noun
paying upfront; upfront payment; prepayment
Refers to paying before receiving goods or services, often in contexts like restaurants, bars, or online orders.
この店は前会計なので、先にレジで支払ってください。
This shop requires upfront payment, so please pay at the register first.
ネット通販では前会計が一般的だ。
Prepayment is common for online shopping.
前払い is a more general term for advance payment, while 前会計 often implies paying at a counter before being served.
Compound of 前 (まえ, 'before') and 会計 (かいけい, 'accounting, bill'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the meaning is transparent from its components.