How to ask a client for a 50% deposit (with wording you can copy)

Updated November 4, 2026

If you edit videos, make UGC, design or write for clients, you've probably finished a project and then waited weeks to get paid, or not been paid at all. Asking for 50% up front is the simplest protection there is. This guide covers why it's normal, when to bring it up, and exact wording you can paste into a quote, an email or a DM.

Why a deposit is normal (and why clients usually accept it)

Deposits are standard in plenty of trades: builders, photographers, wedding vendors and agencies all ask for money before they start. Freelancers often feel awkward about it because they're a one-person business, but the logic is the same:

It reserves your time. When you book a project, you're turning down other work for those days. The deposit pays for that commitment.
It filters out clients who weren't going to pay. A client who won't pay anything up front is telling you something useful before you've spent a week on their footage.
It halves your risk. If a project is cancelled or the client disappears, you've covered at least part of the work.
It shows the client you're running a business. Clear terms read as professional, not pushy.

Serious clients expect terms. The ones who object strongly to a reasonable deposit are often the same ones who pay late.

When to ask: in the quote, not after you've started

The easiest time to ask for a deposit is when you first talk about price. Bring it up in the same message as your rate, so it's simply part of the deal. Asking after you've already started work feels like changing the terms, and it's much harder.

A simple structure works for most projects:

50% to start, paid before you begin or before you book the dates.
50% on delivery, due when you send the final files (or within a few days of it).
For long projects, split it further: 50% to start, 25% at a midpoint, 25% on delivery.

Wording for your quote or proposal

Put this as its own short section, just under the price, so nobody can miss it:

Payment terms50% of the total ([$amount]) is due before work begins and reserves your dates. The remaining 50% ([$amount]) is due on delivery of the final files. Work starts once the deposit is received.

For UGC packages, where you might deliver several videos in one batch:

Payment terms50% up front to confirm the order and start filming. The remaining 50% is due when the videos are delivered. Raw footage and usage rights are released on final payment.

Wording for an email

When the client says yes to the quote, send the deposit request straight away, while they're keen:

Subject: Booking [project] — 50% deposit to startHi [Client name], Great, I'm looking forward to this. To lock in the dates, here's the 50% deposit: Deposit: [$amount] (of [$total] total) Pay here: [payment link] As soon as it's in, I'll start on [first step, e.g. "the first cut"] and you'll have it by [date]. The other 50% is due when I deliver the final files. Thanks, [Your name]

Wording for a DM (Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp)

A lot of creator work is agreed in DMs. Keep the same terms, just shorter:

DMSounds good! My rate for [3 videos] is [$total]. I take 50% up front to book it in and the rest when you get the final videos. Here's the deposit link when you're ready: [payment link]. I can start [day] once it's in.

If the client pushes back

Most pushback is a question, not a refusal. A few calm responses you can adapt:

"We never pay up front."Totally understand. A lot of my clients work the same way for big vendors. For freelance projects I keep a 50% deposit because it reserves time I'd otherwise book with someone else. If it helps, I can split it so the first payment is smaller, or start with a short paid test.

"Can we just pay at the end?"For a first project together I do need the deposit to get started. Once we've worked together a couple of times I'm happy to look at different terms.

"Our finance team pays net 30."No problem. Could the deposit go through as a separate invoice now, with the balance on your usual net 30 terms after delivery? That way I can book the dates.

Offering a smaller first payment (25–30%) or a short paid test project is a reasonable compromise. Working for nothing up front with a new client isn't.

Making the deposit easy to pay

The biggest reason a deposit doesn't arrive quickly is friction. Help the client get it done in one click:

Send a payment link (Stripe, PayPal, Wise or whatever you use), not just bank details in a PDF.
Say exactly how much and what it's for, in the first line.
Say what happens next once it's paid, and when. "I'll start Monday" is motivating.
Follow up if it doesn't arrive. A short, friendly reminder after a couple of days is fine. If you need wording, see our overdue invoice email templates.

Don't start until it's in

This is the part that actually protects you. If you say work starts once the deposit is received, stick to it. Starting "just to get ahead" teaches the client that the deposit is optional, and puts you back where you started.

A ready-made "Pay 50% to start" page

If you'd rather not write this from scratch every time, Invoice Follow-Up Co. gives you a clean page that says "Pay 50% to start", shows the deposit and the total, and links to your own payment link. It never touches the money. If the client goes quiet, it sends polite, then firmer reminders on the due date and 3, 7 and 14 days later, and stops when you mark it paid. You can see exactly what your client would get in the demo, no signup needed.

Want these sent for you? Invoice Follow-Up Co. makes a "Pay 50% to start" page with your own payment link, then sends due-date, 3, 7 and 14-day reminders until you mark it paid.

See the demo (no signup)

Start free — first 5 invoices free