What should a cake order contract include, and how do I get it signed online?
A custom cake contract needs six clauses: what the deposit secures and when the balance is due, what you keep if the customer cancels or postpones, what the customer must tell you about allergies, how late the design can change and what an inspiration photo means, when responsibility passes at handover, and the rules for hired stands. Send it as a PDF for e-signature and the customer can sign on their phone in a couple of minutes, before you take the booking.
The clauses
Six clauses for a custom cake order
- Deposit and balance. The amount, that it holds the date, what part is non-refundable, and the balance due date, usually 7 to 14 days before the event. See how much deposit to take.
- Cancellation and postponement. What you keep at each stage of notice, and whether a moved date is honoured subject to availability.
- Allergens. The customer tells you in writing about every allergy in the party, and your kitchen handles the major allergens, so you cannot promise a cake free of traces.
- Design changes and inspiration photos. The last date for changes to size, flavour and design, commonly 2 to 4 weeks before the event, and that inspiration photos are a guide, not a replica order.
- Delivery, set-up and handover. Where responsibility passes to the customer or venue, and what happens if the venue is not open or ready at the agreed time.
- Hire items. When hired stands come back, the refundable deposit on them and the charge if they do not.
The longer version, with wording to adapt, is in the terms worth getting signed for custom cake orders.
Getting it signed in ibakepro
ibakepro sends any PDF for e-signature from the Vault in Business, on every plan and with no fee per document. You place the signature, initials, date and text fields once and save the layout as a template, so the wedding contract you send every week is set up a single time. The customer confirms their email with a code and signs on any device, and the signed copy, sealed with a certificate of completion showing who signed and when, is emailed to both of you and filed against that customer.
It is a simple electronic signature, which suits order contracts, catering agreements, supply agreements and venue paperwork. More on the e-sign page.