Every freelancer and small business eventually learns the same lesson: a client who has paid nothing can walk away at no cost, after you have booked the time, bought the materials or turned down other work. A deposit fixes that. It shows the client is committed and covers your costs if they are not. This guide covers how much to ask for, how to put it in writing, wording you can use, and how to get it paid at the moment the client says yes.
Why a deposit is reasonable
Clients understand deposits when they understand what they pay for. A deposit:
- Reserves your time. Booking a date or a block of weeks means turning other work down.
- Covers upfront costs. Materials, subcontractors, travel or licences bought for this client.
- Confirms commitment. A client who pays something is far less likely to vanish halfway through.
- Smooths cash flow. You are not financing the client's project out of your own pocket.
Framing it this way in your message helps: you are not asking for trust, you are explaining how you work.
How much to ask for
There is no single right figure. Common practice among freelancers and small businesses:
| Kind of work | Typical deposit |
|---|---|
| Short services, a few days | 25% to 50%, or the first milestone |
| Projects over several weeks | 30% to 50%, then milestones |
| Made-to-order goods or high material costs | 50% or more, enough to cover materials |
| Event dates, bookings, venues | A fixed booking fee, often non-refundable |
| Retainers | The first month in advance |
Pick a figure that covers what you would lose if the client cancelled after you started, and use the same rule for every client so it never feels personal.
Put it in the contract
A deposit mentioned only in an email is easy to dispute. Write it into the quote or contract the client signs:
- The amount, as a figure and a percentage: "GHS 10,440 (30%)".
- When it is due: on signing, or before work begins.
- What it covers, and whether it counts towards the total.
- What happens if the client cancels: for example, you keep the deposit to cover costs already incurred and refund the rest.
- The balance: when and how it is paid.
Our sales agreement template and guide to what to include in a sales agreement show deposit terms in context. Consumer protection laws can limit what you may keep if a consumer cancels, so check the rules where you work.
General information, not legal advice.
Wording you can copy
With a quote
Hi Efua, here's the quote for the kitchen refit. To book your start date of 3 November, I take a 30% deposit when you sign, with the balance on completion. You can pay the deposit by card or mobile money as part of signing.
With a design or consulting project
Hi Kofi, the proposal is ready. I work with a 50% deposit to reserve the time, and the remaining 50% on delivery. Once it's signed and the deposit is in, I'll send over the kick-off questionnaire.
When the client hesitates
Totally understand. The deposit covers the time I set aside and the materials I order for you, so I can't hold the date without it. It counts towards the total, and the contract sets out exactly what happens if plans change.
Keep it short, attach no conditions you haven't written into the contract, and give a reason once. For more on wording that gets documents signed, see how to request an e-signature by email.
Collect it when the client signs
The weakest point in the process is the gap between "yes" and "paid". A client signs on Friday, the invoice goes out Monday, the payment arrives "next week". Closing that gap is the single biggest improvement you can make.
The cleanest way is to take the deposit as part of signing. With Salsox's Sign & Pay, on the Business plan, the client signs the contract and pays the deposit in the same step, on their phone, before they close the page. Payments go through Stripe for cards and Paystack for cards and, where Paystack supports it, mobile money, and are paid to your own account. The signed contract and the payment are recorded together, so there is no separate invoice to chase. See Sign & Pay for how it works.
If you collect payment separately, send the payment details in the same message as the signing link, and don't book the work until the deposit has cleared.
When a client won't pay the deposit
- Restate the terms once, politely, with the reason.
- Offer a smaller first milestone instead of lowering the deposit for this client alone.
- Don't start without it. Work started without a deposit is the work most likely to go unpaid.
A client who refuses any deposit at all is telling you something about how the rest of the project will go.
Get your next deposit paid at signing
Create a free account to send quotes and contracts for signature; Sign & Pay, signing order and the sealed certificate are on the Business plan, on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How much deposit should I ask a client for?
Enough to cover your costs and commitment if the client walks away. Many freelancers and small businesses ask for a quarter to a half of the price, and more for made-to-order work with high material costs.
Is it unprofessional to ask for a deposit?
No. Deposits are standard for custom, scheduled or material-heavy work. Asking for one, with clear terms, signals that you run a professional business and commit time to each client.
Should a deposit be refundable?
Say so in the contract either way. A common approach keeps the deposit to cover costs already incurred if the client cancels. Consumer protection laws may limit what you can keep, so check the rules where you work.
When should the client pay the deposit?
When they sign the contract or accept the quote. Paying at signing means the agreement and the commitment arrive together, and you don't start or book work on a promise.