QuotedPartAnswers · Updated 2026-10-30
Should I ask for a deposit or prepayment on a first order?
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Ask for a deposit on a first order when you spend real money before the first part ships (material, outside services, a big setup) and you have no payment history with the buyer. Size it to the cash you put out, not to a round number. On a 100-piece anodized 6061 bracket priced by our pricing engine at $2,698.00, the money out of your pocket before the parts exist is $386.53 of material, $176.98 of anodize and $217.88 of setup and programming: $781.39, or 29% of the order. A deposit of about a third covers that outlay.
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When it's normal to ask
A deposit is ordinary when the job is custom (nobody else can use the parts), when material is a large share of the price, when you must buy something with a long lead time, or when the customer is new, a start-up, or a one-time buyer. It's not unusual for an exotic alloy or a tooling charge to be paid upfront even by large companies.
It's the wrong tool when the buyer is an established company with a purchasing department and a supplier setup process. They will pay on terms after they have onboarded you, and a demand for prepayment may stall the order. For those, use a credit application, a reference check or a smaller first order instead.
Sizing it from the quote
Add the cash lines that you pay before shipping: material, outside services and the setup and programming. For the bracket that is $781.39 of a $2,698.00 order. Round up to a clean number (a third, say) and state it as a percentage. Machine time is the remaining cost, but it's your own labor, and the risk you're protecting against is mostly the cash lines.
Keep a rule of thumb for yourself, such as the cash lines divided by the price, and write it into the quoting rules so every estimator applies it the same way. A flat 50% on a job where cash costs are 20% makes you look greedy; 30% on a job where cash costs are 60% leaves you holding the rest.
| Line | Amount | Share of the order |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum 6061 | $386.53 | 14% |
| Anodize Type II (outside service) | $176.98 | 7% |
| Setup and programming | $217.88 | 8% |
| Cash out before the first part ships | $781.39 | 29% |
| Order price | $2,698.00 | 100% |
Wording that doesn't sound like distrust
Make it a policy, not a judgment of the buyer: "New customers: 50% with order to release material and outside services, balance net 30 on shipment. After the second order, standard net 30." A policy applied to everyone is easy to accept; a special demand aimed at one person is not.
Also say what the deposit buys. "The deposit covers material and finishing, which we purchase at order." That's an honest explanation, and it tells the buyer the money isn't profit. Give them an easy way to pay (card or ACH) and send the invoice with the quote acceptance so they can pay the same day.
Put it on the quote and the order acknowledgement, and in the terms. If a customer's PO says net 60 and ignores your deposit, resolve it before you order the material, not after.
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- The bracket's cost lines are from QuotedPart's pricing engine at starting US rates and a 30% markup; the one-third guideline is an example derived from them, not an industry norm.
Questions
What percentage is normal?
There isn't a standard. Size it to your cash outlay: a third to a half is common in practice, and more when material or tooling is most of the job. No survey figure is cited here.
What if they refuse?
Offer a smaller first order, a credit card for the first invoice, or a staged bill: material up front, balance on delivery. If they refuse every form, decide whether the margin pays for the risk.
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