Payment Plans and Deposits

By creavio Team April 10, 2026 1 views

Payment Plans and Deposits

A $4,000 wedding package is a lot to pay at once. But losing a booking because the client cannot afford the lump sum is worse. Deposits and payment plans let you secure the booking now and collect the rest on a schedule.

Setting a Deposit Requirement

You can require deposits in two places:

  • On a session type — collected when the client books through your booking page. See session types.
  • On an invoice — set a deposit amount or percentage when creating the invoice.

To set a deposit on an invoice:

  1. Create or edit an invoice in Money > Invoices
  2. Under Payment Settings, toggle Require Deposit
  3. Enter the deposit amount (flat dollar amount) or percentage of the total
  4. The remaining balance becomes due on the invoice due date

When the client pays, they are first charged the deposit. The invoice status moves to "Partially Paid" and shows the remaining balance.

Creating a Payment Plan

For larger amounts, you can split the total into installments:

  1. On the invoice, toggle Payment Plan
  2. Choose the number of installments (2, 3, 4, or custom)
  3. Set the schedule:
    • Equal installments — total divided evenly across payments
    • Custom amounts — you define how much is due at each milestone
  4. Set due dates for each installment

Example: Wedding payment plan

  • At booking: $1,000 retainer
  • 30 days before wedding: $1,500
  • Day of wedding: $1,500

Automatic Payment Collection

If the client pays their first installment with a card through Stripe, you can enable auto-charge for remaining installments. Their card is charged automatically on each due date. The client receives an email receipt after each charge.

If auto-charge fails (expired card, insufficient funds), creavio sends the client an email with a link to update their payment method. You receive a notification so you can follow up if needed.

Tracking Payment Plan Status

In Money > Invoices, invoices with payment plans show a progress bar indicating how much has been paid versus outstanding. Click the invoice to see the full schedule with status for each installment:

  • Upcoming — not yet due
  • Due — payment due today
  • Paid — collected
  • Overdue — past due and unpaid
  • Failed — auto-charge attempted and failed

Best Practices

  • Always collect a non-refundable retainer for weddings and large events. This protects your date hold.
  • Collect the final payment before delivery. Set the last installment due date before you send the gallery.
  • Offer payment plans proactively. Do not wait for clients to ask. Present it as part of the package: "Your Gold Package is $4,000 — we split it into 3 payments so it is easy to budget."
  • Keep the number of installments reasonable. Two to four payments work for most photography contracts. More than that creates admin overhead.

Deposits for Mini Sessions and Smaller Bookings

For lower-priced sessions ($150-$500), a deposit is often the full amount paid at booking. This reduces no-shows because the client has skin in the game. Set the deposit to 100% of the session fee and the booking is fully paid before you show up.