Protect Your Revenue with Upfront Deposits
Turn on Require Payment for a service and choose Full Payment or Deposit Only, with the deposit as a percentage or a fixed amount.
The client pays at booking, and an invoice is created automatically (Paid or Partially Paid). After a deposit, the remaining balance is invoiced so the client pays it from the invoice link; it is never charged to a card automatically. Your cancellation deadline and minimum notice control self-service changes: before the deadline a client can cancel with the manage-booking link, and a cancelled Stripe booking is refunded in full automatically. After the deadline the client can no longer cancel online, so you decide case by case whether to refund. PayPal and Square refunds are manual, and clients can't self-cancel paid PayPal or Square bookings. SchedulingKit doesn't charge no-show or late-cancellation fees automatically.
On Standard and above, require a deposit or full payment when clients book, per service, through Stripe, PayPal or Square. Clients commit money up front, and your cancellation deadline decides how late they can still cancel themselves. Explore All Features.
Why Deposits & Upfront Payments Matters
On Standard and above, require a deposit or full payment when clients book, per service, through Stripe, PayPal or Square. Clients commit money up front, and your cancellation deadline decides how late they can still cancel themselves. Turn on Require Payment for a service and choose Full Payment or Deposit Only, with the deposit as a percentage or a fixed amount. The client pays at booking, and an invoice is created automatically (Paid or Partially Paid). After a deposit, the remaining balance is invoiced so the client pays it from the invoice link; it is never charged to a card automatically. Your cancellation deadline and minimum notice control self-service changes: before the deadline a client can cancel with the manage-booking link, and a cancelled Stripe booking is refunded in full automatically. After the deadline the client can no longer cancel online, so you decide case by case whether to refund. PayPal and Square refunds are manual, and clients can't self-cancel paid PayPal or Square bookings. SchedulingKit doesn't charge no-show or late-cancellation fees automatically.
As part of SchedulingKit's scheduling platform, deposits & upfront payments works alongside your connected calendars, notifications and client records.
Deposits & Upfront Payments Capabilities
Key Features
Deposits & Upfront Payments Use Cases
How It Works
How It Works
Deposits & Upfront Payments — SchedulingKit
Example step 1: Require a deposit
A lash studio on Standard sets its $120 lash extension service to Deposit Only, 25%, through Stripe.
Example step 1: Require a deposit
Step 2: Client pays at booking
A client books Friday at 2pm and pays $30. An invoice marked Partially Paid is created automatically.
Step 2: Client pays at booking
Step 3: Cancellation rules apply
The studio's cancellation deadline is 24 hours. A client who cancels on Wednesday gets the $30 refunded automatically by Stripe; after Thursday 2pm the online cancel option is gone.
Step 3: Cancellation rules apply
Step 4: Balance after the visit
After the appointment the studio sends the $90 balance invoice, and the client pays it from the invoice link.
Step 4: Balance after the visit
Deposits & Upfront Payments Best Practices
Learn more
- 1
Many businesses set deposits at 20 to 50% of the service price: enough to show commitment without putting off new clients.
- 2
Write your cancellation policy in the service description so clients read it before paying.
- 3
Set a cancellation deadline (for example 24 hours) that matches your policy, so late online cancellations aren't possible.
- 4
Use Stripe if you want client cancellations before the deadline to be refunded automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Deposits & Upfront Payments
Further Reading
- G2: Appointment Scheduling Reviews — Peer-reviewed ratings of scheduling tools.
- Capterra: Scheduling Software Reviews — Compare features and pricing across platforms.
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