An appointment deposit policy is a short set of rules a client agrees to when they book: how much they pay up front, what that money is applied to, how late they can cancel or reschedule, when it’s refunded, and what happens if they don’t show up. Keep it to a few plain sentences, show it before the client pays, and repeat it in the confirmation email.
Below is a template you can fill in, followed by advice on picking the numbers, wording it kindly, and setting it up on your booking website. One note up front: this is not legal advice. Rules on deposits, refunds and card charges vary by state, so check your own before you publish.
First, pick the model
There are three common ways to hold a booking:
- Deposit at booking. The client pays part of the price when they book, and the rest at the visit. Simple to explain, and money changes hands up front.
- Card on file, fee only if needed. Nothing is charged at booking. If the client cancels late or doesn’t show, you charge a set fee to the saved card.
- Full prepayment. The client pays everything when they book. Common for classes and short, fixed-price services.
This guide covers the first, but the policy wording below works for the second with small edits.
The deposit policy template
Copy this, replace everything in brackets, and cut any line that doesn’t apply to you.
Deposit policy
A deposit of [$amount] is required to book [service name]. It holds your time with [business name] and is applied to the cost of your appointment.
Cancelling: If you cancel at least [24 / 48 hours] before your appointment, we’ll [refund your deposit / move it to a new booking]. If you cancel within [24 / 48 hours], the deposit is kept.
Rescheduling: You can reschedule [once / as often as you like] up to [time window] before your appointment, and your deposit moves with you. Changes inside that window count as a late cancellation.
Late arrivals: If you arrive more than [number] minutes late, we may need to shorten your appointment or rebook it, and the deposit [applies to the new time / is kept].
No-shows: If you miss your appointment without letting us know, the deposit is kept.
If we cancel: If we need to cancel or move your appointment, your deposit is refunded in full or moved to a time that suits you.
Exceptions: Emergencies happen. Call us at [phone] as soon as you can and we’ll work it out.
Questions? Contact us at [phone or email].
Choosing the numbers
The amount. There’s no standard figure, so set it from your own costs. Think about how long the appointment is, whether you buy materials or parts for it, and how hard it is to fill the slot on short notice. A two-hour service with special-order supplies justifies a bigger deposit than a 20-minute consult.
Use a fixed dollar amount per service if your booking system works that way. In Wix Bookings, for example, the deposit is an amount you enter per service, and Wix lists percentage-based deposits as a feature request it doesn’t support yet.
The window. Pick the shortest notice that still lets you fill the slot. If you have a waitlist, 24 hours may be enough. If a cancelled day means a crew sits idle, you may need more. You can set different windows for different services.
Refund or credit. Moving the deposit to a new booking keeps the money and the client. A refund is friendlier to someone who has to cancel for good. Many businesses offer both and let the client choose.
Wording it kindly
A deposit policy should sound like a reservation, not a warning. Clients who never miss an appointment read it too.
Instead of: “NO REFUNDS. NO EXCEPTIONS. No-shows will be charged.”
Try: “Your deposit holds this time for you, and it goes toward your appointment. If plans change, let us know [24 hours] ahead and we’ll move it to a new time.”
A few habits that help:
- Say why in one line: the time is set aside only for them.
- Lead with what the client can do (reschedule, move the deposit) before what they lose.
- Use the same numbers everywhere. “24 hours” on the service page and “48 hours” in the email starts an argument.
- Leave room for emergencies, then decide case by case.
Where to show it
A policy only works if the client saw it before they paid. Put it in all of these places:
- The service page, near the price, in one or two lines with a link to the full policy.
- The booking step, before payment, in full. Stripe’s advice on preventing card disputes is to show customers the complete refund and cancellation policy before purchase, because a checkbox with only a link may not count as proof the customer saw it.
- The confirmation email, with the deposit amount and the last date to cancel or reschedule.
- The reminder email before the appointment, with a link to reschedule.
- What staff say on the phone. Write a one-line script so everyone explains it the same way.
Our website automations can also alert your team by email or Discord when a booking is cancelled, so a freed-up slot can go to someone on the waitlist.
Setting it up in a booking system
Most booking tools follow the same pattern. Set the deposit on each service, set a cancellation and rescheduling window, paste in the policy text, then make a test booking and cancel it to see what the client sees.
In Wix Bookings, the settings are:
- Deposit: in the service’s Price & payment section, choose “Online deposit and the rest in person” under Payment preferences, then enter the amount in the Deposit field. Wix notes that deposits can’t be added to a service that uses manual approval, and that you need an online payment method set up first.
- Cancel and reschedule windows: in Booking Settings, under Booking policies, turn on “Allow clients to cancel their own bookings online” and “Allow clients to reschedule their own bookings online,” and choose how late each can happen.
- Cancellation and no-show fees: a booking policy can charge a fee inside a window you set. This asks the client for card details at checkout, and Wix requires a policy description, which shows as your payment policy at checkout. Wix also notes that wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, and buy-now-pay-later services, can’t be charged this way.
Settings change, so read the linked Wix help pages before you rely on any of them. Then test with a real card: book, reschedule, cancel inside the window and outside it, and check every email.
Not every job belongs in a time slot. If the scope changes a lot from one client to the next, as with a cleaning company quoting a move-out clean, a quote request may suit you better than a deposit at booking.
Check your state’s rules
Consumer protection rules differ by state, including rules on deposits, refunds and fees. Before you publish, check with your state’s consumer protection office or ask a lawyer who knows your industry, especially if you plan to call the deposit “non-refundable.” Your payment provider’s terms also apply when a client disputes a charge with their card issuer, so keep a record of what the client agreed to at booking.
How we can help
You can put this policy to work today with the booking tool you already have. If your current setup can’t take deposits per service or show the policy at the right step, our booking websites page explains how we build booking flows where the rules, payments and emails all match. Send us your services and your current rules through our contact page, and we’ll tell you how the deposit would work for your business.