Benchmark
The share of the fee paid before work begins, so the freelancer is not financing the whole engagement.
Typical range
25-50% deposit at contract signature, with the remainder either at a mid-project milestone (concept approval) or on final delivery.
Off-market
No deposit at all, especially on a project longer than a few weeks or from a client the freelancer has not worked with before. Zero deposit means the freelancer is financing the client's project.
Typical range
25-33% for a standard article or content package; 40-50% for longer-form work (ebooks, whitepapers, ghostwritten books) or unfamiliar clients.
Off-market
No deposit combined with "payment on publication" or net-60. That combination means the writer produces the work, waits for a publication decision, and then waits again for a check.
Typical range
Toward the upper end of the standard range, commonly around 50% at signature to cover pre-production, crew bookings, and gear holds; balance split between shoot day and final delivery.
Off-market
A deposit that does not cover the pre-production spend the freelancer will incur before the shoot. If crew and location will cost 30% of the fee, a 20% deposit is under-collateralized.
Typical range
50% on signature, 50% on posting or delivery is the common split; smaller creators or first-time brand relationships sometimes see 100% on delivery, which is worth pushing back on.
Off-market
Full payment only after the post is live AND has run for a set period, or payment gated behind the brand's performance metrics. That turns the creator into an unpaid performance marketer.
Typical range
25-50% as a non-refundable retainer at booking, with the balance due before or on delivery of the final images. Event work often takes a larger retainer to hold a fixed, unrepeatable date.
Off-market
No retainer, with everything due after delivery. The photographer holds the date, shoots, edits, and then waits to be paid, carrying all the risk if the client disappears.
Typical range
30-50% deposit at signing, with the balance split across milestones (for example, design approval, build completion, launch) rather than a single payment at the end.
Off-market
No deposit with everything due at launch, so the developer funds weeks or months of work and carries the full risk of a stalled or abandoned project.
Typical range
The first month's retainer in advance for ongoing work, or a 25-50% deposit for a defined project, with the balance on milestones or completion.
Off-market
Fully-in-arrears billing on a large engagement with no upfront payment, so the consultant delivers a month or a phase of work before seeing anything.