses collect commitment before delivery. Set expectations clearly so customers understand what is due now and what remains later.

What this guide helps you do

• Create an offer or payment flow with an upfront deposit.
• Track remaining balance and follow-up tasks.
• Avoid confusing checkout or invoice language.

Before you start

• Know deposit amount, remaining balance, due date, refund rules, and fulfillment trigger.
• Decide whether the rest will be invoiced, charged later, or collected manually.
• Confirm Money and customer follow-up processes are ready.

Do it manually

1. Open the offer, checkout, invoice, or payment settings.
2. Choose deposit, partial payment, or payment schedule behavior if available.
3. Enter the amount, terms, and confirmation copy.
4. Preview checkout and confirmation language.
5. Run a test payment path.
6. Create follow-up tasks or invoices for the remaining balance.

Ask Faster AI

• Create a deposit-based offer for a project kickoff. Ask for remaining balance terms before publishing.
• Review this checkout copy and make sure the deposit and final payment expectations are clear.
• Prepare follow-up tasks for customers who paid a deposit but still owe the balance.

Review before saving or publishing

• Make the customer-facing terms explicit before payment.
• Check Money records after a deposit test.
• Confirm staff know when work starts and when remaining balance is due.

Common issues and fixes

• If the remaining balance is unclear, update offer and confirmation copy.
• If the deposit does not appear in Money, review checkout and payment setup.
• If follow-up is missed, create a journey, task, or saved view for deposit customers.

Use it in daily operations

• Use deposits for high-touch services, custom work, or limited-capacity offers.
• Review open balances weekly.
• Keep refund and cancellation terms close to the checkout path.

Team handoff

• Write down what changed, who owns the next review, and which page, customer record, campaign, or plugin record should be checked next.
• If the work affects customers, include the public URL, test result, and any unresolved placeholder media in the handoff note.
• When Faster AI helped prepare the change, ask it to summarize the draft and review checklist so a teammate can approve the work without retracing every click.

Product page conversion

For when deposits belong on a product or offer page and how to explain what is due now versus later, read the product pages article. Product Pages That Sell: Images, Inventory, and Trust.

Service pricing strategy

For when deposits create useful commitment and how to explain them without confusing the buyer, read the service pricing article. How to Price Your Services with Confidence.

Placeholder media

• Screenshot placeholder: add an annotated screenshot of use deposits and partial payments with private customer, payment, and workspace details blurred.
• Video placeholder: add a short walkthrough that shows the manual path, the Faster AI prompt, and the review step before anything goes live.

Related help

• Create a checkout link
• Create an offer with checkout
• Review Money activity for a customer