Deposit
An upfront portion of a payment made before work begins, to secure the booking and cover early costs.
A deposit is a part-payment made before a job starts. It secures the booking, covers a tradesperson's upfront material costs, and signals that the customer is committed. Deposits are completely normal — the risk is only in how they are held.
Paid directly, a deposit relies entirely on trust: if the work never happens, getting it back can be difficult. Held in escrow, the deposit is committed but protected, and only released to the seller under the agreed conditions.
CASHBOX lets a deposit be funded into escrow so the seller knows it is genuinely there, while the buyer keeps protection until the work begins.