"Deposit" and "retainer" get used interchangeably, but they solve different problems. Charging the right one protects your cash flow and sets clear expectations with clients. Here's the difference and when to use each.
What is a deposit?
A deposit is a one-off, up-front payment against a specific job. It secures the booking and often covers your early costs, and the remainder — the balance — is billed when the work is delivered. Think 50% up front to start a project, 50% on completion.
What is a retainer?
A retainer is a recurring payment for ongoing availability or work, usually monthly. The client pays a set amount each period to keep you engaged — common for agencies, consultants, bookkeepers and anyone providing continuous service. It's predictable income rather than a per-project charge.
When to use a deposit
- One-off or project-based work with a clear start and finish.
- Jobs where you incur costs or block significant time before delivery.
- New clients you haven't worked with before.
When to use a retainer
- Ongoing relationships with a predictable monthly scope.
- Services where clients value guaranteed availability.
- When you want steadier, recurring revenue instead of chasing new invoices each month.
How to collect either one easily
Both should be as easy to pay as possible — by card, in a couple of taps. With CrexiPay you can collect a deposit and bill the balance later in one click, or set up a recurring retainer that renews automatically — all on your own Stripe account, with no code.
Choose the deposit for one-off risk and the retainer for ongoing predictability — and make both painless to pay so you're never the one chasing.