I send this with the deposit link so refunds aren’t a fight later:
“Deposit is $[X] to hold the start date. It’s applied to the final invoice. Refundable only if you cancel before I start work / before [date]. After work starts, deposit is non-refundable; unused hours can be credited for 30 days on request.”
Short. Dated. In writing before money moves.
If they push for “fully refundable anytime,” I decline or raise the price. Ambiguous deposit terms are how freelancers eat weekends.
Related: https://dev.to/marcusvale/freelancer-intake-form-before-deposit-22a0
Ops bundle: https://scienceartist.gumroad.com/l/freelancer-client-ops-bundle
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