A mid-project charge is legitimate when it pays for work outside the agreed list, and a warning sign when it pays for work already agreed — the test is whether the scope changed or only the price did. You can usually settle it in one question.
Public complaint records show both versions. One buyer described paying ₹2,000 as a booking amount, then being asked for ₹3,000 more before anything appeared. Another was pushed to pay in full before completion, having agreed to pay half. Neither involved new work being requested.
The moment it happens
They’re asking for more money to “continue” my website — is that a scam? The request usually arrives at an awkward point: after the design is approved, before the site is live. The moment when stopping feels expensive.
That timing isn’t always deliberate. It’s also just when the remaining work becomes visible. But it does mean you’re being asked to decide under pressure, which is why having a written scope matters more than having good instincts.
Legitimate versus not
Ask one question: “Which item on our agreed list does this cover?” The answer sorts it immediately.
| Request | Usually fair | Usually not |
|---|---|---|
| Extra pages beyond the agreed count | ✓ if the per-page rate was stated | ✗ if pages were in the original list |
| A feature you added later (booking, payments, multilingual) | ✓ | — |
| Content writing you assumed was included | ✓ if the quote said client-supplied | ✗ if the quote said content included |
| Payment gateway or third-party fees | ✓ these are real external costs | — |
| “Server/hosting charge” you didn’t expect | ✓ if year-one hosting was excluded in writing | ✗ if hosting was “included” |
| More money “to continue the work” | — | ✗ no deliverable attached |
| Full payment before completion | — | ✗ contradicts agreed milestones |
The pattern worth refusing is the last two rows: a payment request that names no deliverable and changes no scope. That isn’t a price adjustment; it’s a change to the payment terms you already agreed.
How to respond without blowing up the project
You may still want this project finished, so aim for clarity rather than confrontation.
- Ask what it covers, in writing. “Happy to look at this — which item is it for, and what was the original scope line?” A legitimate charge gets a clear answer within a message or two.
- Ask for it as a revised quote, not a request. Item, amount, revised delivery date. This converts an ask into a decision you can evaluate.
- If it’s genuinely new work you want, agree it and pay — but attach it to the existing deadline in the same message so scope creep doesn’t quietly become a schedule excuse.
- If it isn’t, say so plainly once: “This was in the original scope, so I’ll be paying the balance at go-live as agreed.” Then hold.
- Don’t pay the full balance early to keep goodwill. The remaining payment is the main thing keeping the project active.
If the reply to a refusal is that work will stop, you’re no longer negotiating a price — you’re being asked to buy continuation. At that point, decide whether the amount is worth more or less than the delay and the disruption of moving, and ask for the domain, hosting and files either way.
Preventing it next time
Almost all of this is designed out at the quote stage with three lines in a message: the deliverables list, the per-item rate for anything beyond it, and the payment milestones tied to stages rather than dates. Vendors who work this way rarely produce mid-project surprises, because there’s nothing left undefined to surprise you with.
What to do this week
- Find the original quote and read what it actually listed. Most disputes resolve here.
- Reply asking which scope item the charge covers.
- Ask for a revised quote with a revised delivery date rather than paying against a message.
- Keep the final payment for go-live, whatever else you agree.
- If work stops, request domain, hosting and files in one written message.
If you want it done the certain way
We publish prices and put the scope and date in writing, so there’s no room for a mid-project renegotiation — the price on the page is the price on the bill. If your current project is close to done, we’ll usually tell you to finish it rather than switch. WhatsApp us; we reply in about five minutes between 9am and 7pm.
Related reading
- The hidden costs of a website nobody mentions until later
- How much advance is safe to pay a web developer?
- The final-payment standoff
- Developer took the advance and disappeared: recovery steps
FAQ
Can a web developer legally ask for more money than the quote?
For work outside the agreed scope, yes — that’s a normal variation. For work already covered by the quote, the original agreement stands, which is why a written deliverables list is worth more than any argument afterwards.
What if I refuse and they stop working?
Then you’re deciding between the disputed amount and the cost of moving. Either way, ask immediately for the domain authorisation code, hosting login and files, so the half-built work isn’t lost along with the argument.
Is it normal to pay in full before the site is live?
It isn’t the norm, and it removes your remaining leverage. Milestone payments — with the final instalment at go-live — protect both sides better than full prepayment.
