Balance Deposits for bridal shops
The dress is ordered from the designer in March and collected in August. A deposit at order and a balance charged a fixed number of days later keeps cash flow and customers calm.
The usual plan
Boutiques typically take 50% at order to cover the designer's invoice and the balance six to eight weeks before collection or the final fitting. In Balance Due that is a 50% deposit with the balance due a set number of days after the order, or an exact date if you run a season. Customers who prefer to spread it can be offered an instalment plan instead.
Example: £1,800 gown ordered 1 March, 50% deposit, balance 120 days later. £900 at checkout, £900 charged on 29 June, reminder on 26 June.
Reminders that do not feel like chasing
Brides are planning a hundred things. A reminder three days before with the amount and the date, and a receipt the moment it clears, is what they want; a phone call about money is not. If the card has changed, the failed-payment email gives them a pay link to use the new one without calling the shop.
Alterations and add-ons
Veils, alterations and accessories are usually added later. Edit the Shopify order and Balance Due adds the difference to the balance; if the alteration is a separate order, sell it as a normal product without a deposit plan.
Non-refundable deposits
Say it plainly before checkout and on the order confirmation: the deposit is non-refundable once the dress is ordered from the designer. Balance Due carries your policy text on every payment message.
Questions
Can I set the balance date per order?
The plan sets the default and you can move any payment from the order, so a bride with an earlier wedding gets an earlier balance date.
What if the wedding is cancelled?
Cancel the plan from the order or cancel the order in Shopify; Balance Due stops collecting. Refunds of the deposit are your policy and handled in Shopify.
We sell in store too. Can POS orders use it?
Not yet. Balance Due handles online orders. For in-store deposits use Shopify's own draft order or POS partial payment features.
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.