Payment in advance — paying for goods or services before receipt (prepayment).
このサイトでは注文時に先払いが必要です。
This site requires prepayment at the time of ordering.
先払いだと割引が適用されることが多い。
Prepayment often qualifies for a discount.
サービスは先払い制になっているので、契約時に支払いを済ませてください。
The service operates on a prepayment basis, so please complete payment when signing the contract.
In some specific contexts the term can be used in contrast to prepayment to refer to payment upon delivery (contexts and usage vary by service/industry).
支払い方法は先払いか着払いか、注文画面で選択してください。
Please choose whether to use prepayment or payment on delivery on the order page.
郵便や業務連絡で『先払い／着払い』と表記されることがあるので、意味を確認しておこう。
You may see 'prepaid/collect' indicated in mail or business correspondence, so check the meaning.
Figuratively, can mean a forerunner or precursor — a sign or early occurrence of something to come (literary/figurative use).
彼女の公演は新しい潮流の先払いのように受け取られた。
Her performance was received as a forerunner of a new trend.