Taxidermy Payment Plans: Offer Financing Without the Headache

By MountChief Editorial Team|Updated Mar 2026

A deer shoulder mount costs $600. An elk shoulder mount runs $900 to $1,200. A full-body black bear can run $2,500 to $3,000. These aren't impulse purchases for most hunters, and the people asking about payment plans are often your best long-term customers, just ones who need a few months to make the math work.

Offering payment plans closes more sales. It also creates more tracking work, more reminder calls, and more awkward conversations when someone misses a payment, unless you have a system for it.

MountChief tracks balances and sends automatic payment reminders. You offer a professional, structured payment option without becoming a collections department.

TL;DR

It's how you end up with a finished $700 mount that never gets picked up and a customer you can't reach.
These aren't impulse purchases for most hunters, and the people asking about payment plans are often your best long-term customers, just ones who need a few months to make the math work.
hunter paying $100/month for six months has made six decisions to remain committed to the job.
Your intake agreement should define this explicitly: if payments lapse for more than 30 days without communication, work pauses.
If payments lapse for more than 90 days, the deposit is forfeited and the job is considered abandoned.
Most people pay within 24 hours of a reminder, they haven't forgotten, they've just been busy.

Why Payment Plans Make Business Sense

The average deer shoulder mount costs $600 to $800. Offer to split that into three payments over six months and you'll close jobs you'd otherwise lose to the hunter who "needs to think about it."

Here's the honest math: a hunter standing in front of you in November with a fresh deer cape and no cash for the full deposit is either going to pay you in installments, find a cheaper taxidermist, or not get the mount done. You want that work. The fish is on the hook, payment plans let you land it.

Payment plans also reduce abandoned mounts. A hunter paying $100/month for six months has made six decisions to remain committed to the job. That's very different from the hunter who paid one deposit and hasn't thought about the mount since.

How to Structure a Taxidermy Payment Plan

Option 1: Deposit + milestone payments

30-50% deposit at intake
One or two intermediate payments at defined milestones (e.g., "when your hide returns from the tannery")
Balance due at pickup

This structure ties payments to production progress. Customers understand why they're paying at each stage.

Option 2: Fixed monthly installments

Small deposit at intake
Fixed monthly payment (e.g., $100/month)
Final payment at pickup

Better for high-value mounts where the customer needs to spread cost over time. Works well for bear, elk, and full-body mounts.

Option 3: Pay-in-full at pickup with no deposit

Don't do this. It's how you end up with a finished $700 mount that never gets picked up and a customer you can't reach.

Risks of Payment Plans, And How to Manage Them

Payment failures. Someone misses a payment in month four. What happens to a half-finished mount?

Your intake agreement should define this explicitly: if payments lapse for more than 30 days without communication, work pauses. If payments lapse for more than 90 days, the deposit is forfeited and the job is considered abandoned. Written agreement, signed at intake.

Tracking complexity. If you have 50 customers on payment plans, manually tracking who's paid what requires real attention. MountChief handles this, every job has a payment history, outstanding balance, and scheduled reminder dates. You see at a glance who's current and who's late.

Awkward reminder calls. Nobody likes calling a customer to say their payment is late. Automated payment reminders handle this without human discomfort. The customer gets a text, pays online, and the account updates. Most people pay within 24 hours of a reminder, they haven't forgotten, they've just been busy.

Setting Up Payment Plans in MountChief

At intake, set the total price and payment plan structure
Log the initial deposit
Schedule subsequent payment dates and amounts
MountChief sends automatic reminders before each payment date
Customer receives a payment link via text or email
Payment logged against the job record automatically
Outstanding balance visible at any time

You're not chasing anybody. The system does it. When a payment comes in, you see it. When it doesn't, you see that too, and you can choose to follow up personally or let the automated reminder continue.

What to Put in Your Payment Plan Agreement

Your intake form should include:

Total quoted price
Deposit amount and payment date
Remaining installment amounts and due dates
Policy for missed payments (work pause at 30 days, forfeiture at 90 days)
Policy for changes to mount specifications after deposit
Pickup policy (balance due before mount leaves the shop)

MountChief's intake forms include configurable payment agreement language. Get it signed digitally at intake and it's attached to the job record permanently.

FAQ

How do payment plans work for taxidermy?

A taxidermy payment plan splits the total mount price across multiple payments, typically a deposit at intake and installments during production. The customer pays incrementally over the 6 to 12 months the mount is in process, with the final payment due at pickup. Most shops structure plans as fixed monthly amounts or milestone-based payments tied to production stages.

What are the risks of offering payment plans as a taxidermist?

The main risks are payment defaults and abandoned mounts. Both are manageable with a clear written agreement at intake that defines what happens when payments lapse. Automated payment reminders reduce default rates significantly, most payment failures are forgetfulness, not intent. For customers who genuinely can't complete payments, your signed intake agreement defines your rights to the mount and forfeited deposits.

How do I set up automatic payment reminders?

MountChief includes built-in payment tracking and automated reminders. At intake, you set the payment schedule. The system sends SMS or email reminders before each payment date with a direct payment link. Payments are logged automatically. You see the full payment history and outstanding balance for every job in your dashboard without any manual tracking.

How does this apply to solo taxidermy shops?

The principles in this guide apply to solo shops just as they do to larger operations, though the scale differs. A single-person shop may have lower absolute volume but faces the same documentation, compliance, and customer communication requirements. The practical advice here scales down to any shop size.

What is the most common mistake taxidermists make with taxidermy payment plans?

The most common mistake is treating taxidermy payment plans as an afterthought rather than building it into the standard workflow from the start. Shops that encounter problems in this area typically did not establish clear processes before season, which means every situation becomes a one-off decision rather than a standard response.

Try These Free Tools

Put these insights into practice with our free calculators and planners:

Sources

National Taxidermists Association (NTA)
US Fish & Wildlife Service
Small Business Administration (SBA)

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