Confirm what a customer accepted before starting paid work

Turn the discussion into a defined deliverable

Use concrete nouns and boundaries. Instead of saying “the website updates,” identify the pages or materials to be changed, the expected form of the handoff, and any agreed limit on revisions or included work. If something remains undecided, say so and leave it outside the approved scope until it is resolved.

The goal is not to anticipate every possible issue. It is to make the proposed work recognizable to the customer. Ask whether your summary matches their understanding, especially if the conversation included several options or changed direction.

Explain how the price is calculated

Name the amount or rate agreed in the conversation and say what it applies to: a fixed deliverable, a time-based engagement, a recurring service, or another stated basis. If the amount depends on an estimate, clarify that it is an estimate rather than a fixed total. Explain any agreed assumptions, such as the amount of work included or whether additional requests need a separate approval.

Avoid vague wording such as “usual rates apply” when the customer needs to approve a specific commitment. If you cannot yet provide a clear price basis, say what information is missing and ask for it before seeking authorization.

Name the approval that is still needed

End with a direct request for written authorization. For example, ask the customer to reply that they approve the stated deliverable and price basis and want you to begin. A question such as “Does this look okay?” may invite feedback but leave it unclear whether the customer has authorized paid work.

Make the pause explicit: state that you will not start the paid work until they confirm. Do not treat a meeting, a positive reaction, silence, or a request to discuss details as approval. If the customer asks for a change, revise the summary and request confirmation of the new version.

A concise confirmation message

For a small project, a short message can cover the essentials without sounding like a contract. Replace the bracketed fields with the actual terms, and remove any line that does not apply. The example uses fictional addresses.

To: [customer@example.com]
Subject: Please confirm the project scope and start

Hi [Customer name],

Here is my understanding of the proposed work:

Deliverable: [specific item, quantity or pages, and handoff format]
Not included: [important exclusions, or “no additional items agreed”]
Price basis: [fixed amount or rate and what it covers]
Estimate or limits: [assumptions, included time, or what would require a separate approval]

Please reply confirming that you approve this deliverable and price basis and want me to begin. I will keep the paid work on hold until I receive your written go-ahead. If anything above is different from your understanding, please tell me what to change.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Check the reply before you begin

Read the customer’s response against the full summary. A clear reply should identify approval or an intention to proceed, not merely acknowledge receipt. If the customer approves the deliverable but questions the price, or approves the price but changes the scope, the terms are not yet aligned. Reply with the corrected summary and wait for confirmation of that version.

If approval comes through a conversation or another channel, send the agreed terms in writing and ask the customer to confirm them there before starting. Keep the exchange available to both sides. This creates a useful record of what was approved, but it should not be presented as a guarantee of legal proof or as a substitute for any separate process the work may require.

A final pause-point checklist

You can confirm the process worked by comparing the written approval with the summary: the customer has authorized the same deliverable on the same stated price basis, and no open question changes either one. If that match is missing, the next step is clarification—not paid work.

• The deliverable and its boundaries are specific enough to identify.
• The price basis and any relevant assumptions are stated plainly.
• The customer has explicitly approved the current version in writing.
• Any requested changes have been incorporated and approved before work begins.