Deposits
How do I get clients to pay a deposit before a photoshoot?
Short answer
Put the deposit in the agreement the client signs, issue its invoice the moment they sign, and make it payable from a link by card or bank debit. Say in the agreement that the date is held once the deposit is paid. In PaloWorks, an agreement with a payment plan issues and emails the deposit invoice when the client signs.
Free for 1 client, 3 active projects. No card to start. Updated by PaloWorks.
What to look for
The deposit is part of what they sign
A deposit asked for afterward feels optional. One in the signed agreement is a term.
In PaloWorks
Agreements carry a payment plan. The default is a deposit due on signature and the balance due on delivery, and you can change both.
The invoice goes out at signature
Every day between "yes" and an invoice is a day for second thoughts.
In PaloWorks
When the client signs, deposit invoices due on signature are issued and emailed to them. It is an invoice, not an automatic card charge.
Easy to pay
A Pay button is one step; bank details in a PDF are several.
In PaloWorks
Once you connect Stripe, each invoice has a Pay button for card (Apple Pay and Google Pay come through Stripe Checkout), plus bank debit for USD, EUR and GBP. Money goes to your own Stripe account.
A deposit even without a payment plan
Not every booking needs a full agreement.
In PaloWorks
On a project without an agreement, create a deposit invoice from the project as a percentage of the fee, then send it. If you use contracts, you can make the deposit wait for the signed contract.
How it works in PaloWorks
Step 1
Set the payment plan
In the agreement, set the deposit and when it is due. Signature is the usual trigger.
Step 2
Send the agreement
The client signs from the signing link emailed to them, with no account.
Step 3
The deposit invoice goes out
On signature, the deposit invoice is issued and emailed to the client's address on file.
Step 4
They pay from the link
By card or bank debit. The payment lands in your Stripe account.
When PaloWorks is the wrong pick
- If you need clients to pick and book a date in a calendar before anything else, use a scheduler. PaloWorks has no booking calendar.
- If you want the card charged automatically at signing, PaloWorks will not do that: it issues the invoice and the client pays it.
Comparing tools? Read PaloWorks compared, including what the others are better at.
Questions people ask
- How much should a photography deposit be?
- Set it to cover the date you turn other work away for. An agreement's payment plan starts with half the fee as the deposit, and you can change it on each agreement. Say in the agreement whether the deposit is refundable.
- Is the deposit charged automatically when they sign?
- No. Signing issues the deposit invoice and emails it. The client pays it from the link; nothing charges their card by itself.
- Where does the money go?
- To your own Stripe account. A plan-based platform fee applies to payments made through the Pay button, and Stripe's own fees are separate; see pricing.
- Can I deduct the deposit from the final invoice?
- Yes. With a payment plan, the deposit and the balance are separate invoices that add up to the fee, so the final invoice is the balance.