The deposit that nobody can find
Your policy says that colour appointments over a certain length need a deposit. A client books a balayage over the phone and the receptionist takes card details and puts the deposit through. Another books the same service online and no deposit is taken, because online booking was never set up for it. A third paid a deposit in March, moved the appointment twice, and when she finally comes in during May, nobody can see that she has already paid.
At the till, the receptionist searches for the deposit on the booking. It is not there, because it was recorded as a sale on the day it was taken. The client insists she paid. She is probably right.
Why deposits go wrong
Deposits are often taken in a different way from everything else: over the phone, on the card machine, recorded as a sale or an account credit. The link to the appointment is loose, and it breaks when the appointment moves.
Online booking often does not ask for a deposit, so the policy is only applied to phone bookings. Clients booking online get a better deal than clients who ring, which is not what you intended.
And the policy itself is applied inconsistently. Regulars are let off, new clients are not, and the rules about refunding or transferring deposits are applied differently depending on who is on the desk.
What that costs
| Problem | Effect |
|---|---|
| Deposits not taken online | Policy only applied to phone bookings |
| Deposits not linked to the booking | Lost when appointments move |
| Disputes at the till | Awkward conversations and refunds |
| Card details taken by phone | Staff time and handling you would rather avoid |
| Policy applied unevenly | Some clients treated differently |
Your deposit terms, including when deposits are refunded or kept, are yours to set within the law that applies to your business. We give no legal advice. We make the terms work consistently.
How we make deposits work
- You set the rule: which colour services need a deposit, how much, and whether it varies for new and existing clients.
- Online bookings for those services take the deposit at the point of booking through your payment provider, such as Stripe or your salon software's own payments.
- Phone bookings get a secure payment link by text, so the receptionist no longer takes card details over the phone. The booking is held until the deposit is paid or a time limit passes.
- The deposit is attached to the appointment, not recorded as a separate sale, so if the booking moves, the deposit moves with it.
- Your cancellation terms decide what happens if the client cancels, and the system applies them the same way every time.
- At the till, the deposit is deducted automatically from the final bill.
Phorest, Fresha, Shortcuts and similar systems all support deposits in some form. We check what yours does and set it up properly before building anything extra.
A normal week with deposits sorted
A new client books a colour correction consultation followed by the colour online on Sunday night, paying the deposit as she books. A regular client rings for a balayage and gets a payment link by text while still on the phone. When she moves the appointment a week later, the deposit moves with it. At the till, both deposits are already deducted.
- Deposits taken for online and phone bookings alike
- No card details taken over the phone
- Deposits follow the appointment when it moves
- Deposits deducted at the till automatically
The receptionist no longer has to decide on the spot whether to ask a regular for a deposit. The rule decides, and any exception is a deliberate choice.
Does this happen at your desk?
- Online colour bookings are taken without a deposit.
- Deposits are taken by reading card details over the phone.
- Deposits are hard to find when appointments move.
- Clients dispute deposits at the till.
- Your deposit policy depends on who is on the desk.