Freelance deposits: agree the amount and a clear starting point.

Define what your deposit commits you to.

A deposit is part of the project price, paid before the service is fully completed. It is deducted from the final amount. Your quote should make its role easy to identify: preparation, design, production or reserving a period of work, depending on the terms you agree.

Name the payment in the agreement

Write “deposit towards the service described in quote [reference]”, followed by the amount and due date. A line labelled only “reservation” leaves essential questions open: is it a payment towards the price, a separate service already performed or an agreed way to cancel? The label should match the arrangement the client accepts.

A French acompte belongs to a reciprocal commitment: the client pays under the agreement and you deliver the promised service. Receiving it does not, by itself, insure you against extra requests, an overdue balance or a dispute about the deliverables.

Understand the French distinction between acompte and arrhes

Under French consumer law, an advance is generally treated as arrhes unless the contract says otherwise. Within that framework, the consumer can withdraw by losing the payment and the professional by returning twice its amount. This rule concerns professional-to-consumer contracts within its scope; it should not automatically be extended to contracts between businesses.

The legislation also has exceptions, including special orders based on a quote. A bespoke project therefore needs an appropriate reading of the rules. For a business client, specify the nature of the payment, both parties’ commitments and the consequences of stopping in the contract, rather than importing a rule written for a consumer purchase.

Base the amount on the work you commit to.

Start by estimating what you commit before the next payment: preparation days, project-specific purchases, any subcontractor and reserved capacity. Include the time you would work before receiving another payment. You can then propose an amount whose purpose you can explain to the client.

Assess the first phase of the project

For a short assignment, full payment before starting can be a commercial option. For a longer project, a deposit followed by clearly defined payments can spread the commitment. A returning client, an uncertain scope and substantial upfront costs do not necessarily call for the same arrangement.

There is no general rule imposing a 30% deposit on every freelance project. A percentage alone does not show whether your first phase is covered. On a €500 project, 30% is €150; on a €10,000 project, it is €3,000. Compare the actual amount with the work you commit, then discuss it before the quote is accepted.

Read an example with and without VAT

Consider a fictional service priced at €2,000 excluding VAT, subject, in this example only, to 20% VAT. The total is €2,400 including VAT and the chosen deposit represents 40% of the project.

The €960 deposit and €1,440 balance, both including VAT, total €2,400 including VAT. The 20% rate and 40% deposit are teaching assumptions, so check the actual rate and VAT regime applicable to your service.

State the starting condition in the quote.

Present the deposit alongside the project price. The client should be able to decide with both payments and their due dates in view, before signing and asking you to start production. Also check who accepts the quote and who actually processes the invoice; they may be different people.

Separate acceptance, payment and the start of work

An accepted quote can bind the parties before the deposit is paid. If you want production to depend on receiving it, write that condition into the agreement. Explain what happens if the payment arrives after the intended date: for example, a new slot to confirm, rather than a starting promise you can no longer meet.

Adapt this wording for a business-to-business project

This block helps you prepare a payment clause alongside the rest of your agreement. Complete the fields and have the consequences of postponement or cancellation adapted to your situation.

Connect the quote, payment request and invoice to the same reference. Pay particular attention to dates: “on order”, “on receipt” and “before production” should result in an understandable payment date and next action, rather than several competing interpretations.

If you choose to fund a whole fixed-price project before production, Dealokr connects those steps: you define the scope, price and deliverables, then the client signs the agreement and pays 100% through Stripe Connect. The agreement and payment status sit in the same project, giving you a shared reference for confirming the start.

Connect the invoice to the payment actually received.

In the usual case of a service between businesses in France, receiving a deposit requires a deposit invoice. An accepted quote and a bank transfer confirmation do not replace that document. Use your invoicing system to keep numbering and payment tracking consistent.

Prepare a document the client can match to the quote

Identify the parties, relevant quote, service, dates, deposit amount and applicable VAT or exemption. Add the information required for your business and customer type. These are useful checks, rather than an exhaustive invoice template that would be compliant in every situation.

You can prepare the document to request payment. When the money arrives, record the amount actually received and its date, then match them to the invoice. If the payment is incomplete or its reference is missing, resolve the difference before treating your starting condition as fulfilled.

Distinguish VAT on receipts from the option for VAT on debits

For a taxable French service under the usual receipts-based regime, VAT generally becomes due when the deposit is received, on the amount received. You therefore do not postpone all VAT until final delivery simply because the assignment is still in progress.

An option for VAT on debits can bring that point forward, generally to invoicing. It cannot postpone VAT beyond an advance already collected. Confirm the treatment of your transaction, particularly if it involves an overseas customer, a reverse charge or a special regime.

Adjust the example if the French VAT exemption applies

If you benefit from the French franchise en base de TVA, do not add the example’s 20% VAT. For an agreed price of €2,000 without VAT, 40% gives a deposit of €800 and a balance of €1,200. The invoice must carry the applicable exemption wording, for example “TVA non applicable, art. 293 B du CGI” where that legal basis applies.

Agree what happens when the project changes.

If the deposit does not arrive, return to the accepted quote and payment date. Ask when payment will be made, identify missing information and confirm the schedule still available. Avoid quietly starting the first phase when your own agreement says work begins after payment; it makes your process harder for the client to understand.

Document a postponement or an early stop

When a client wants to postpone, record the work already completed, costs incurred and new availability. Confirm in writing how the payment and remaining balance will be treated. If the scope changes, price the request before treating it as a free continuation of the original order.

A deposit does not automatically become “non-refundable” because those words appear in a message. On cancellation, the amounts due, retained or returned depend on the agreement, work performed, reason for stopping and applicable rights. Consumer customers may also have withdrawal rights that need to be considered.

Discuss the arrangement before the order, then examine the facts if a problem arises. A general clause does not, by itself, settle a failure to perform, a dispute about the service or a statutory right to a refund.

Keep the level of protection clear

The deposit reduces the work you undertake before receiving a first payment; it does not guarantee the remaining balance. Final files, external access and usage rights also need handoff conditions consistent with the agreement and the actual delivery method you use.

In that Dealokr workflow, the client’s full payment remains pending through Stripe Connect while you prepare the work. The client reviews a preview and can request agreed revisions. You then trigger the transfer under the project conditions; its confirmation opens final files hosted in Dealokr. The client can therefore review the result before that handoff, while bank arrival remains a separate stage.

Six answers before you send the request.

Should I always request a 30% deposit?

No. Begin with the work and costs committed before the next payment, then propose an amount both parties can accept. If you use a percentage, state the actual payment and the basis of the calculation too. The client should be able to check the figure without rebuilding the whole quote.

What can I offer if the client refuses a deposit?

Ask what is blocking it: purchasing procedures, a missing invoice or disagreement about risk. A smaller, paid first phase can sometimes help both sides start with a limited commitment. Agree any new arrangement before reserving the work, because it changes the project and its schedule.

Can I start with a screenshot of a bank transfer?

A screenshot shows information provided by the client. If your agreement says work starts after receipt, verify the payment through the agreed payment channel. Distinguish a request sent, a payment initiated and funds received, then confirm the next step to the client.

Can a signed quote still bind us without the deposit?

An accepted quote can already form a commitment. Missing payment does not automatically mean that the contract has disappeared or either side can ignore its obligations. Read the starting condition and agreed process for non-payment before announcing a postponement or cancellation.

Does French micro-entrepreneur status mean no VAT?

Not necessarily. The micro-business regime and the French VAT exemption are separate issues. A micro-business can become liable for VAT or elect to charge it. Check your current position with your tax office or adviser instead of reusing an old invoice without checking its treatment.

How do I deduct the deposit from the final invoice?

Show the total service price, deposits already invoiced and amount still payable, with their references and appropriate VAT treatment. In our taxable example, €2,400 including VAT minus €960 including VAT leaves €1,440 including VAT. The invoice and your payment record should show the same remaining balance.