paying upfront; upfront payment; prepayment
Refers to paying before receiving goods or services, often in contexts like restaurants, bars, or online orders.
This shop requires upfront payment, so please pay at the register first.
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.