← DictionaryDeposit
also called upfront payment
A payment taken before work starts to secure the engagement.
Money upfront to hold the slot.
What It Is
Deposit belongs to Business, specifically the Pricing part of it. What it actually refers to is a payment taken before work starts to secure the engagement.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. Used with that meaning, it stays a working tool rather than a talking point.
How It's Used
Most of the time Deposit is used in commercial decisions, pricing conversations and how the business runs. It rarely travels alone — expect it next to Payment Terms, Contract and Invoice. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
Ignoring Deposit rarely fails loudly — it fails slowly. When it is unclear, margin leaks in places nobody is looking. The businesses that treat it seriously spend less time redoing work.
It is a label people agree on so they stop describing the same thing five different ways. Money upfront to hold the slot.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
In agency and in-house rooms, Deposit means exactly a payment taken before work starts to secure the engagement.
In plain conversation it comes out as money upfront to hold the slot.
The Bottom Line
The practical takeaway on Deposit: money upfront to hold the slot. Judge it by that, not by how it sounds.