Advance payment for custom orders: how much to ask, and how to ask without awkwardness

Name necklaces, custom cakes, hand-painted jackets, made-to-measure blouses: work that nobody else can buy if the first buyer walks away. An advance is not a sign of distrust. It is what makes it safe for you to start.

Most of the discomfort comes from asking for it in a chat, one buyer at a time, and deciding the amount on the spot. Make it a rule of the shop — the same for everyone, shown before anyone pays — and it stops being personal.

How much to ask for

• At least your material cost, so a cancellation does not cost you money.
• More for highly personal pieces (names, dates, photos) that you cannot resell at all.
• Less for options you could resell, such as a standard design in a chosen colour.
• Full payment up front for small amounts, where an advance and a balance are more hassle than they are worth.

Three worked examples

Name necklace, ₹1,299

Take the full amount up front

Silver and engraving cost about ₹550 and the piece cannot be resold. At this price a split payment is not worth the follow-up.

Hand-painted denim jacket, ₹3,500

Advance of ₹1,500, balance on delivery

The jacket and paints cost about ₹1,400, so the advance covers materials if the buyer walks away.

Custom birthday cake, ₹2,200

Advance of ₹1,000 to book the date

Ingredients, the cake board and a weekend slot you turn others away for. Balance before the cake leaves your kitchen.

Illustrative prices and costs. Start from your own material cost per piece and round up.

Write the rule before anyone pays

A short, fair cancellation rule, shown before payment, prevents most disputes. For example: 'The advance confirms your order and covers materials. If you cancel before we start, we refund it in full. Once work has started, the advance is not refundable.'

Put it on the product page and in your store policies, and repeat it in the confirmation message. Add the making time too — 'Made to order · ships in 7 days' — so the buyer knows what they are waiting for.

On Slaby you can also mark a personalised product as final sale. Buyers see before paying that it cannot be returned for size or a change of mind; damaged, defective or wrong items can still be returned, which keeps the rule fair.

Taking the advance at checkout on Slaby

1. 1

   Decide: full payment or advance plus balance

   Full payment is simplest and works without a payment gateway. An advance with the balance on delivery suits higher prices and first-time buyers who want reassurance.

2. 2

   For full payment, accept UPI to your bank

   Settings → Payments

   Turn on 'Accept UPI to your bank' and add your UPI ID. Checkout shows a QR and an 'open UPI app' button with the amount filled in. The buyer sends the UTR or a screenshot, and the order waits until you check your bank app and approve it. You can also connect Razorpay or Cashfree for cards.

3. 3

   For an advance, connect your gateway

   The advance is paid online through your own Razorpay or Cashfree account, and the balance is cash on delivery. Slaby takes 0% commission.

   Payments guide
4. 4

   Set the share paid online, and a minimum

   In COD settings, set 'Advance paid online' as a share of the order total, and a 'Minimum advance' so a small order never collects too little. Checkout shows the buyer the advance and the balance due on delivery.

5. 5

   Switch on requirement notes and photos

   In the product editor, turn on 'Allow requirement notes & photos'. A buyer signed in to your store adds the name, date, message or reference picture to the item in their cart, and it is saved with the order.

6. 6

   Confirm the details, then start

   Read the note when the order arrives and reply if anything is unclear. Start work only once the details are agreed — that is also the point your cancellation rule changes.

Note: On Slaby the advance share is a store-wide COD setting. If you sell ready stock and custom work together, pick a share that covers your most material-heavy custom piece, or ask custom buyers to pay in full by UPI.

Collecting the balance

Balance on delivery reassures a first-time buyer: they see the piece before they pay the rest. Balance before shipping removes the risk of a refused parcel, and suits expensive or perishable work. For the second, send the buyer a photo of the finished piece with the balance amount, and ship once it reaches your bank.

Whichever you choose, say it on the product and in your policies. 'Advance now, balance on delivery' and 'Advance now, balance before dispatch' are both fine; changing the rule after the buyer has paid is not.

Common questions

Is it legal to keep an advance if the buyer cancels?

Generally a seller can keep a reasonable advance under a cancellation policy the buyer saw and accepted before paying, but consumer-protection rules apply. Keep the rule fair, state it clearly before payment, and take advice if you are unsure.

What advance do most makers use?

There is no standard. Start from your material cost and the chance you could resell the piece, then adjust after a few months of orders.

Should I take the balance before shipping instead of on delivery?

Either works. Taking it before shipping avoids a refused parcel; taking it on delivery reassures first-time buyers. On Slaby, balance-on-delivery is the part-payment COD setting.

Can buyers who are not signed in add a requirement note?

Requirement notes and photos are for buyers signed in to your store, so the details stay attached to their order. They can sign in with Google in one tap at checkout.

Is there a COD fee on part-payment orders?

No. The COD handling fee applies to plain COD orders only; a buyer who pays an advance online is not charged it.

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