Dic: up front

1. in the forefront; under fire (at the front).

• You guys who are up front are gonna get the most fire.
• You two go up front and see if you can help.

2. Fig. at the beginning; in advance.

• She wanted $200 up front.
• The more you pay up front, the less you'll have to finance.

3. Fig. open; honest; forthcoming.

• She is a very up front gal—trust her.
• I wish the salesman had been more up front about it.

.... McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

Cf.

up front: if you give someone an amount of money up front, you pay them before they start a job

• Did you pay up front or are you waiting till they've finished the job?

.... Cambridge Idioms Dictionary

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/up+front