The short answer: charge a 50% deposit at the time the homeowner sees the quote — not after a sales call. Use Stripe Connect (or a similar contractor-direct payment infrastructure) so funds go straight to your bank account. Don't let homeowners "think about it" — give them a clear price, a Pay Deposit button, and a deadline.
Why deposits matter so much
A permanent lighting install is a $5K–$15K commitment. Without a deposit, the homeowner has zero skin in the game until install day — and a lot can happen in the 2–6 weeks between quote and install. With a deposit:
- Tire-kickers self-filter. A homeowner unwilling to put down $2K–$4K wasn't going to close at install day either. You learn that for free, before driving out for an estimate.
- Cash flow improves. The deposit funds material orders, so the install isn't capital-locked by a $3K Starlights order sitting unpaid for two weeks.
- No-shows disappear. A deposit-paid homeowner is showing up. Installers who don't collect deposits lose 10–20% of "closed" deals to schedule churn.
- Material orders go in faster. No more waiting for the customer to sign before ordering — the deposit IS the signature.
How much to charge
| Deposit % | When it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | Very high-friction markets, large installs ($15K+) | Lower quote-stage filter, more no-shows |
| 50% | Industry standard for permanent lighting | Best balance of conversion and qualification |
| 75–100% | Smaller installs ($2K–$5K), established brand | Lower quote-stage conversion |
50% is the right starting point for most installers. Adjust up or down based on your market's response.
The four ways installers collect deposits (ranked)
1. Stripe Connect at quote stage (best)
The installer connects their own Stripe account to a platform (like Light Launch). The customer pays directly from a customer portal — the funds land in the installer's Stripe account, with a small platform fee taken out. The installer's bank gets the money in 2–7 days.
Why this wins: the customer can pay from a postcard scan without ever talking to the installer. The friction is zero. Light Launch installers see 15–20% of postcard scans convert to deposit-paid within 48 hours, no sales call required. See Stripe Connect for contractors for the glossary definition.
2. Manual invoice via Stripe or Square (workable)
The installer sends an invoice link (Stripe Payment Links, Square Invoices, etc.) after a sales conversation. Customer pays from the invoice. Funds land within a few days.
Why this works less well: requires a sales conversation first. The customer's intent dissipates between the call and the email. Conversion drops vs. the postcard-scan-to-deposit flow.
3. Venmo / Zelle / cash (don't)
Some installers default to whatever payment method is fastest. This works for the small operation but creates problems at scale: no automated reconciliation, no chargeback protection, no clean tax reporting. Most importantly, it's friction the customer doesn't want — they want a card-payment button, not a "send Zelle to..." instruction.
4. ACH / check at quote stage (slow)
Check deposits work but slow the whole pipeline down by 7–14 days. Skip unless the install is unusually large and you're explicitly trying to avoid card processing fees.
Where in the flow to ask for the deposit
The lowest-friction place is directly on the customer portal that the homeowner lands on after scanning the postcard. They see their rendered house, the trim-only price, the whole-home price, a "Pay deposit" button. They pick a tier and pay — no sales call required.
The second-best place is at the end of an estimate appointment, with a tablet or phone in hand and the customer's signature already on the quote. Don't leave saying "I'll email you an invoice" — that's the moment intent peaks and you should close.
The worst place is via email follow-up after a phone conversation. Intent drops 20%+ in the 24 hours between the call and the email.
Common objections to "deposit at quote stage" — and how to handle them
"I want to sleep on it."
Frame the deposit as a hold, not a commitment: "The deposit secures your install slot and locks in the price quoted. If you decide not to proceed within [your refund window], you get the deposit back." Most installers offer a 24–72 hour cancellation window on deposits.
"What if you go out of business?"
Address it directly: the deposit goes into your Stripe account, not the platform's; the platform doesn't hold your money. Combine with strong material warranties (Starlights lifetime warranty) and licensing/insurance proof to reduce perceived risk.
"I'll pay in cash to avoid card fees."
Politely decline. Cash creates more problems than it solves (tax reporting, chargeback protection, deposit handling). Stick to the card or ACH option.
What the homeowner sees when paying through Light Launch
- Postcard arrives showing their rendered house with permanent lighting.
- They scan the QR → land on a personalized customer portal with their rendered photo, trim-only price, and whole-home price.
- They click "Select Whole-Home" (or trim-only).
- Stripe checkout opens showing the deposit amount and a card-payment field.
- They enter their card, the deposit charges, and they get a "Install scheduled — installer will reach out within 24 hours" confirmation.
- The installer's dashboard pings: a new deposit-paid lead. Schedule the install.
End-to-end, the homeowner spends about 4–6 minutes. The installer spends zero time until the lead is already deposit-paid.
The deposit-collection workflow built into the postcard scan.
Free account, free rendering, $1 per mailed design quote. Stripe Connect deposits go directly to your account.
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