For orders over £1,000 ex-VAT, Expo Hire's deposit scheme lets you secure inventory months ahead with a 25% payment. Balance due 28 days before delivery.
The deposit scheme is used by event planners, corporate hospitality teams, festival and outdoor event organisers, wedding caterers, schools and universities, and any buyer who needs to secure large quantities of equipment for a fixed future date before the final headcount is confirmed.
The scheme is particularly useful for:
At checkout, orders over £1,000 ex-VAT display the deposit option alongside the full-payment option. Selecting the deposit option charges 25% of the total order value immediately. The remaining 75% is due 28 days before the delivery date.
Expo Hire sends a payment reminder with a payment link when the balance falls due. The balance can be paid by card or bank transfer. If you hold a trade account, the balance can be invoiced under your standard account terms — contact the team before the balance due date to arrange this.
Your order confirmation shows the full order cost, the deposit amount paid, and the balance due date. All three are fixed at the time of booking.
Popular hire lines — Chiavari chairs, round banqueting tables, white linen in standard sizes, dinner service crockery sets, wine glasses in volume — are in demand from multiple clients for the same dates. A summer Saturday in June or July can see 10 to 20 large events within a single depot region, all requiring the same core furniture and tableware.
Once the available stock for a date is committed to confirmed orders, later bookings find those items unavailable. The deposit scheme lets you commit the stock to your order before that happens, while giving you the option to pay the balance when the event date is closer and the final quantities are more settled.
If your guest count changes or you need to adjust quantities after paying the deposit, contact Expo Hire. We adjust the order and recalculate the balance due. Increases are subject to availability at the time of the change. Reductions are handled case by case — if the stock was removed from the live inventory at the time of your booking, a minimum charge may apply. The position is confirmed clearly before any change is made.
Cancellation terms are set out in the hire agreement. For orders cancelled well in advance of the delivery date, the deposit may be partially or fully refunded depending on how far out the cancellation falls and whether the stock was held exclusively for the event. Contact Expo Hire as soon as cancellation is known — the earlier the notice, the more options are available.
| Deposit scheme | Full payment at booking | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment at booking | 25% of order total | 100% of order total |
| Balance due | 28 days before delivery | Not applicable |
| Stock ring-fenced from | Moment deposit is paid | Moment of booking |
| Available on orders | Over £1,000 ex-VAT | All orders |
| Adjustments after booking | Subject to availability | Subject to availability |
Expo Hire accepts advance bookings up to 12 months ahead. The deposit scheme is available for any qualifying order placed within that window.
A payment reminder is sent automatically before the deadline. If you cannot make the payment on time, contact Expo Hire as soon as possible — the team can work out a solution before the delivery date becomes an issue.
Yes. Trade account holders can use the deposit scheme to secure stock in advance. The balance can be invoiced under standard account terms as the delivery date approaches — contact the team to arrange this before the 28-day balance due date.
No. The 25% is a booking deposit that forms part of the total hire cost. It is not a security deposit held against damage. Expo Hire does not charge a security deposit on any order. The Minor Damage Waiver covers accidental damage separately at no charge.
Yes, for any order over £1,000 ex-VAT. Items, quantities, delivery dates and prices are all fixed at the time of deposit. Changes after booking are subject to availability.