No-shows are the most expensive kind of empty slot, and a deposit is the simplest way to cut them right down. Your customer pays a small amount when they book, it comes off their bill on the day, and the bookings that were never serious quietly stop happening.
In this guide, you'll switch deposits on, choose how much to ask for, and see what your customers experience when they book.
Before you start
You'll need to connect your payout account once, so deposit money can reach your bank. It takes a couple of minutes, and you'll only do it the first time.
Turn deposits on
- In your dashboard, open Settings → Payments.
- Follow the prompts to connect your payout account, if you haven't already. This is where your deposits land.
- Find the Deposits section and switch it on.
Choose how much to ask for
One setting covers your whole booking page, so every booking is treated the same way. Choose one of:
- A percentage. A share of the booking's price, like 20%, so your bigger bookings are protected more.
- A fixed amount. A flat figure, like $20, whatever the booking costs. If a booking's total is smaller than the fixed amount, the customer simply pays the total, never more.
- The whole amount. The booking is paid in full up front, which suits things like paid workshops or classes.
A quick tip: a small deposit does the job. You're not trying to charge in advance, just turn a booking into a small commitment, and that alone is enough to change who turns up.
A service that shouldn't take a deposit, or should take more
Open the service in Services and find Deposit and fees. None means no deposit or card is asked for that service (consultations, cheap extras); Custom lets it be secured its own way: its own deposit (a percent of its price, a fixed amount or the whole price), or a card on file instead. A booking with several services adds their deposits up. Everything else follows the setting above.
Prefer to hold a card instead?
For your highest-value appointments, you can save a customer's card at booking rather than charge a deposit, and only charge an agreed fee if they don't show. It's never automatic; charging is always your decision, made from the booking itself. Choose Card on file in the same Payments settings.
What your customers see
When deposits are on, a short payment step appears between a customer's details and their confirmation. They pay, they're booked, and the amount is noted against their appointment so it comes off the bill when they arrive. Services that are free never ask for a card.
Taking a deposit at the desk
A booking you make yourself, over the phone or for someone standing at the counter, has a Payment section with three choices:
- Pay at the visit: nothing now.
- Send a link to pay: the customer pays the deposit on their own phone, by email or SMS. The amount is locked to what you quoted, and a gentle reminder follows if it goes unpaid.
- Take payment now: money changing hands right there. Type the amount, a deposit or the whole visit, and how they paid: cash, card on your own machine, bank transfer, other, or a gift card. It's written down against the booking; nothing is charged.
A deposit taken this way behaves exactly like one paid online: the confirmation says it's paid, it comes off the bill at close-out, a no-show keeps it, and a cancellation inside the free window means it goes back. The one difference is that money you took by hand goes back by hand. When a customer cancels online, the booking says Deposit to return and shows on Today until you've handed it back and pressed Record the return. When you cancel from the desk, the dialog asks where the deposit goes: back to them, as credit for next time, or not yet.
Any deposit going back can become credit for next time instead of money: it stays with you, by the customer's name, and comes off their next bill. See Customer credit.
Already booked and paying early? Open the booking and choose Take a deposit now. It shows only while the booking is upcoming and holds nothing yet; once the visit has started, the money is taken at close-out.
FAQs
What happens if a customer cancels?
If they cancel inside the cancellation window you've set, a deposit paid online is refunded automatically, with nothing for you to do. A deposit you took at the desk goes back by hand: the booking says Deposit to return until you've handed it over and recorded it. If they cancel too late, or don't show up at all, the deposit is yours either way.
Do I have to keep the deposit when someone no-shows?
Never. Keeping it is simply the default. A goodwill refund is one tap on the booking whenever the story deserves it, so being generous stays easy.
How long do refunds take to arrive?
A refund heads back to the same card and takes five to ten business days to appear. That's the bank's timing rather than ours, and it's worth saying so if a customer asks.
Can I take a deposit for a phone booking?
Yes, two ways. Send a link to pay and your customer pays on their own phone, the amount locked to what you quoted, with a gentle reminder if it goes unpaid. Or, if they pay you directly, choose Take payment now and write down how. Both show as a deposit paid.
Is my customers' card information safe?
Yes. Card details are handled by our accredited payments partner and never touch BeNotely or your team's screens. You'll only ever see that a card is on file, never the number.
Not sure what to charge?
Most businesses start with a small percentage, which scales itself: a quick, low-cost booking asks for very little, and a long afternoon of work is properly protected. You can change the amount or switch it off whenever you like, so it's easy to begin simple and adjust once you see how it feels. Changing the setting only affects new bookings; anything already booked keeps the terms it was made on.