How to collect a freelance deposit without looking awkward

Asking for money before work starts is not rude. Starting a four-week rebuild on a handshake is. Clients who intend to pay are relieved when the terms are written down.

Thirty percent is the default because it covers kickoff without pretending the whole job is prepaid. Fifty percent is fine for short engagements. Ten percent is a reservation fee, not a deposit.

Do not attach a Stripe Payment Link to a rambling email. The amount on that link will drift from the quote (see Payment Link vs Greenlit). Put scope, VAT, and deposit on one page, and let them pay that exact amount. The sentence:

“Here is the offer. The job is reserved when the deposit on that page clears — I don’t open the files before then.”

If they need a purchase order first, the page still helps: it is the exhibit that matches the PO. If they never open the link, they were not buying. You found out in a day instead of three weeks.