Turn it on
- 1Connect Stripe (ten minutes, from the Payments page). The deposit switch stays off until Stripe can charge.
- 2Under Online Booking, Payment, choose Collect payment: a deposit as a flat fee or a percentage of the service total, or the full amount.
- 3The booking form gains a final card step. The appointment is confirmed only when the payment succeeds, and the amount is shown on the confirmation text and the client's status page.
At the visit
Open the appointment and tap Check out. Checkout starts with the client's services, and what they paid online shows as a credit after tax and tip, so you take only the balance. The transaction records the prepaid amount, so your reports still show the full sale. If the client used a promo code when booking, that discount is applied at checkout too.
Your cancellation policy, on the form
- Write it in your own words: deposits, no-shows, late arrivals, whatever clients need to know.
- Choose Read only to show it, or Must agree to require a tick before the form can be sent.
- It appears on the appointment form and the online waitlist form, and the AI Receptionist quotes it when callers ask about cancellations.
Walk-ins are never charged
Deposits are for appointments. A client joining the walk-in waitlist from the kiosk, a QR sign or your website is never asked for a card. Most walk-in salons use deposits only for long services, braids, extensions, colour, where a no-show really costs, and leave the rest open.
Bookings made by phone
When the AI Receptionist books an appointment over the phone and payment at booking is on, the caller gets a text with a link to pay the deposit. The appointment is held either way, and the status page shows whether it has been paid, so the front desk can follow up or release the slot.