The problem with a big deposit
A 50% or 60% deposit moves most of the risk to the client on day one, before anything has been proven. It also removes the agency's own incentive to move quickly, because the money is already in.
The most common complaint about agencies is not bad code. It is silence after the deposit.
What 30% actually buys
Thirty percent covers the written scope and the first milestone — which means the first working thing you see arrives before most of the money does, and the rest of our payment depends on it.
The rest is triggered by demos rather than dates. A date can slip quietly; a demo either exists on Friday or it does not.
- 30% upfront, and nothing more until a working milestone.
- A demo video every Friday, including the weeks that went badly.
- Scope changes get a written mini-quote before any work happens.
- The final payment comes after you test and approve the build.
What we ask in return
A named person on your side who can make decisions, and a reply within a working day when we are blocked. Most delays in software are not engineering delays.