How to offer staged payments safely
Staged payments help close bigger jobs. Learn how to structure deposits and progress payments without taking on unnecessary risk.
The problem with asking for everything upfront, or nothing until the end
Many jobs above R10,000 stall because the client doesn't want to, or can't, pay everything at once, and providers who ask for the full amount before starting often lose the job to someone with more flexible terms. At the same time, doing the whole job first and hoping to get paid at the end is a real risk, especially with a new client.
The fix isn't consumer credit or a card instalment plan, South Africa doesn't have that built into Prummo's quote payments. The fix is structuring the job itself into stages, each with its own payment, so both sides carry a fair share of the risk.
How to structure a staged payment quote with Prummo
Prummo lets you build a quote with clear payment milestones instead of one lump sum. The process:
- You create the quote as normal in Prummo, listing materials and labour
- Set out the payment structure clearly in the quote, for example: 30% deposit, 40% at the halfway point, 30% on completion
- Send it via WhatsApp
- The client accepts and pays the deposit via PayShap or EFT before you buy materials
- You collect the next stage as agreed, and the final balance on handover
This protects you from buying materials for a job that gets cancelled, and it protects the client from paying in full for work that isn't finished. Neither side is fully exposed at any point.
Is it safe? Who carries the risk?
With a staged structure, the risk is shared and limited at each step. You're never out of pocket for more than one stage's worth of materials or labour at a time, and the client is never paying for work that hasn't happened yet.
PayShap and EFT payments go straight into your own bank account, there's no third party holding the money or taking a cut of what the client pays. What the client sends is what lands in your account.
Be upfront in the quote about what happens if a stage payment is late, for example, work pauses until the payment reflects. Setting this out in writing before the job starts avoids awkward conversations halfway through.
When to structure a job in stages
Staged payments make the biggest difference on jobs over R5,000. Examples:
- DB board replacement (R6,000) → 30% deposit (R1,800), 70% on completion (R4,200)
- Full flat repaint (R12,000) → R4,000 deposit, R4,000 midway, R4,000 on completion
- Kitchen tiling (R15,000) → 40% deposit for materials, 60% on completion
- Automated gate installation (R18,000) → 30% deposit, 40% on installation day, 30% once tested and working
You don't need to oversell the staged structure. Just set it out clearly in the quote, in rand and with dates, and send it via Prummo. Most clients find it reassuring rather than complicated.
Frequently asked questions
Does Prummo offer buy-now-pay-later or credit instalments in South Africa?
No. Prummo's quote payments in South Africa run through PayShap, EFT, or cash. There's no card checkout or consumer credit instalment option built in. Staged payments here mean splitting the job itself into deposit, progress, and completion payments, not a credit product.
Do I need to set anything up to offer staged payments?
No. You set the stages directly in the quote when you create it in Prummo, describing what's due at each point. The client sees the full structure before they accept.
What if the client misses a staged payment?
Since PayShap and EFT go straight to your own account, there's no automatic collection on your behalf. Set expectations in the quote upfront, for example that work pauses until a stage payment reflects, so there's no ambiguity if it happens.