Milestone payments let artists and clients split a commission's total cost into smaller payments. Here are answers to the most common questions about how they work~
What are Milestones?
Each milestone is a payment. When a commission is split by milestones, Milestone 1 is the first payment, Milestone 2 is the second payment, and so on. Together, all milestones add up to the commission's total price.
- Milestone 1 is always due upfront and must be more than $0. It can also serve as a non-refundable deposit if that's part of the commission's terms.
- Milestones are paid in order. Clients can pay as many milestones at a time as they'd like, but they can't skip ahead to a later milestone before paying an earlier one.
For how artists can set up a payment plan in a proposal, check out Can I offer split payments / payment plans to clients?
Will clients be notified when a Milestone payment is due?
No, payment request notifications are not sent automatically, even if each milestone is listed to be paid on a specific date. To request payment for Milestone 2 and beyond, the artist can send a reminder from the proposal or commission page.
Can clients pay more than one Milestone at a time?
Yes! Clients can pay multiple milestones at once if they'd like, as long as they're paid in order. For example, a client could pay Milestones 2 and 3 together, but they can't pay Milestone 3 before Milestone 2.
How do we change an existing payment plan?
To request changes to an existing payment plan, go to Commission > Request Revision > Payment Plan. For confirmed commissions, revision requests will need to be approved by the client before they take effect.
What if a Milestone can't be paid on time?
It happens! If a payment can't be made on time (or one is overdue), here's what we recommend:
- Reach out. Whether you're the artist or the client, send a message through VGen DMs to figure out what's going on and what timing would work for both of you.
- Agree on a new deadline. Settle on a new payment date together so everyone's on the same page.
- Extend the deadline. The artist can then update the commission's guaranteed deadline and the milestone's due date to match what was agreed on, and you're all set.
Have questions? Contact us at help@vgen.co or create a support ticket in our Discord~