Pencilled in, never paid
The diary for the late May half term has three bookings marked in pencil with "deposit to follow" beside them. One customer said she would pay when she got paid. One said he would drop cash in at the weekend. One asked for your bank details, which someone read out over the phone, and nothing has arrived since.
You are holding three runs for people who may or may not turn up. Meanwhile you have told at least two other callers that you are full. Nobody wants to ring a customer to ask for money, so the chase slips to the bottom of the list, and by the time someone does ring, the customer has booked another kennels and forgotten to tell you.
Why deposits slip through
The booking and the payment happen in different places. The booking is in the diary or kennel software, the payment is a bank transfer, a card over the phone or cash at the desk, and there is nothing linking one to the other.
- Bank transfers arrive with references like "dog" or the customer's surname misspelt, so matching them to a booking is a job for the owner on a Sunday night.
- Phone card payments need someone free at the desk with the card machine.
- There is no fixed point at which an unpaid booking is released, so holds last indefinitely.
- Reminders depend on someone remembering to send them, and nobody enjoys that job.
The deposit policy is usually clear on your website or booking form. The gap is that nothing enforces it without a person doing it by hand.
What unpaid holds cost you
In peak weeks every run held for a no-show is a run you could have let. In quieter months unpaid bookings matter less, but they still make your occupancy look better than it is, which makes staffing decisions harder.
Chasing also costs goodwill. A call about money that comes weeks after the booking feels awkward for both sides, and staff are understandably reluctant to make it. Then there is the reconciliation: working out at the end of the month which transfers belong to which bookings, and who still owes a balance at collection.
Deposits built into the booking
We connect the booking step to a payment step so a deposit is asked for, reminded and recorded without anyone picking up the phone.
- When a booking is made, by phone or online, the customer gets a confirmation with a card payment link for the deposit, through Stripe or the payment provider you already use.
- The booking shows as provisional in your diary until the payment clears, then switches to confirmed with the amount recorded against it.
- Unpaid provisional bookings get reminders at the intervals you choose, polite and signed from your business.
- If the deadline in your terms passes, the booking is flagged for release. You can set it to release automatically or to go to a person for a decision, which suits regulars.
- Released runs go straight back into availability and, if you have one, to your waiting list.
- Deposits and balances are pushed to Xero, QuickBooks or your accounts package, matched to the booking, so there is no end-of-month guessing.
| Booking state | What the customer sees | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Provisional | Confirmation with a payment link | Held run, deposit outstanding |
| Reminder sent | A friendly nudge with the same link | Date of each reminder |
| Confirmed | Receipt and booking details | Deposit amount and date paid |
| Past deadline | Nothing until staff decide | Flag to release or extend |
The amount, the deadline and whether deposits are refundable stay entirely your decision. We build to your terms, and your accountant or adviser is the right person for questions about how deposits are treated.
A diary you can trust
The diary shows what is actually confirmed. Provisional bookings are visibly different, and there is a list of which ones are close to their deadline. Nobody has to ring anyone about money unless they choose to.
At collection, the balance due is already worked out, with the deposit taken off, so the desk is not scrolling through a banking app while the owner waits with their dog.
Signs you need this
- Bookings sit in your diary marked "deposit to follow" for weeks.
- You match bank transfers to bookings by hand.
- You have held a peak run for someone who never arrived.
- Staff avoid making deposit reminder calls.
- You cannot quickly list which bookings are unpaid.