Deposits and no-shows
A deposit asks customers to pay part of the price, by card, when they book online. It secures the time slot, and you decide what happens to the money.
Deposits apply to online bookings only. Appointments you book on the Register, web or app never ask for one.
Set up a deposit
On the Register, open Scheduling, tap Online, and find Deposit. On the web, it's the Deposits section of Online booking. One setting covers every service.
| Setting | Register | Web |
|---|---|---|
| No deposit | No deposit | No deposit |
| A fixed amount | Fixed $, entered in cents: 2500 is $25.00 | Fixed amount |
| A percentage of the price | Percent %, up to 100 | Percent of service |
A fixed deposit is never more than the booking's total. The total includes add-ons, and with card pricing on it's the card price.
You need a connected Stripe account to take deposits. Deposits are card payments, so the usual fees apply.
Choose what happens to the deposit
| Option | Register | Web | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refundable | Refundable | Refund the deposit | Refunded automatically once the visit is completed. It isn't taken off the bill. This is the default. |
| Non-refundable | Non-refundable | Non-refundable | Kept as a booking fee. It isn't taken off the bill and is never refunded automatically. |
| Counts toward the service | Counts toward service | Keep as store credit | Taken off the bill when you check out the visit. |
Customers see the policy before they pay, for example A $25.00 deposit is required to confirm your booking (refundable).
How customers pay
When a deposit applies, the last button on the booking page is Continue to deposit. It opens a secure Stripe card page. The time is held for 15 minutes while they pay. If they back out or don't finish, the time is released and the page says Payment canceled.
Until the deposit is paid, the appointment shows as Booked on your board.
When customers cancel
If a customer cancels online before your Cancel window, a refundable deposit or one that counts toward the service is refunded automatically. A non-refundable deposit is kept. After the cancel window, customers can't cancel online and are told to contact you.
When you cancel or mark a no-show
Tapping Cancel or No-show on an appointment changes its status and nothing else. Paybrain doesn't charge a no-show fee, and the deposit stays with you.
To give a deposit back, open the appointment and tap Refund deposit under Online deposit. It refunds the deposit to the customer's card. On the Register this needs the Manage Appointments permission.
Deposits at checkout
When you check out a visit whose deposit counts toward the service, the deposit comes off the bill automatically. On the Register's payment screen you'll see Deposit applied. The receipt shows Deposit already paid.
- Sales tax is worked out on the full price. The deposit pays the bill; it doesn't lower the price.
- It's applied after any loyalty reward, and it can cover the tip.
- If the deposit covers the whole bill, there's nothing to charge. Tap Complete sale.
- The deposit can't take the total below zero.
See Check out a visit.