How to Reply to a Request About a 50% Upfront Payment — Simple Email + Milestone Payment Plan (Age 15)

Quick summary of what the message means

You thanked Flavia for her suggestions and said some can be accepted immediately, others need discussion with your boss. On the payment side, you explained you don’t usually ask for 50% up front but could consider a smaller deposit plus milestone payments for repeat work. That’s polite and clear.

How to structure your reply (step by step)

• Start politely — thank Flavia for the quick reply and for understanding.
• Confirm the process — say you’ll discuss the remaining suggestions with your boss and will reply by the agreed time.
• Propose clear payment terms — give a specific alternative to 50% up front (a deposit % and milestone schedule).
• Ask for confirmation — invite her to accept or suggest changes, and confirm next steps (contract, invoice timing).
• Close politely — short friendly sign-off.

Why a milestone plan helps (simple explanation)

• It reduces risk for both sides: the client doesn’t pay everything up front, and the supplier gets steady cash as work progresses.
• It gives clear checkpoints to measure progress and agree when payments are due.
• It’s easier for a company to approve smaller payments tied to deliverables than one big up-front amount.

Suggested milestone payment options (pick one or offer both)

• Option A (balanced): 25% deposit on contract, 40% after the first major deliverable/midpoint, 25% on final delivery, 10% after final acceptance/closing fixes.
• Option B (simpler): 30% deposit, 40% at midpoint, 30% on final delivery (no retention).

Tips: say which milestones mean what (for example, "midpoint = first full draft delivered") and include payment terms (invoice on receipt, payment due in 14 days) and how ownership/IP transfers (usually after final payment).

Sample reply email you can send to Flavia (copy and paste, then edit any specifics):

Hi Flavia,

Thanks for the quick reply and for your helpful suggestions. Some of them we can accept straight away; I’ll discuss the remaining points with my boss and get back to you tomorrow.

About the payment terms: we don’t normally ask for 50% up front. For repeat cooperation we can be flexible — a smaller deposit with milestone payments would work well for us. Would the following schedule be acceptable?

- 25% deposit on contract signing
- 40% on delivery of the first major milestone (e.g., first full draft)
- 25% on final delivery
- 10% on final approval / closeout

If you prefer a simpler split, we can also do 30% deposit, 40% at midpoint, 30% on completion.

Please let me know which option you prefer or suggest any changes. Once we agree, we’ll put the payment schedule into the contract and issue the deposit invoice.

Thanks again for understanding — looking forward to your thoughts.

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position / Company]

Short negotiation/tone tips for a 15-year-old

• Be polite and confident: say what you want but show willingness to compromise.
• Keep language simple and direct — business emails don’t need to be fancy.
• Offer clear choices rather than open-ended questions. People respond faster to options.
• Confirm next steps and a deadline so everyone knows what happens next.

What to do next

• Send the email above (customise the milestone descriptions if needed).
• If Flavia agrees, add the agreed payment schedule to the contract and include invoice timing and IP/ownership terms.
• If the boss wants a different split, come back with one clear alternative to present to Flavia.

If you want, tell me which milestone descriptions you need (e.g., "first draft," "testing complete," "final delivery") and I can tailor the payment schedule wording to your project.