What is the impact of contract termination on JSS?

[termen]

Hello everyone!

I have a prepaid contract (30% paid). The client's plans change and he asks to terminate the contract (he leaves the prepayment to me).

How will the terminated contract affect JSS?

[ericaandrews]

If he only put 30% of the money for the contract or milestone in escrow, AND you didn't perform any work on the contract yet, your best bet is to close the contract on your own and issue a refund.  If you didn't perform any work YET, it's also the HONEST thing to do to refund the money to the client

[hashmizaid]

If you have worked for some time on this contract, feel free to accept the prepayment and end the contract; it will not affect your JSS because the client and you are ending the contract with a mutually agreed prepayment and possibly he will give you a good rating for your work done so far.

But if you have not worked on this contract at all, I'll suggest you not take the money and give an option to the client first whether he would like a full or partial refund and may insist a little bit more so that he doesn't think of you as some greedy professional. If he still wants to prepay you the 30% payment without you working on anything, happily accept and welcome him courteously for any future collaborations. This is what I would do ethically. Now, terminating the contract and leaving a 5-star rating to your client may not negatively affect your JSS unless your client does the opposite. Ask yourself whether the client would even want to give you a 5-star or any rating at all if he thinks that you digested the prepayment without working on anything under this contract; as I said he possibly may think you are unfair and unprofessional for not even discussing the possibility of refund. And suppose if he rates you low privately or publicly while ending the contract, it would definitely affect your JSS negatively.