Booking deposits: enough to make it real, not a hostage negotiation

A customer saying "definitely interested" is pleasant. It doesn't pay for the materials you ordered or the Saturday you kept free.

A booking deposit is a part payment towards the agreed service. It can help customers commit and help you cover preparations, provided the amount and terms make sense for the work.

It is different from a refundable security bond held against damage. Calling both things "the deposit" is an efficient way to schedule a future argument.

Start with the exposure, not a favourite percentage

Look at what happens when you accept the booking.

Do you purchase supplies? Reserve a whole day? Arrange a subcontractor? Turn away other work? Could you resell the slot with a week's notice, but struggle with two hours?

Write those answers down before choosing an amount.

A short appointment and a bespoke event have different costs and different chances of being rebooked. A universal "50% for everything" rule may be easy to remember, but that doesn't make it suitable.

For Australian work, check the rules relevant to the industry and state before setting your deposit. The ACCC's contract guidance explains why your terms must also respect consumer rights.

Make the maths obvious

For illustration, a $600 service with a $120 booking deposit leaves a $480 balance.

The customer should see all three figures. They should also know when the balance is due.

If you use a percentage, show the dollar amount at the point of payment. "20% today" makes the customer do a calculation the booking system should already know.

A deposit comes off the price. If you charge a separate booking fee, label it separately and include it in the price information as required. Renaming money does not make customers enjoy surprises.

Explain what happens when plans change

Before taking payment, cover cancellations, rescheduling, changes to the scope and cancellation by your business.

Avoid an unexplained "non-refundable" badge. Whether money can be retained depends on the terms and applicable law, not the strength of the font.

If a customer moves the booking, explain whether the payment carries over. If the service changes, recalculate the outstanding amount and confirm the revised agreement.

Keep a record of the terms accepted at booking. Quietly changing the policy later won't clarify the original arrangement.

Know when full payment or payment later is simpler

For a small fixed-price class, full payment may be simpler than creating a tiny deposit and an even tinier balance.

For uncertain repair work, a paid diagnostic visit can be clearer than taking part payment against a job you haven't priced.

For established commercial customers, agreed payment terms may fit better. Consider the customer relationship and your exposure together.

Choose the arrangement with the fewest loose ends for that job. A $10 balance that takes three messages to collect has not improved your afternoon.

Match the payment setup to the promise

In Bookables, services can support prepaid or postpaid arrangements. Pro staged payments let you split a booking into a percentage, fixed amount or remaining balance, with separate due dates and payment links.

To request part payment, use that staged-payment workflow: agree the booking price, add the deposit stage and send its payment link. Selecting a prepaid service means payment in full; it doesn't create a percentage-deposit checkout.

Read how Bookables payments work and create an account to test a sample booking.

A customer should be able to answer three questions without contacting you: what am I paying now, what remains, and what happens if the booking changes?