Yes. Milestone billing is standard practice for bespoke project work at Xylora Studios, linking payment stages directly to verified production deliverables. Package work is priced upfront on the packages page, whereas bespoke engagements define release criteria and payment schedules within your formal quote.
How milestone billing is structured
When commissioning bespoke work through our Creative or Technology departments, your project scope is partitioned into logical phases. Rather than billing solely against calendar dates, each milestone invoice is unlocked by the completion and presentation of specific project assets.
Operations & Client Services administers this framework. During the scoping phase, we outline the exact technical or design output required to conclude a milestone. A standard bespoke trajectory usually includes an initial deposit milestone, one or more intermediate development or design milestones, and a final sign-off milestone prior to production release or file transfer.
Referred clients eligible for a discount (typically 10-30%, confirmed in writing on the bespoke quote) will see this deduction applied proportionally across all scheduled milestone invoices. The referring party receives credit through our ambassador programme once milestone payments clear.
The milestone lifecycle
Every milestone follows a rigid operational sequence to ensure transparency and accountability on both sides:
1. Scoping and Agreement: You submit a complete brief. Operations & Client Services issues a bespoke quote within 48 hours. This document itemises every deliverable attached to each milestone. 2. Phase Commencement: The initial deposit milestone invoice is issued. Work begins only once this payment clears. Deposits are non-refundable once your production slot is held. Before work begins, sums not yet earned are refunded pro rata; after work begins, completed work and booked time are charged. Defects are fixed free of charge within the acceptance window. The full terms are on the Refund Policy page of the main site. 3. Production: Technology or Creative proceeds with development or asset creation during studio working hours (Monday to Thursday, 09:00-17:00 GMT). 4. Deliverable Presentation: Assets (staging links, design files, or code branches) are submitted for your inspection via the portal. 5. Review and Sign-off: You assess the deliverable against the criteria specified in the quote. Written sign-off confirms the milestone is met. 6. Subsequent Billing: Approval releases the invoice for the next milestone phase or final asset handover.
Client responsibilities and sign-off criteria
Milestones require unambiguous acceptance criteria. Subjective feedback cannot be used to hold a deliverable in limbo. For a milestone to be considered complete, deliverables must satisfy the technical and design specifications recorded in the signed project agreement.
To keep production running to schedule, you must supply:
- Timely, consolidated feedback during review windows.
- Brand assets, copy, credentials, or API keys specified at the start of the phase.
- Formal written acceptance via the portal or project channel.
Feedback submitted outside our core working hours (Monday to Thursday, 09:00-17:00 GMT) is logged and reviewed the following working morning. Our standard first-reply target across all active communications is 24 hours.
Handling delays, revisions, and failure cases
Issues occasionally arise during milestone evaluations. We manage these through established operational controls:
- Unmet Specifications: If a deliverable fails to match the technical or functional specification detailed in the scope of work, the producing department (Technology or Creative) corrects the issue within the current milestone at no additional cost.
- Scope Creep: If you request adjustments, new features, or design variations that sit outside the agreed milestone brief, these are separated from the current phase. Work on the milestone deliverable concludes against the original criteria, and the new scope is quoted separately by Operations & Client Services.
- Delayed Approval: Milestones stalled awaiting client feedback for more than ten consecutive working days are paused. Because studio production capacity is scheduled in advance, resurrecting a dormant milestone may require rescheduling subject to team availability.
- Disputed Handover: If consensus cannot be reached, the dispute is escalated directly to Operations & Client Services via the Ask Xylo chat on this portal.
Milestone readiness checklist
Before agreeing to a milestone schedule, confirm the following items are settled:
- The quote clearly states the exact deliverable tied to each invoice, rather than broad phase labels.
- Acceptance criteria are measurable (for instance, functional wireframes completed, staging site passing tests, or design system tokens exported).
- Any referral discounts (10-30%) are documented directly on the quote.
- Project assets and access credentials required for that specific phase are ready on your side.
- Team members responsible for signing off deliverables are available during our operating window (Monday to Thursday, 09:00-17:00 GMT).