noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
payment in advance; advance payment; prepayment
Paying before receiving goods or services. Common in business and everyday transactions.
See also: 前払い
このホテルは先払い制です。
This hotel requires payment in advance.
商品を先払いで注文した。
I ordered the product with advance payment.
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
payment on delivery; collect on delivery
Used for services where the sender pays in advance, such as business-reply mail or collect calls. The opposite of 着払い (payment by recipient).
See also: 着払い (ちゃくばらい)
返信用封筒は先払いでお送りします。
We will send the reply envelope with postage paid.
コレクトコールは先払いになります。
Collect calls are paid by the sender.
noun
Rare, literary use for something that comes before and signals a later development.
この発明は現代コンピューターの先払いと言える。
This invention can be called a forerunner of the modern computer.