Art Commission Invoice Builder With Deposit, Balance and Fees by Payment Method
Type the commission price, pick the deposit and how the client pays. The invoice on the right splits it into two amounts, shows what the processor takes, and the price that still nets your rate.
- Commission
- Deposit due before the sketch
- Processor fee, all payments
- You receive
To net , charge on this method.
The short answer
An art commission invoice names the tier as its line item, splits the price into a deposit due before the sketch and a balance due before the final file, and lists how the client can pay. On a $150 commission the processor keeps $4.65 on a Stripe link, $5.25 on a Square invoice paid by card and $5.73 on a PayPal invoice paid with a PayPal balance. Splitting into two payments adds one more fixed fee, about $0.30 to $0.49, and a bank transfer on a PayPal or Square invoice costs just 1%.
- Usual deposit
- 30 to 50%
- Card, $150
- $4.65+
- Bank, $150
- $1.50
- Cost of a split
- +$0.31
What an art commission invoice should include
Eight lines that settle most commission arguments before they start
A card issuer reading a dispute sees the invoice first. These lines are what make it evidence rather than a payment request.
Your name and a contact email
The name you trade under is enough for a sole proprietor. Clients need to know who they paid.
Client name and an invoice number
Number every invoice in order (2026-014). It is the reference you quote in any dispute.
The tier as the line item
"Standard: colored half body, 1 character, 2 revisions" beats "art". A named scope is your best evidence.
Usage rights
Personal use, or commercial use for an extra fee. Say which one the price covers.
Deposit due now, balance due on delivery
Two amounts with two dates. Say whether the deposit is refundable after the sketch is approved.
Delivery date and file format
A date, the file type and the size, so "done" has a definition both sides agree on.
Revision limit and the price of extras
Two rounds included, $15 per extra round. Clients respect a number written in advance.
Accepted payment methods
Card, bank transfer, PayPal. One line, so nobody pays you by a method you cannot refund.
Commission invoice fees
What each invoice costs on four common commission sizes
A US client paying the whole amount at once. The last column is a Stripe link split 50/50, to show what the second fixed fee costs.
| Commission | Stripe link, card | Square invoice, card | PayPal invoice, PayPal | Bank transfer invoice | Stripe, 50/50 split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50 Sketch headshot | $1.75 | $1.95 | $2.24 | $0.50 | $2.06 |
| $150 Colored half body | $4.65 | $5.25 | $5.73 | $1.50 | $4.96 |
| $400 Full body with background | $11.90 | $13.50 | $14.45 | $4.00 | $12.20 |
| $1,000 Book cover or mascot | $29.30 | $33.30 | $35.39 | $10.00 | $29.60 |
Stripe Invoicing costs more than a link
Stripe charges 0.4% per paid invoice on Invoicing Starter and 0.5% on Plus, on top of 2.9% + $0.30. On $150 that is $5.25 against $4.65 for a payment link. The invoice page is nicer; the link is cheaper.
Bank transfer wins on big pieces
PayPal caps its bank transfer fee at $10 and Square Free charges 1% with a $1 minimum. On a $1,000 book cover that is $10 against $29.30 to $35.39 by card. Say in the invoice email that bank transfer is welcome.
PayPal has two card rates
A client paying a PayPal invoice by card costs 2.99% + $0.49 ($4.98 on $150); paying from a PayPal balance costs 3.49% + $0.49 ($5.73). Our page on PayPal invoices for art commissions covers every PayPal rate.
Deposits on a commission invoice
How much deposit to take and how each tool collects it
Most artists ask for 30% to 50% before they start, and 50% is the split you see most on commission sheets. Artfinder's own commissions process uses a deposit of 30 to 50% of the final value. Take the higher end from first-time clients and on anything over a few hundred dollars; regulars can earn a smaller deposit.
- Square lets one invoice request a deposit and set a separate due date for the balance, and can schedule several milestone payments on a single invoice.
- PayPal invoices can allow partial payment with a minimum amount due. It is off by default, so switch it on when you create the invoice.
- Stripe users usually send two payment links, one for the deposit and one for the balance. Read Stripe for art commissions for the setup.
Write the refund rule next to the deposit line: refundable until the sketch is approved, kept after. A rule the client saw on the invoice is far easier to hold than one you explain after they cancel.
Skip writing the invoice by hand
Let the order page do the line items for you
Most invoice mistakes happen in the DMs before the invoice exists. A gig page fixes the scope first, then sends the client to your own card checkout.
Publish your tiers
Basic, Standard and Premium with what each includes, the revision limit and the delivery time. That is your line item, written once.
Client picks and sends a brief
The order request reaches your inbox with the tier, the price and the references, and the client as reply-to.
Client pays by card
After sending the order the client sees a Pay by card button for the tier amount on your own Stripe, PayPal or Square link.
Deliver and mark it complete
Your plan fee applies only to orders you mark completed: 8% on Starter, 5% on Pro, 3% on Studio.
An honest comparison
Invoicing from DMs or taking orders on a page
A plain invoice is cheaper per piece. A page costs a plan fee and saves the back-and-forth. Here is the trade, line by line.
| Invoice sent from DMs | Gig page order | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Typed per client, easy to leave vague | Fixed per tier, same words every time |
| Brief and references | Spread across messages and apps | Sent with the order in one email |
| Payment | PayPal, Square or Stripe invoice | Your own card link, shown after the order |
| Cost on $150 | Processor only, $1.50 to $5.73 | Processor plus 8%, 5% or 3%, and $9 to $49 a month |
| Found by new clients | No | Yes, the page is indexable and shareable |
| Best for | Regulars and one-off large pieces | Repeatable tiers and first-time clients |
Plenty of artists do both: a page for new orders, a Square or PayPal invoice for the regular who commissions a big piece twice a year. To price the tiers themselves, start with our guide to art commission prices, and compare every way to get paid in art commission payment methods. Plan details are on the pricing page.
How to invoice an art commission
Five steps from an accepted request to a paid balance
-
1
Agree the order
Tier, references, revisions, deadline and usage, in writing, before any invoice.
-
2
Send the deposit
One invoice with the deposit due now, or a Square invoice with both dates on it.
-
3
Sketch once it lands
Check your own dashboard for a paid status. A screenshot from the client is not a payment.
-
4
Invoice the balance
At a watermarked or low-resolution preview the client approves.
-
5
Deliver the final file
After the balance clears, with a short message that names the tier and the date.
Questions artists ask
Art commission invoice questions, answered
Each answer leads with the direct reply. Fees are from the providers' own pages.
How do I invoice an art commission?
Agree the tier, references, revisions and deadline first, then send an invoice that names that tier as the line item, splits the price into a deposit and a balance, and lists how the client can pay. PayPal, Square and Stripe all send invoices clients can pay by card without an account. Start drawing only when the deposit shows as paid.
What should an art commission invoice include?
Your name and email, the client name, an invoice number, the tier as a line item with its scope, usage rights, the deposit and balance with due dates, the delivery date and file format, the revision limit, and accepted payment methods. The scope and revision lines matter most, because they are the evidence a card issuer reads in a dispute.
How much deposit should I ask for an art commission?
Most artists take 30% to 50% up front, and 50% is the most common split on commission sheets. Artfinder's own commissions process uses a deposit of 30 to 50% of the final artwork value. For a first-time client or a large piece, take 50% before the sketch and the balance before you send the full-resolution file.
Should I invoice before or after an art commission?
Before you start, for at least the deposit. An invoice paid up front is the only way to know the client is committed, and it moves the risk of a no-show onto them. Send the balance invoice when the work is approved at a watermarked or low-resolution preview, and deliver the final file once it is paid.
Can I split an art commission invoice into a deposit and balance?
Yes. Square Invoices can request a deposit and set a separate due date for the balance on one invoice. PayPal invoices can allow partial payment with a minimum amount due, which is off by default. With Stripe, most artists send two payment links. Each payment carries its own fixed fee, so a split adds about $0.30 to $0.49.
Which invoice is cheapest for an art commission?
A bank transfer paid through a PayPal or Square invoice: 1% of the amount, so $1.50 on a $150 piece. Among card methods a Stripe payment link is cheapest at $4.65 on $150, then a Square or Stripe invoice at $5.25 and a PayPal invoice paid with a PayPal balance at $5.73. Stripe Invoicing adds 0.4% per paid invoice on top of card processing.
Who pays the fees on a commission invoice?
The artist does, on every method on this page: the processor takes its fee from the money you receive. To keep your rate, build the fee into the tier price rather than adding a surcharge line, which some processors restrict. On a $150 piece by Stripe link, charging $154.79 nets you $150.00.
Do I need a business account to send commission invoices?
No. A sole proprietor can invoice under their own name with their own tax number on PayPal, Square and Stripe. A separate account for commission money still makes year-end bookkeeping much easier, and the income is taxable self-employment income whether or not you form an LLC.
Can international clients pay an art commission invoice?
Yes, by card. PayPal, Square and Stripe invoices take cards from outside the US, though cross-border cards cost more, for example an extra 1.50% on a PayPal Checkout payment from abroad. Bank transfer options on these invoices are for US bank accounts, so an overseas client should pay by card.
Is an invoice enough to protect me from a chargeback?
It helps but does not decide it: the card issuer does. What wins commission disputes is a paid invoice that names the scope, the sketch the client approved in writing, and the delivery message. An invoice that just says "art" is weak evidence; one that says "Standard tier, 2 revisions, delivered 4 Nov" is strong.
Write your scope once and stop retyping invoices
Publish your tiers, take the brief with the order, and send clients straight to your own card checkout.
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