How much deposit should a freelancer ask for?

Why ask for a deposit at all

• It confirms the booking. A client who pays is a client who is serious.
• It protects your time. If the job is cancelled, the time you held for it isn't lost.
• It covers your costs. Equipment hire, stock, travel and subcontractors are paid before you deliver.
• It reduces the risk of not being paid at all. The larger the job, the more this matters.

Common payment schedules

Put it on the quote, not in an email

The schedule should be part of what the client accepts, with the amount for each payment written out. For example:

Also say what the deposit means: "The booking is confirmed when the deposit is received" and what happens if the client cancels. Check what rules apply in your country if you call it non-refundable.

The free quote generator adds a payment schedule like this to any quote and works out each amount.

How to word it

Keep it matter-of-fact. Clients who work with freelancers are used to it.

When a client says no

• Offer a smaller deposit, such as 30%, rather than none.
• Split the job into a small paid first stage, like a discovery call or a first draft.
• For large companies with fixed payment terms, agree on staged invoices instead, so you're never owed for the whole job at once.
• If a new client refuses any upfront payment for a large job, treat it as information about how paying them will go.

Make each stage its own invoice

Each payment should be its own invoice with its own due date, so it's clear what's paid and what's still owed. In Kanvo, the payment schedule is part of the quote your client accepts online, and each stage becomes an invoice when it's due.