Balance Partial payments on Shopify: deposits, instalments, pay links and BNPL
Partial payment on Shopify means four different things. Picking the right one is most of the decision.
In short: Shopify stores can take partial payments in four ways: a deposit with the balance charged later, instalments of the balance, a pay link for the balance, or buy now, pay later. With the first three you collect the rest yourself; with BNPL a lender pays you in full at checkout and the customer repays the lender.
Deposit, then balance
The customer pays part at checkout and the rest later, usually when the item is ready. The card is saved by Shopify (on Shopify Payments or PayPal Express) and the balance is charged automatically. This is for made-to-order, commissions and pre-orders: anything where you commit resources before the customer has paid in full. It is what Balance Due is built around, and it works on every Shopify plan.
Instalments
The same deposit, with the balance split into a schedule of equal payments. You carry the credit, there is no lender, and you are paid as each charge clears. Best for high-ticket items you are happy to hold or build while the money comes in. In Balance Due this is a plan setting on the Growth and Pro tiers for stores on Shopify Plus, because Shopify only allows partial charges against a saved card on Plus. More in payment plans and instalments.
Pay-later links
The order is placed and a Shopify payment link is sent for the balance, either because the provider cannot charge a saved card or because you want the customer to choose the moment. No automatic charge, so it needs reminders and a hold to work at scale. Balance Due runs this flow automatically for stores whose provider cannot vault a card.
Buy now, pay later
Klarna, Clearpay, Shop Pay Installments (where available) and similar providers pay you in full at checkout and take the credit risk themselves, for a fee. The customer repays the lender. It is the right tool for ordinary retail where you want the full amount now; it is not a deposit, because you cannot charge the rest when the item is ready.
How to choose
| You want | Use | When you are paid | Who carries the risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full amount now, customer spreads the cost | BNPL (Klarna, Clearpay, Shop Pay Installments where available) | In full at checkout, less the provider's fee | The BNPL provider |
| Commitment now, rest when the item is ready | Deposit then balance | Deposit at checkout, balance on the due date | You |
| Commitment now, rest over months from the same card | Instalments (Shopify Plus) | Deposit at checkout, then each scheduled payment | You |
| Commitment now, rest by invoice when you say | Pay link flow | Deposit at checkout, balance when the customer pays the link | You |
Questions
Can I offer both BNPL and a deposit on the same product?
Yes. BNPL is a payment method at checkout; a deposit is a purchase option on the product. A customer choosing the deposit option can still pay the deposit itself with any method your provider offers.
Does a deposit affect my Shopify Payments fees?
Each charge is a normal Shopify Payments transaction, so you pay the usual processing fee on the deposit and on each balance payment. Balance Due adds no fee of its own.
What if I just want to invoice for the balance?
That is the pay link flow. Balance Due can run it for you with reminders and a hold, or you can send Shopify invoices by hand from the order.
Ready to set one up?
A first deposit plan takes about ten minutes, and the Free plan covers a real order end to end.