How to take a deposit on a website?

So, my friend would like the ability to take deposits for his photography business via his website & i was wondering what the best way to go about this would be?

I know there will probably be some kind of fees involved, but..

Has anyone done something like this before?

If so, What is the best method? and why?

What are the costs involved per month or transaction?

Paypal is most popular, but I would never use it unless a gun was forced at my head; paypalsucks! Try using stripe. It's easy to get started and they just take a small percentage of the deposit. If your friend's business takes off than get a merchant account.