>What about 1/3 up front, 1/3 when I deliver for testing, and 1/3 when they accept?
>

Sounds like you're talking about a fixed price contract so sure, if it works for both of you, why not. I think the important thing is that one tries to structure a good relationship with the client where it is win-win in that it is in both your best interests to have the relationship work. I try to structure things in such a way that the client knows I'm in for the long run and not just a quick kill.

I have one client I was doing VFP work for at $125 an hour. I convinced him to do do a project we had just started in .NET (which I had not yet started doing for client work ) . instead. After he agreed, I unilaterally and without being asked dropped my rate for him to $75 an hour on the grounds that my expertise in .NET was not what it was in VFP (though in fact as we know a lot of what we get paid for is design, analysis and SQL Server which has nothing to do with the language of the app)

He was stunned but impressed. I have since raised my rate for him (after over a year at the first rate) started other clients at the higher rates, but I feel that being fair with him over that transition period bought a lot of trust.


>
>>>1) Anyone see any issues with asking a potential client for a retainer? If so, how much?
>>>
>>>2) Any problem with putting in a kill switch? When they pay, you give them an access key. If they
>>>don't enter the access key within days, software stops working.
>>
>>1 No problem, I've done it. You can also phrase it as a "prepay discount". Did that once with a client - 10 hours prepaid for $1000 against an hourly rate by the hour of $125 - $150 ( depending on how many hours were accrued in a billing period )
>>
>>You might also consider billing immediately on the first 8 hours with the understanding the invoice is due on receipt, so they are not really prepaying but the most they can burn you for is 8 hours and you know immediately if their word is good.
>>
>>2 With "off the shelf" stuff - basically "shareware" that goes numb after 30 days - this is pretty common. If you are talking about custom applications, just make sure it is very much in writing, you have a hell of a paper trail, and you don't do anything to mess up their data after 30 days.
>>
>>I'd say with custom work it would show a great deal of lack of faith in the client which means you either need a better relationship with the client or no relationship at all.