Zero advance payment since 2022

    How Zero Advance Payment Web & App Development Works

    Socilet builds websites, mobile apps and AI tools without asking for a deposit first. You send requirements, we build against a written scope, you review the working result on a live preview, and payment follows your approval. This page documents the exact process — including the milestone option we offer on large projects, so nothing about the money side is a surprise.

    Start with requirementsWhy we removed advances

    Traditional agency flow vs the Socilet flow

    The difference is not the work — it is where the risk sits while the work happens.

    Traditional agency

    1. 1Client sends enquiry
    2. 2Client pays 30–50% advance
    3. 3Development starts
    4. 4Client waits, sees little or nothing
    5. 5Delivery — quality discovered after the money is gone

    The client funds the project before seeing evidence that it will be delivered well.

    Socilet

    1. 1Client sends requirements
    2. 2Written scope + fixed quote (no payment)
    3. 3Development starts at zero advance
    4. 4Live preview / test build shared for review
    5. 5Client approves the working result
    6. 6Payment — then handover and code ownership

    The work is proven before the invoice. Our incentive is to deliver, not to collect.

    The process, step by step

    This is the standard track used for most website, landing page, app and AI projects.

    1. Step 1. Requirements & written scope

      You share goals, references and must-have features. We return a page-by-page or screen-by-screen scope, timeline and a fixed quote. Nothing is payable at this stage.

    2. Step 2. Development begins with zero advance

      Work starts on the agreed scope without any deposit, token amount or booking fee. You carry no financial risk while the build is in progress.

    3. Step 3. Live preview or test build

      Instead of static mockups you get a real preview URL for websites, or an installable test build for apps, so you can judge the actual product rather than a picture of it.

    4. Step 4. Review & revisions inside scope

      You review, request changes and we revise until the delivered work matches the agreed scope. Approval is written and explicit.

    5. Step 5. Payment after approval

      On standard projects, 60% is invoiced once roughly 40% of the work is complete and visibly reviewable, and the remaining balance is due at final delivery. No payment is ever requested before you can see working output.

    6. Step 6. Handover & ownership

      Source code, design files, hosting access and content transfer to you once the final payment clears, along with the agreed post-launch support window.

    Exact payment terms, disclosed up front

    We publish the terms rather than negotiating them late. Two tracks exist, and on large projects the choice is yours.

    Standard projects (under US$1,500)

    • No advance, deposit, token amount or booking fee to start.
    • 60% of the quote is invoiced after roughly 40% of the work is complete and visible to you on a live preview or test build.
    • The remaining 40% is due when the finished work is delivered and approved.
    • Revisions inside the written scope are included before each payment point.

    Large projects (US$1,500 and above)

    • You can choose the milestone track: the project is split into 4–5 milestones and each milestone is paid only after it is completed and approved.
    • Large projects are the only case where an advance may apply, and it is agreed in writing before work begins — never on standard projects.
    • If you prefer not to use milestones, the standard 60% / 40% structure above applies instead.
    • Every milestone is demonstrated on a live environment before it is invoiced.

    What the 4–5 milestones look like on a large build

    Typical breakdown for a SaaS dashboard, marketplace, trading platform or multi-module app. Milestone names are adapted to your scope and confirmed in writing before we start.

    1. Milestone 1 — Architecture & foundation

      Project structure, data model, design system and core screens or pages are built and demonstrated. Payment for this milestone is due only once it is delivered and approved.

      Payable after milestone 1 is delivered and approved

    2. Milestone 2 — Core feature build

      The primary user flows and functionality are implemented on a live preview environment, reviewed, then invoiced.

      Payable after milestone 2 is delivered and approved

    3. Milestone 3 — Secondary modules & integrations

      Payments, dashboards, third-party APIs, admin panels and role-based access are added and demonstrated before that milestone is billed.

      Payable after milestone 3 is delivered and approved

    4. Milestone 4 — QA, performance & content

      Cross-device testing, performance and SEO work, real content population and bug fixes, reviewed against the written scope.

      Payable after milestone 4 is delivered and approved

    5. Milestone 5 — Launch & handover

      Deployment, DNS and analytics setup, source-code handover and the support window. Final milestone payment closes the project.

      Payable after milestone 5 is delivered and approved

    Why we removed the advance payment

    The deposit exists to protect the agency, not the client. The complaints that pushed us to drop it are the same ones businesses raise about the traditional model:

    • • Work stalling after the deposit clears, with no leverage left on your side
    • • Delivered quality falling short of what the pitch promised
    • • Charges appearing after the deposit that were never in the original quote
    • • No practical recourse once the money has already moved

    Removing the advance moves delivery risk to us. It also changes our incentives: we are only paid if the finished work is accepted, so scope discipline and quality control happen before you see the invoice rather than after you complain about it.

    What you get out of it

    • • No capital tied up before delivery
    • • A live preview to judge, not a mockup to imagine
    • • Budget flexibility while the build runs
    • • Quality backed by our own commercial risk

    What we ask in return

    • • A scope agreed in writing before the build starts
    • • Timely feedback at the review stage
    • • Revisions kept inside the agreed scope
    • • Payment on approval, before handover of source files

    Common questions about the model

    Quick clarifications on payments, approval and ownership. The full list lives on our FAQ page.

    View full FAQ

    Want this applied to your project?

    Send your requirements and you will get a written scope, a fixed quote and the exact payment track for your budget — before anything is payable.

    Get a free scope & quoteWebsite developmentApp developmentIs this right for you?Full FAQ

    Put the model to work

    The services and cost guides most clients open next, all delivered before any invoice.

    Website development costWhat a site costs before any invoice is raised.Mobile app development costApp budgets under the same pay-after model.AI automation serviceChatbots and workflow automation, delivered first.SEO and backlinks serviceMonthly SEO with no lock-in retainer.All service areas and guidesEvery city, comparison and cost page in one index.