Balance Deposits for jewellers
A bespoke ring ties up a stone and a week of bench time before the customer has paid for either. A deposit at checkout and an automatic balance fixes both.
The usual plan
Bespoke work is normally 50% on order and 50% on completion, so the deposit covers the stone and metal. For engagement pieces where the customer wants to spread the cost, a smaller deposit followed by three to six monthly instalments is common. Balance Due supports both: one plan for 'balance when ready' on commissions, another with instalments on higher-ticket ready-made pieces.
Example: £3,000 platinum solitaire, 20% deposit then 4 monthly instalments. £600 at checkout, £600 a month for four months, ring stays with you until the last payment clears.
Keeping the piece until paid
The fulfilment hold makes the rule impossible to forget: the order cannot be marked fulfilled until the balance is in. When the last instalment clears you get it in the morning digest as ready to fulfil and can book the insured shipment.
Sizing and changes
Resizing or upgrading the stone changes the price. Edit the order in Shopify and the balance adjusts; a price cut reduces the last instalment, a price rise adds an extra line to the schedule with the difference.
Consumer law and deposits
Bespoke goods are usually exempt from the 14-day cancellation right in the UK, but you must say so before the customer buys. Put the deposit terms in the product description and your policy page, and let Balance Due repeat them under every payment message.
Questions
Can a customer pay the rest early?
Yes, from the pay now button on their payment page. All remaining instalments are taken as one payment and the hold is released.
Do instalments cost the customer anything?
No. There is no interest or fee; the price is the product price. Balance Due is not a credit product.
What happens if a card is declined mid-plan?
That instalment is retried after 1, 3 and 7 days with a pay link each time, and later instalments stay on schedule.
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.