A sum of money paid in advance as part of a contract, especially in real estate or large purchases, to show commitment.
When purchasing the property, I paid 1,000,000 yen as a deposit.
The deposit may or may not be returned when the contract is cancelled.
手付金 is a deposit paid to secure a contract (e.g. buying property), while デポジット covers a wider range of everyday security payments.
手付金 is a down payment or earnest money paid to secure a purchase contract, whereas 保証金 is money held as a guarantee against future damages or default.
Standard kanji spelling for this term.
Alternate kanji spelling using 付け; both forms are used.
Compound of 手付け (てつけ, 'deposit') + 金 (きん, 'money'). The term is straightforward and transparent.