Getting Paid: Deposits, Payment Options, and Avoiding Chargebacks

You can quote perfectly and print beautifully and still lose money if you don't get paid cleanly. Custom manufacturing has a specific risk: you do the work before the customer has the part in hand. Here's how to structure payment so you're never the one carrying that risk.

Take a deposit on custom work

A custom print has no resale value — if the buyer walks, you can't put their phone-case-shaped bracket back on the shelf. So for bespoke or large jobs, collect a deposit up front:

• 50 percent deposit is standard for custom work, with the balance due before pickup or shipping.
• 100 percent up front is reasonable for small jobs where invoicing costs more effort than the job is worth.
• Make the deposit non-refundable once printing starts, and say so in writing.

The deposit isn't about distrust — it aligns incentives. A customer who has put money down shows up.

Offer the payment options people actually use

Friction at checkout loses sales. Cover the common cases:

• Cards — the default, and worth the processing fee for the convenience and the record it creates.
• Instant online checkout — let customers pay when they approve the quote, not after a back-and-forth of invoices.
• In-person — fine for local pickup, but log it so your books match reality.

Whatever you accept, the goal is that approving a quote and paying for it are one smooth step, not two.

Collect at the right moment

Timing matters as much as method. A simple, defensible flow:

1. Quote approved, deposit collected — then the job enters your queue.
2. Print and finish the job.
3. Balance collected — then you ship or release for pickup.

Printing before any money changes hands is how shops end up with a shelf of unpaid custom parts.

Avoid chargebacks before they happen

A chargeback is a customer disputing a card charge with their bank, and for custom goods you can lose even when you did everything right. Reduce the odds:

• Describe the job in writing on the quote — material, color, finish, quantity, lead time. Vague scope is where disputes live.
• Keep proof — the approved quote, messages, and a photo of the finished part before it ships.
• Use a real payment processor, not informal transfers, so you have a record and a dispute process if you need one.
• Communicate — most disputes are really frustration in disguise. A customer who can see their order status rarely calls their bank.

Make paying the easy path

The shops that get paid on time make payment the natural next click after a customer says yes. KTIZO 3D ties the quote, the order, and online payment together, so a customer approves the price and pays in the same flow, and you keep a clean record of every transaction. The less your customer has to think about how to pay you, the faster you actually get paid.