How to Get Paid for Selling Websites

The owner said yes. Now comes the part a lot of new sellers wing, and then regret: actually getting the money. A handshake and "just pay me when it's done" works until it doesn't. A little structure up front saves you from the client who goes silent after launch.

None of this needs to be complicated. You need four things: a written agreement, a deposit, an easy way to pay, and records.

Step 1: put the deal in writing

This doesn't need to be a legal document. A clear email the owner replies "approved" to is a big step up from a verbal yes. It should cover:

• What you're building: number of pages or sections, the main features (tap-to-call, contact form, photo gallery)
• The price: setup fee, monthly fee if any
• What the monthly fee covers: hosting, domain, small edits, and what counts as small
• Payment terms: how much is due when
• Timeline: roughly when it'll be live, and that it depends on getting their info and photos
• Domain ownership: whose name it's registered in, and that they keep it if they leave
• Cancellation: how to cancel a monthly plan, and what happens to the site

The email templates guide has a proposal email you can adapt. If you start doing bigger projects, consider a proper contract, and if you're unsure what you need, it's worth talking to someone qualified in your area.

Step 2: take a deposit

A deposit protects you from building a full site for someone who disappears. It also signals the owner is serious.

Common ways to structure it:

• Half up front, half at launch. The classic split for a one-time build.
• The full setup fee up front. Reasonable for small, simple sites, especially if the preview is already done and they've approved it.
• First month plus setup up front for monthly plans.

Don't start the final work until the deposit arrives. That's normal practice and owners understand it.

Step 3: send a payment link

Make paying as easy as tapping a button. Most owners will pay on their phone, right after they say yes. Common options:

• Stripe: payment links, invoices, and recurring billing for monthly plans
• PayPal: invoices and payment links; many owners already have an account
• Square: popular with storefront businesses that already use it at the counter
• Venmo for business, Zelle, and similar: quick, but check what each offers for business payments and records before relying on them
• A check: still common with some trades and older owners; fine, just track it

Pick one or two and use them consistently. Each charges its own fees, so look at those and factor them into your price.

Your payment link should show your name or business name, what it's for, and the amount. Send it with a one-line message:

Step 4: invoice properly

Even when you use a payment link, give the owner an invoice or receipt. Many businesses need one for their own bookkeeping, and it makes you look professional. Most payment tools generate them automatically.

A basic invoice includes:

• Your name or business name and contact info
• Their business name
• Date and invoice number
• What it's for ("Website setup" or "Website hosting and edits, [month]")
• Amount and payment status

Monthly billing

If you charge monthly, set up recurring billing so the payment happens automatically. Chasing a small invoice from every client every month gets old fast.

• Use a tool that supports subscriptions or recurring invoices.
• Pick a consistent billing date.
• Make sure the owner knows the amount and the date it'll charge.
• Send a receipt each time (most tools do this for you).

The monthly vs one-time guide covers whether monthly makes sense for you.

When someone pays late

It'll happen eventually. Usually it's not malicious. Owners are busy and a card expired.

1. A few days late: a friendly reminder.
2. A week or two late: a second reminder, still friendly, with the link again.
3. Further out: a clear note that the site will be paused on a specific date if it isn't sorted out.

Something like:

Be clear and polite. Never change their site to something embarrassing or hold their domain hostage. If it comes to pausing the site, do it cleanly and tell them how to restore it.

Refunds and disputes

Decide your refund policy before you need it, and mention it in your agreement. A common, fair approach: the deposit covers work already done, and if they cancel before launch, you keep the deposit and hand over what exists. If a client is genuinely unhappy, a partial refund is often cheaper than a long argument.

Keep records

Track every payment: date, client, amount, what it was for, and how it was paid. A spreadsheet is fine at the start. Most payment tools also give you a downloadable history.

Also track what you spend on the business: tools, domains, hosting, phone costs.

Side income usually has tax rules attached, and they vary a lot depending on where you live. Keep good records from your very first payment, and check your local rules (or ask a tax professional) about what you need to report and set aside. It's far easier to do from the start than to reconstruct a year later.

Rover never handles your money or your clients' money. The business pays you directly through whatever payment link you use. Rover's part is everything before the yes: finding businesses, building their preview, and writing the call script, voicemail, text and email.