What deposits do
A deposit is money down before the work starts, and SideWRK builds it into the approval. On any estimate you can switch a deposit on and set the amount — 10 to 50 percent. When the customer approves and types their name, they can pay that deposit by card right there on the same page.
It’s your call, every time. Turn it off for a repeat customer you trust, on for a material-heavy job with someone new. The balance is what’s left to collect when the work is done.
What you can use it for
Cover your material cost
On a job that needs parts or material up front, the deposit means you’re buying with their money, not floating it on your own card until you get paid.
Filter out the tire-kickers
Someone who won’t put a dime down was probably never going to pay. A deposit sorts the real jobs from the "just getting quotes" before you burn a day.
Lock in the commitment
A customer who’s put money down shows up, keeps the appointment, and doesn’t ghost you for the next guy. Skin in the game changes behavior.
Waive it when it makes sense
A trusted repeat customer, a small job — turn the deposit off for that estimate. You’re never forced into a one-size policy.
How to take a deposit
- 1
Build the estimate
Add the work and total it up like any other job.
- 2
Turn on the deposit
On the estimate, switch the deposit on and set the percentage — anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of the total.
- 3
Send for approval
The customer gets the estimate link and sees the deposit right on it.
- 4
They approve and pay it
They type their name to approve and pay the deposit by card on the same page. You’re funded before you start.
- 5
Collect the balance at the end
When the work’s done, the remaining balance is what’s left on the invoice — collect it the same way you collect anything else.
Why deposits belong in the app
Fronting materials is one of the quiet ways side-work operators lose money — and eat the loss when a job falls through after you’ve already bought the parts. A deposit moves that risk off your back and onto the transaction, where it belongs.
The big field-service apps put deposits behind their pricier tiers. Here it’s included, and you control it per estimate — on, off, or waived.
Deposits — common questions
How much can I take as a deposit?
You set it per estimate, anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of the total. Match it to the job — more for a material-heavy build, less or none for a small repeat.
Is a deposit required on every job?
No. Deposits are per estimate and fully optional — switch it on for the jobs that need it and off for the ones that don’t.
How does the customer pay the deposit?
By card, right on the approval page, at the moment they approve. No separate step, no chasing them for it later.
What happens to the balance?
The rest of the total stays on the invoice as the balance due, which you collect when the work is finished.