Down payment (also called a deposit in British English), is an initial up-front partial payment for the purchase of expensive items/services such as a car or a house. It is usually paid in cash or equivalent at the time of finalizing the transaction.

Is down payment one word or two?

down′ pay′ment

an initial amount given as partial payment at the time of purchase, as in installment buying.

What called down payment?

A down payment is a sum of money that a buyer pays in the early stages of purchasing an expensive good or service. The down payment represents a portion of the total purchase price, and the buyer will often take out a loan to finance the remainder.