What is a payment schedule?
A payment schedule breaks a project contract into milestone-based payments — each with a percentage, dollar amount, and due date. Instead of invoicing the full amount at once, you collect a deposit upfront and schedule remaining payments as work progresses. This protects both you and your client by aligning payments with deliverables.
Who uses payment schedules?
Freelance Designers
Split logo, web, and branding projects into deposit + delivery payments.
Web Developers
Structure milestone payments for discovery, build, and launch phases.
Consultants
Define retainer or phase-based billing for advisory engagements.
Contractors
Schedule progress payments tied to construction or renovation milestones.
Photographers & Videographers
Collect booking deposits and balance payments before delivery.
Marketing Agencies
Break campaign fees into kickoff, mid-campaign, and wrap-up invoices.
How to build a payment schedule
Enter your project name, client, and contract value before tax. Optionally add VAT, GST, or a second tax. Choose a preset (50/50 deposit, 30/40/30 phases, or equal quarters) or add custom milestones. Set each milestone's percentage and due date — amounts calculate automatically from the tax-inclusive total. When percentages total 100%, download a PDF or CSV to share with your client.
Benefits of milestone billing
- Set clear payment expectations before work begins
- Avoid cash-flow gaps with upfront deposits
- Reduce disputes with documented milestone amounts and dates
- Export a professional PDF to attach to proposals and contracts
- Download CSV for accounting or project management tools
- Turn each milestone into an invoice with a free InvoBuzz account
Ready to invoice each milestone? Create a free InvoBuzz account to generate professional invoices, track payments, and email clients directly — or try the Instant Invoice tool for one-off billing.