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A deposit is the simplest way to cut no-shows and protect your time. Here’s how to set one that’s fair, clear and easy for customers to accept.
An empty slot costs you money you can’t get back. A deposit makes customers commit to their booking, and if they don’t turn up, it means you’re not left with nothing. Most customers are happy to pay one, as long as it’s reasonable and the rules are clear up front.
Deposits make most sense when:
For short, low-price appointments with regulars, you may decide a deposit isn’t worth it. You can always start with deposits for new customers or bigger services only.
There isn’t one right figure. Many businesses choose either a fixed amount or a percentage of the price. Whatever you pick, keep it in proportion to what you’d actually lose if the customer didn’t turn up: your time, any materials, and the chance to fill the slot. A deposit that’s far bigger than your real loss is more likely to put customers off and harder to justify if challenged.
Set out your rules before anyone books, and keep them simple:
Example wording: “A deposit is taken when you book and comes off your final bill. Cancel or rearrange more than 24 hours before your appointment and we’ll move your deposit or refund it. Cancellations within 24 hours and no-shows lose the deposit.”
In the UK, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says terms in contracts with consumers must be fair, and unfair terms can’t be enforced against them. In practice that means your deposit should be reasonable, the rules should be easy to find and understand before the customer pays, and you should apply them consistently. If you’re unsure about your own terms, it’s worth getting advice for your type of business.
The best time to take a deposit is at the moment of booking, online, so there’s no chasing. With Bookuro you set your own deposit and cancellation rules for each service, customers pay securely when they book, and reminders go out automatically before the appointment.
Bookuro makes this easier. Free to join, 0% commission and unlimited bookings, with deposits, cancellation rules, automatic reminders and your own booking QR code built in.
Yes. Each business sets its own deposit and cancellation rules on Bookuro, for example keeping 50% if a customer cancels within 4 hours.
Yes. Customers pay securely at the time of booking, so you don’t need to chase payment.
Usually, yes. Most customers expect the deposit to count towards the price of the service when they turn up.
You can if your deposit and cancellation terms say so, the customer could see them before booking, and the terms are fair. UK consumer law doesn’t let businesses enforce unfair terms.
No. Bookuro charges businesses 0% commission on bookings.
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