Balance 
Who it's for
Deposits make sense wherever the customer commits before the work or the stock exists. Pick your trade for the usual plan, the policy wording and the questions that come up.
Furniture makers
Deposit on order, balance when the piece is ready, nothing leaves the workshop unpaid.
Upholsterers
Fabric is cut to order and cannot go back: the deposit covers it before you order a metre.
Jewellers
Bespoke and engagement pieces: the deposit covers the stone, the balance lands on completion.
Bridal shops
Dresses ordered months ahead: deposit at order, balance before the fitting.
Bike shops
Custom builds and pre-order frames: deposit to secure it, balance when it lands.
Art commissions
Commission deposits, balance on completion, a schedule the client can see.
Stonemasons and memorials
Memorials wait months for the ground to settle: a deposit at order, the balance when it is fixed.
Marquee and event hire
The deposit holds the date, the balance lands before the van is loaded.
Bespoke tailoring
Cloth is cut to one person: the deposit covers it, the balance comes at the final fitting.
Garden rooms and outbuildings
Five-figure jobs with a survey, a base and an install date: deposit now, balance before the build.
Luthiers and instrument makers
Waiting lists measured in years: the deposit holds the slot, the balance comes at completion.
Kitchens and joinery
Bigger jobs: deposit on order, balance collected before the fitting date.
What the trades have in common
Twelve businesses, one shape of problem.
Lower for pre-orders that can be resold, higher where materials are cut to one customer.
A number of days after the order, an exact date, or when you mark the order ready.
Most trades run one or two plans: one for bespoke work and a lighter one for the rest.
In every one of these trades the money is committed before the customer has paid in full: timber is bought, fabric is cut, a stone is sourced, a date is held. The deposit covers that commitment and the balance is collected when the work is done, without anybody chasing it.
Choosing the balance rule
The page for each trade goes into detail, but the choice usually comes down to this.
Not on the list? If your customers commit before the work is done, the same plan fits. Tell us what you sell and we will suggest a deposit and a rule.
| If the finish date is | Use | Trades |
|---|---|---|
| Unknowable until the work is done | When the order is ready | Furniture, upholstery, jewellery, tailoring, instruments, memorials, art |
| Known weeks or months ahead | Exact date | Bridal seasons, pre-order drops, event hire, garden room installs |
| A fixed gap after the order | A number of days after the order | Bridal gowns, stock reserved for a short while |
Questions
My trade is not listed. Will it still work?
Almost certainly. Balance Due is a deposit at checkout and a balance collected later, which fits anything made, ordered or booked ahead. The trade pages exist to show the usual percentages and rules, not to limit who can use it.
Can I run different deposits for different products?
Yes. A plan carries one deposit and one rule, and a product carries one plan, so bespoke work and lighter jobs sit on separate plans attached to separate products.
Do the trade pages assume Shopify Plus?
No. Everything described works on Basic, Shopify and Advanced as well as Plus.
Not on the list?
If your customers commit before the work is done, Balance Due fits. Tell us what you sell and we will suggest a plan.