Should payment terms be on my website?

Yes. They are part of the offer, and a buyer comparing suppliers cares about deposits, staging and due dates. Leaving it unsaid moves the conversation to a later, more awkward moment.

How do I explain a deposit without putting people off?

Say what it covers, such as materials ordered in advance or securing a slot, and whether it is refundable and when. An unexplained deposit feels like risk; an explained one feels reasonable.

Should I offer stage payments?

For substantial work they suit both sides, because each payment is tied to visible progress. Describe the stages by what has been completed, which turns the schedule into a description of the work.

Can I advertise instalment plans?

Describe third-party arrangements factually and point at the provider for detail. Consumer credit is regulated and the rules differ by country and change, so check your current obligations before publishing.

How should I word late payment terms?

Calmly and once: when invoices are due and what happens if they are not paid. A paragraph of warnings reads badly, and terms you announce but never apply simply teach customers to ignore them.

Saying how payment works, before it becomes awkward

Most businesses discuss payment at the point of invoicing, which is the worst possible moment. Putting it on the website turns a potentially uncomfortable conversation into a detail that was settled at the beginning.

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State on the site what payment methods you accept, whether a deposit is required and how much, how larger work is staged, and when invoices are due. Where you offer instalments through a third party, describe it factually and let the provider's own terms speak for the detail.

Why this belongs on the website

Payment terms are part of the offer. A customer choosing between two suppliers cares whether a large deposit is required, whether they can pay in stages, and how quickly the invoice must be settled.

Leaving it unsaid does not avoid the subject; it moves it to a later moment when both sides are more committed and any surprise is more damaging.

What to state

Keep it factual and short. This is not a legal document, it is the answer to questions people are already wondering about.

Which payment methods you accept.
Whether a deposit is required, how much, and what it covers.
How larger projects are staged, if they are.
When final payment is due after completion.
Whether card payments carry any additional charge, if permitted where you operate.
What happens if payment is late, stated calmly.

Deposits reassure both sides when explained

A deposit requested with no explanation feels like risk to the customer. The same deposit explained as covering materials ordered in advance, or securing a slot in the schedule, feels reasonable.

Say what it covers and whether it is refundable, and under what conditions. Clarity here removes hesitation at the exact moment somebody is deciding to commit.

Stage payments for larger work

For substantial projects, stage payments protect the business and reassure the customer, because each payment is tied to visible progress.

Describe the stages plainly: what has been completed at each point. That converts the payment schedule from a financial arrangement into a description of how the work will proceed.

Instalments and finance, described carefully

If you offer payment over time through a third-party provider, describe the arrangement factually and point at the provider for the detail, rather than characterising the terms yourself.

Consumer credit is regulated, and the requirements differ considerably by country and change over time. If you introduce customers to finance, check the current obligations that apply to you before publishing anything about it.

Late payment, stated without menace

You are entitled to be paid on time, and stating your terms plainly is normal business practice. The tone matters: a calm sentence about when invoices are due reads as organised, while a paragraph of threats reads as somebody who has been badly treated.

Whatever you state, apply it consistently. Terms that are announced and never enforced train customers to ignore them.

How Licheo handles this

We put payment arrangements on the site in plain language as part of the offer, because it is one of the things a serious buyer is quietly weighing.

Where terms are regulated, we keep the description factual and point at the authoritative source rather than paraphrasing rules that change.

Part of a larger guide

This page is one part of The pricing page. The other parts:

Questions people ask

Should payment terms be on my website?: Yes. They are part of the offer, and a buyer comparing suppliers cares about deposits, staging and due dates. Leaving it unsaid moves the conversation to a later, more awkward moment.
How do I explain a deposit without putting people off?: Say what it covers, such as materials ordered in advance or securing a slot, and whether it is refundable and when. An unexplained deposit feels like risk; an explained one feels reasonable.
Should I offer stage payments?: For substantial work they suit both sides, because each payment is tied to visible progress. Describe the stages by what has been completed, which turns the schedule into a description of the work.
Can I advertise instalment plans?: Describe third-party arrangements factually and point at the provider for detail. Consumer credit is regulated and the rules differ by country and change, so check your current obligations before publishing.
How should I word late payment terms?: Calmly and once: when invoices are due and what happens if they are not paid. A paragraph of warnings reads badly, and terms you announce but never apply simply teach customers to ignore them.

Settle the money questions early

Payment arrangements written plainly as part of the offer, so nothing has to be raised awkwardly later.

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