Free web design deposit request template (PDF and Word).
Everything you need to ask a client for a deposit without apologising: terms that go in the proposal, a schedule that adds up, and emails with a date, an amount and a pay link.
Free, no email needed. 5 pages, in English. Updated .
What is inside the template
8 sections, in the order you use them, each with short guidance you delete before sending.
Deposit terms
A clause for your proposal: the amount or percentage, when it is due, the start date it books, and that work starts when it arrives. You choose whether the deposit pays for the first phase or is held and applied to the final invoice, and write down what is refunded if the project is cancelled before or after work starts.
Payment schedule
Two layouts with real dates: deposit and balance, or deposit, design approval and balance before launch. A total row, so you can check every payment adds up, and a line for when invoices are due.
The deposit request email
Sent the day the client says yes: the start date it books, the amount, the date it is due and the pay link in the email itself, not in an attachment. No “sorry” and no “whenever you get a chance”.
The deposit invoice email
One number, one date, one link, with the invoice number and due date in the subject line. The invoice itself carries a real due date and the way to pay.
The reminder
A short note the day after the due date, about the invoice only: the amount, the date it was due, and that the start date is held until it is paid.
Replies to three pushbacks
What to say to “Can I pay after the design?” (offer a split, not a discount), “Can you start now? I’ll pay Friday” (hold the kickoff call, start design when it lands) and “Is it refundable?” (point to the clause they agreed to).
Checklist before you send
Six checks: the terms are in the proposal, the amount, due date and start date are written down, the pay link is in the email, the refund rule is written, the payments add up, and the reminder is set.
Acceptance
A line for under your proposal’s signature block: choose a package, sign or type your name, and pay the deposit to book the start date.
Plus a filled-in example
The same deposit request for a fictional $4,800 website: a 50% deposit of $2,400 due within 3 business days, the balance before launch, the three emails written out and a three-payment split for a client who asks to pay later.
How to use it
- Download the PDF to read it, or the Word file to edit it. The Word file also opens in Google Docs and Pages.
- Paste the deposit terms into your proposal, so the client agrees to them before saying yes.
- Pick your percentage and dates, and check that the payment schedule adds up to the total.
- Send the request email the day the client accepts, and set the reminder for the day after the due date.
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Questions about the template
Is the web design deposit request template free?
Yes. Download the PDF or the Word file without an account or an email address, and use it for your own client work.
How much deposit should a web designer ask for?
There is no standard percentage; no professional body, including AIGA, sets one. Pick an amount that covers the time you book for the client, write it in the proposal and make sure the payments add up to the total.
Should a web design deposit be refundable?
Decide before you send the proposal and write it down. One approach is a full refund before work starts and a refund less the work done after that. Have the wording checked where you work.
Is this template legal advice?
No. It is general information. Have your deposit, refund and late-payment wording checked by someone qualified where you work.
When should I send the deposit request?
The same day the client says yes, while the decision is fresh. Give it a due date a few days out, name the start date it books, and put the pay link in the email.
What if the client wants to pay the deposit after the design?
Offer a split instead of a delay or a discount: part now, part at design approval and the rest before launch. Check the payments still add up to the total, and keep the start date tied to the first payment.
Should the deposit go toward the first or the last invoice?
Either works if it is written down. The template has both: the deposit pays for the first phase, or it is held and applied to the final invoice. Pick one before you send the proposal.