The easiest way to ask for a deposit is to make it part of the agreement, then show exactly what happens next. Put the total, the first payment, the due date and what that payment lets you begin in one short message, send it with the proposal and confirm the start date only after the money has landed. Below are a template you can copy, a checklist to run before you press send, a follow-up note, and the reconciliation step that is easy to skip. The trial checklist lists what to test if you want software to send the request for you.
This guide is about the words and the process. For deposit sizes and late-payment rules, read how to get clients to pay on time; for where the deposit sits inside the whole offer, read how to write a business proposal.
Why asking feels awkward (and what fixes it)
A deposit request feels awkward when it arrives as a surprise. The client has said yes to the work, the start date is floating, and then a payment demand shows up that nobody discussed. That can turn into a second negotiation, and it tends to land when the client’s doubts are at their highest.
The fix is timing and plainness. Raise the deposit while you discuss scope, say what the payment buys, and write the schedule into the same document as the price. You are explaining how the project starts. You are not apologizing for being paid.
Decide the amount before you write the request
Start with the work and costs you commit before the next payment, then pick the number. List them first: discovery, research and an initial concept round for a design job, or a supplier reservation for a larger one. Verify those costs instead of guessing at a round number.
The worked example in this guide is a $3,200 website copy project with an $800 deposit and a $2,400 balance. Eight hundred is twenty-five percent of thirty-two hundred. That arithmetic explains the example; it is illustrative and is not a standard or a recommended percentage. A short consultation and a production job with materials need very different first payments.
If the project is long, consider agreed milestone payments instead of leaving every remaining dollar until the end. Tie each payment to a recognizable moment: the start, an agreed review, the final delivery. Avoid a vague milestone such as “halfway done”. Name the deliverable or approval that triggers the payment.
| Project shape | What the first payment should cover | Balance trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Short consultation | The preparation time you commit before the session | Delivery of the report or session |
| Design or build project | Discovery, research and the first concept round | An agreed review, then delivery |
| Job with materials or suppliers | The verified supplier or booking costs plus first-phase work | Delivery or an agreed midpoint named by its deliverable |
| Long project | A first phase | Dated milestones, each tied to a named approval |
A deposit request email you can copy
Keep the price and the next step together so nobody has to hunt. Adapt the wording and the numbers.
Subject: Next step on the [project name] copy project: first payment of $800
Hi [Name],
Thanks for signing off on the proposal. Here is how the project starts. The total is $3,200. The first payment is $800, due by [date], and it covers the brand interviews and messaging outline. The other $2,400 is due when I deliver the final pages.
The scope and the schedule are in the proposal linked below. When the $800 is confirmed on my side, I will send you the kickoff date.
[Your name]
That message names the amount, the timing, the purpose and the action you want. If the date depends on payment, say so plainly; do not promise a fixed slot and quietly attach conditions later. Use a real date where you have one.
Give the payment request itself a description that identifies the project and says it is the first payment toward it, for example “First payment, [project name], website copy”. Avoid a bare line that only says “deposit”. The client should be able to connect it to the approved work.
Check the request before you send it
Run this list every time; a clear message still causes trouble if it goes to the wrong person.
- Right client, and the payment request goes to the person who pays.
- The amount matches what you agreed, to the dollar.
- The due date is a real date, not “soon”.
- The project description names the approved work.
- Cancellation and refund terms are in the agreement. Do not invent them inside a last-minute payment email; if the client questions a term, settle it before you start.
- Taxes: where they apply, check the correct treatment for your location and situation before you finalize the document.
- The agreed version is saved, so you have one clear record of scope, schedule and payments.
Three events, three states
Keep three things separate in your own process, because mixing them up is how projects start without money:
- Request configured and sent. Nobody has paid.
- Proposal accepted. The client agreed to the work and the schedule.
- Payment confirmed. The money shows in your records.
When a payment arrives, verify its status in your records before you mark the project step as ready. A screenshot of a payment instruction is not a confirmed payment.
Follow up without making a mess
If nothing has arrived, first check whether the client received the request and whether a question is holding it up. Then send a short note that repeats the project, the amount and the next step, and adds no new terms:
Hi [Name], a quick check that the $800 first-payment request for the website copy project reached you. Tell me if any part is unclear. Once the payment is confirmed on my side, I will send the start date.
A sensible order: agree the work, verify the first payment, then confirm the reserved start. If your schedule changes while you wait, say so and give the new availability. Do not silently keep a date you cannot deliver. Do not send several competing payment requests for the same deposit; find the existing record before you create another.
Carry the deposit into the balance
At reconciliation, start with the total. Subtract what is already paid. In the example, $3,200 minus $800 leaves $2,400. The client should be able to see how the first payment affects what remains, and your records should not count the same payment twice.
Before you ask for the balance, compare three numbers: the agreed price, the payments received and the amount remaining. Resolve any gap before you send.
If scope changes, agree the additional work and its price separately, then review the updated total and schedule together. Keep the original scope, the new request and the separate agreement visible. A deposit does not define unlimited work; for the wider habit, see how to stop scope creep.
Doing this in Workspace369
Our #1 pick is Workspace369. Per its pricing and feature pages (read October 22, 2026), the deposit pieces work like this:
- Deposit with the proposal. In the proposal settings, turn on Require deposit on accept to include a deposit in that proposal’s acceptance flow. Review the percentage and the calculated amount against the price you agreed, and check the client-facing request before you send. Configuring a request does not mean anyone has paid.
- Every plan. Proposals with deposit on acceptance, deposit and partial-payment tracking, invoices and payment links are on every plan, from Cadet at $29 a month billed monthly for one seat ($23.25 a month billed yearly, $278.99 a year). Card payment needs Stripe connected. Cadet through Commander start with a 14-day free trial; a card is required to start.
- Specialist and up. Payment plans in installments are on Specialist ($149 a month billed monthly, 10 seats), which suits a long project with several milestone payments. Specialist billed yearly is $119.25 a month ($1,430.99 a year).
- The signed agreement. Contracts with e-signature are on every plan, so the cancellation terms can live in a signed document rather than in an email.
Limits: the software sends and tracks the request, but it does not decide your amount, your terms or the tax treatment. See the Workspace369 pricing page and the proposals feature page for current details.
Next step: send your first request
Pick one live project, write the four lines (total, first payment, due date, what it lets you begin) and send them with the proposal. If you want the software to carry the deposit through to the invoice, compare plans on the Workspace369 pricing page. For what to do once the deposit is in, how to get clients to pay on time covers reminders and the balance invoice.
To run this on one real client, start the Workspace369 14-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask a client for a deposit politely?
Do it in writing, with the proposal, and keep it factual. Say the project total, the first payment, the due date and what the payment lets you begin. Treat it as part of how the project starts, not as a favor you are requesting.
How much deposit should I ask for?
Tie it to the work and costs you commit before the next payment, such as discovery or a supplier reservation, and verify those costs. The 25 percent in the worked example is arithmetic for illustration, not a recommended figure. For longer jobs, consider milestone payments instead.
Should the deposit request go in the proposal or a separate email?
Put it in the proposal so the price and the payment schedule arrive together, then use a short email to point at it. The email should repeat the amount and next step, not introduce new terms.
What if the client does not pay the deposit?
First check that they received the request and whether a question is blocking them. Send a short follow-up that repeats the project, the amount and the next step. Do not confirm the start until the payment is verified, and tell them if your availability changes.
Do I need a contract as well as a deposit request?
The deposit request states the payment; the agreement should hold the scope, the schedule and the cancellation and refund terms. Our guide on what to include in a freelance contract lists the clauses. For anything with legal or tax consequences, check your own situation.
How do I avoid counting the deposit twice?
Start with the agreed total, subtract the payments you have confirmed, and bill only the remainder. Use one record per payment and check it before you ask for the balance.
