Imagine you run a custom furniture shop. When a customer orders a unique table, you ask for a 30% as a partial payment. This upfront payment covers the wood cost and shows the customer is serious.
This partial payment in advance helps you plan your work without worrying about last-minute cancellations.
So, with the deposit in hand, you confidently start crafting the table, knowing both you and your customer are committed to seeing it come to life. This approach keeps your business running smoothly and builds trust with your customers, making sure everyone’s on the same page from start to finish.
In this article, we’ll gain an understanding of deposit payments, explore the services for which you can ask for a deposit, and discuss 4 ways of taking deposit payments with the Stripe partial payment solution for WordPress sites – WP Full Pay.
What are Deposit Payments?
When you sell a product or service, or book an appointment, asking for a deposit payment upfront is like getting a promise from your customer. This partial payment that your customer pays in advance secures the deal. It means your customer is serious about going through with the purchase or showing up for the service.
You use deposit payments as a sign of commitment from the buyer. It reassures you that they plan to complete the purchase or keep their appointment.
This practice pops up everywhere, from booking services to buying big-ticket items or custom-made goods. The size of the deposit depends on what’s being bought and the deal you’ve made with your buyer.
Sometimes, this deposit can be given back under certain conditions, but other times, it’s not refundable after a set period has passed.
Deposits aren’t just about making sales smoother; they also have a role in taxes. Specifically, when you’re dealing with employment taxes, including the federal unemployment tax, there are rules from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) you need to follow. This is a crucial part of staying in line with tax laws and handling the financial side of employing people correctly.
When Should You Ask for Deposit Payments?
Asking for deposit payments is a strategic move to protect your business interest and secure your clients’ commitment. Here are scenarios where taking partial payments is particularly beneficial:
Booking Appointment
If you’re running a business like a salon, a healthcare practice, or a consultancy firm, asking for a partial payment in advance at the time of booking can significantly cut down on no-shows. This ensures that your valuable time slots are filled by clients who are genuinely interested and committed to keeping their appointment.
High Value Products or Services
For businesses dealing in luxury items, high-end electronics, or offering premium services like consulting or professional services, requesting a deposit is crucial. It acts as a safeguard against potential losses and ensures that you are dealing with serious inquiries. This partial payment from customers confirms their interest and protects your investment in time and resources.
For Web3 investors, blockchain technology can add another layer of security, allowing deposits to be held in escrow and released based on predetermined conditions.
You might also like to read: how to sell products or services on WordPress without installing WooCommerce.
Custom Made Products for Pre-Order
In cases where you’re offering custom-made products available for pre-order, such as in the fashion, jewelry, or artisan crafts industries, asking for a deposit is key. It not only secures the customer’s commitment but also helps cover the initial costs of production.
Getting payment in advance is particularly important for custom orders, where each item is made to meet specific customer requirements and preferences, ensuring that you’re not left covering these unique production expenses on your own.
Events
When organizing large-scale events like weddings, conferences, or special celebrations, the planning process often involves significant upfront costs. By asking for a deposit from your clients, you can cover these initial expenses, ensuring that your clients are truly committed to going forward with the event.
This practice helps in managing your budget more effectively and provides a level of financial security as you prepare for the event.
Rental Services
For businesses in the rental industry—whether it’s car rentals, vacation properties, or equipment rentals—requesting a deposit is standard practice. This deposit serves as a safeguard against potential damages or losses during the rental period.
It offers protection for your assets and encourages customers to use your property or equipment responsibly. This way, you’re not only securing your inventory but also promoting accountability among your clients.
Consulting
If you’re offering consulting or professional services, it’s wise to request a deposit as a commitment fee from your clients before starting any work. This step ensures that your client is genuinely interested in availing your services and is ready to engage with you seriously.
Additionally, it helps cover any initial expenses related to the project, setting a professional tone for the engagement and safeguarding your time and resources.
Long-term Projects
When it comes to managing long-term projects, such as construction, renovations, or software development, which often require significant upfront investments, asking for a deposit becomes crucial.
Collecting partial payments not only secures a part of your project’s financial needs early on but also confirms the client’s commitment to the project. By doing so, you ensure a smoother cash flow, which is vital for covering initial costs and maintaining financial stability throughout the project’s duration.
How to set up a deposit payment form on WordPress?
To receive deposits on your wordpress site, you need to use a payment plugin like WP Full Pay.
With WP Full Pay, you can collect partial payments in 4 ways.
- Subscription model
- Manual invoicing with ‘Save card’ payment form
- Manual invoicing with one-time payment form
- Authorize but don’t capture
Learn how to integrate Stripe with WordPress.
#1 Receiving Initial Payments with Subscription Forms
Subscriptions forms are used for accepting recurring payments on a regular basis. But you can tweak this by adding an initial deposit followed by smaller payments. This is a good great for products or services that need more money upfront.
To set this up:
- Start with a bigger first payment: This acts as your deposit, covering initial costs.
- Lower the payments after that: The rest of the payments are smaller, making it easier for customers to continue their subscription.
This way, you get the upfront cost covered and make it simple for your customers to keep enjoying your service or product.
Refer to the support article to learn more about how to create a subscription form.
#2 Taking deposits with manual invoicing with “Save Card” form
By using WP Full Pay’s ‘Save Card’ form, you can securely save customers’ card details and initiate deposit. This sets the stage for the second part of the payment process – manual invoicing.
Here is how it works:
- Use WP Full Pay’s ‘Save Card’ form to securely store your customer’s card details right at the beginning.
- With the card details saved, you then initiate the deposit, making the start of the payment process smooth and secure.
- This setup paves the way for the second part of the payment process, which involves manual invoicing when it’s time for the subsequent payment.
Refer to the support articles to learn more about how to create a save card form and Stripe invoice.
#3 Receiving Deposits with Manual Invoicing with One-time Payment Form
WP Full Pay’s one-time payment forms are perfect for single transactions, like when a customer buys a product or service and pays just once. But you can also use these forms cleverly to handle initial deposits.
Here’s how to do it:
- First, set up the one-time payment form for the specific amount you need as a deposit for a product or service. This ensures the transaction happens once without setting up a recurring payment.
- Once you’ve collected the deposit, you’re ready to handle the balance. You can manually create and send an invoice for the remaining amount using the Stripe dashboard.
- This approach lets you securely gather a deposit upfront, giving you the flexibility to adjust the final payment based on the specific agreement or conditions of the sale or service.
Using WP Full Pay in this manner ensures you get the initial funds securely, with the freedom to tailor the final charge as needed.
Refer to the linked articles to learn more about how to create one-time payment form and Stripe invoice.
#4 Authorization Without Capture for Deposits
The ‘authorization without capture’ method is an effective way to manage deposits. Stripe’s feature allows you to put a hold on the deposit amount on a customer’s card without immediately charging it.
- When a customer commits to a service, you authorize their card for the needed deposit amount. This action reserves the funds without deducting them from the customer’s account.
- The deposit amount is held but not taken from the customer’s account, ensuring the funds are available if needed.
- Once the service is fulfilled or the product is returned in satisfactory condition, you can capture the payment. Alternatively, if no further charges are needed, you simply release the hold.
This method is particularly useful for transactions where you might only need to capture the deposit under certain conditions.
To Set Up ‘Authorization without Capture’ in Stripe, follow these steps:
- Log into your Stripe account: Access the dashboard to begin.
- Navigate to ‘Payments’: Here, you’ll start creating a new PaymentIntent.
- Choose ‘Manual’ capture method: When setting up the PaymentIntent, selecting ‘Manual’ capture tells Stripe to authorize the payment without immediate capture.
- Process the deposit: The customer’s card is processed for the deposit amount, holding the funds without withdrawing them.
Should you need to capture the deposit, you can do so before the authorization period ends, typically 7 days. If the funds are not needed, the hold is automatically released, making this approach flexible and secure for both parties.
How to set up partial payments for invoices in Stripe?
Setting up partial payments for invoices in Stripe is a great way to allow flexibility for your customers.
1. Enable Payment Schedules (Partial Payments) on Stripe
Stripe allows partial payments through a feature called Payment Schedules. Here’s how to enable and set up partial payments for invoices:
Steps:
- Log into your Stripe Dashboard. Go to dashboard.stripe.com and log in with your credentials.
- Navigate to the “Billing” section: In the left-hand menu, click on “Billing”, then select “Invoices”.
- Create a new invoice: Click on “Create invoice” in the top-right corner. Fill in the necessary details like the customer information, product, and services.
- Enable partial payment: When you reach the “Payment Options” section, look for an option called “Payment Schedule” or “Partial Payments” (it may differ based on your Stripe setup and region). You can then specify the amount or percentage of the total that the customer needs to pay initially.For example, you can set it up so that the customer pays a 50% deposit and the remaining 50% by a later date.
- Set up payment terms: If you want to create an automatic payment schedule, you can define the number of installments and their due dates. This will split the payment and send automatic reminders to the customer for the remaining balance.
- Save and send the invoice: Once you’ve set the terms for partial payments, click “Save”. Review the invoice and click “Send” to email it to your customer. Stripe will automatically process payments according to the terms you’ve set.
2. Tracking partial payments
Once the customer makes the partial payment, Stripe will automatically track the payment and show the balance due on the invoice. You can monitor the payments directly from the Invoices section in the dashboard.
3. Collecting the remaining balance
When the remaining balance is due, Stripe will either:
- Automatically charge the customer if you’ve enabled automatic payments, or
- Send a payment reminder to the customer when the due date is approaching.
4. Optional: API Integration
If you prefer to handle this programmatically (for custom apps), you can use Stripe’s API to create invoices and set up payment schedules. This would allow you to automate the entire partial payment process through your own system.
Useful resources:
By following these steps, you’ll allow your customers to make partial payments with ease!
You might also like to read our blog about: Strive invoicing
How to ask for deposit payment?
Asking for a deposit should be clear and easy for your customers. Here’s how you can do it:
- Be clear: Explain why the deposit is needed. For example, to cover upfront costs or to hold their spot.
- Set payment terms: Let customers know when the deposit is due, how much they need to pay, and if it’s refundable or not.
- Offer easy payment options: Make it simple for them to pay by offering multiple options like credit cards or PayPal. On your WordPress site, use WP Full Pay to handle Stripe payments.
- Use a friendly tone: Whether in person or via email, be polite but firm. For example:”To begin your custom order, we require a [percentage]% deposit to cover costs. Please complete the payment by [due date] using the link below.”
By being clear and offering easy payment options, you’ll make the process smooth for both you and your customer.
Deposit payment request email examples
Here are a few email examples for asking for a deposit payment professionally and clearly:
1. Straightforward email or message request
Be clear about the amount and the purpose of the deposit, and offer convenient ways to pay. Here’s a sample:
Subject: Deposit Payment for [Project Name]
Hi [Client’s Name]
I hope you’re doing well! As we’re about to begin work on [specific project], I wanted to remind you about the deposit payment we discussed. A deposit of [amount or percentage] is needed to secure your booking and get started.
Please make the payment by [due date] through [payment method]. If you have any questions or need help, just let me know!
Looking forward to working together!
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
2. Payment request along with invoice
If you’re sending an invoice, you can mention the deposit in the invoice message:
Subject: Deposit Invoice for [Project Name]
Dear [Client’s Name],
Please find attached the invoice for the deposit of [amount] for [service/project].
As per our agreement, the deposit of [percentage] is required to begin the project. Kindly make the payment by [due date] to confirm your booking. We appreciate your prompt attention to this and look forward to working together.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
3. Gentle reminder for deposit payment
If the deposit is overdue, you can send a polite reminder:
Subject: Friendly Reminder: Deposit Payment Due
Hi [Client’s Name],
I hope all is well. I wanted to kindly remind you that the deposit of [amount] for [project] is now due.
Once we receive the deposit, we’ll be able to move forward as planned. If there’s anything you need to assist with the payment process, feel free to let me know. I appreciate your prompt attention to this.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]