What Is a Deposit?
A deposit is an upfront charge you can require from clients when they book an appointment with you. It secures their spot on your calendar and counts toward the total cost of the service — it's not an extra fee on top of the appointment price.
Requiring a deposit is optional and fully within your control. You decide whether to turn it on, and clients see the deposit amount before they confirm their booking.
Eligibility: Deposits require the Premium plan and payments enabled on your account.
Why Require a Deposit
Deposits are one of the most effective ways to protect your time and income:
Fewer no-shows and late cancellations. Clients who've already put money down are far more likely to honor their appointment.
Guaranteed compensation for reserved time. If a client cancels outside your cancellation policy window or doesn't show, the deposit protects part of your appointment value.
Peace of mind for your schedule. Professionals who require deposits report significantly more predictable, reliable bookings.
How Deposits Work
Deposits are charged immediately at booking — the client enters a credit/debit card and the deposit is collected before the appointment happens. This applies to new and existing clients, including those booked through New Client Connection.
The deposit guarantees the appointment slot and is applied toward the total cost of the service at checkout.
Deposits are non-refundable by default. You decide whether to make an exception.
If the client no-shows or cancels late, the deposit is applied toward your no-show/late-cancellation fee. If your policy fee is higher than the deposit, you can charge the client the difference.
If the appointment is rescheduled, the original deposit and booking fee carry over automatically to the new date — the client isn't charged a second deposit.
Deposits are not required for appointments you book yourself on the client's behalf — the deposit requirement only applies when the client books directly.
Deposit funds become available on your next scheduled payout or via Instant Payout, the same as any other appointment funds. You can see deposit activity broken out under Earnings → Card Transactions.
How to Turn On Deposits for Your Business
Tap Menu
Tap Payments & Policies
Tap Deposits
Under Require Deposits, toggle the feature ON
Setting your deposit amount: StyleSeat sets a recommended default, but you can adjust it in the same Deposits settings — up to 50% of the service cost, either as a percentage or a flat fee (also capped at 50% of that service's price). The minimum deposit is $1, and StyleSeat will automatically lower a flat fee that ends up costing more than half of the service it's applied to.
Excluding a specific service: Go to your Service Menu, select the service, toggle off Require Deposit, and tap Save Changes.
Waiving a deposit for a specific client: There's no per-client override in settings. If you want to skip the deposit for someone, book the appointment yourself on their behalf — pro-booked appointments never require a deposit.
Deposits with Smart Pricing and Service Packages
Smart Pricing: the deposit is calculated on the Smart-Pricing-adjusted total, not the base service price — so if Smart Pricing raises the price for a busy slot, the deposit reflects that higher total.
Service Packages: Smart Pricing doesn't apply to a service already covered by a package, since its price is locked in at purchase. If a client books a package and adds an extra service, and you require a deposit, the deposit only applies to the additional cost that isn't already covered by the package. See Service Packages | Information For Professionals.
Issuing a Refund on a Deposit
Deposits are presented to clients as non-refundable, but you can override that and refund one yourself:
Go to Calendar
Select the appointment
Tap Refund
Choose a reason and tap Submit
Your client will get a confirmation, and the refund typically shows up on their statement within 5–10 business days (often sooner). If you issue the refund within 24 hours of the original charge, it's processed as a void instead — the charge disappears entirely rather than showing as a separate refund line.
A Note on Payment Methods
Tap to Pay, Klarna, and client pre-pay are not currently supported on appointments that require a deposit. This is a current product limitation, not a settings issue — there's nothing to troubleshoot if a client says one of those options isn't available at booking.
What Happens If the Appointment Is Canceled or Rescheduled
Client cancels within your policy window / no-shows: the deposit is applied to your no-show/late-cancel fee, and you keep the difference if your fee is higher.
You (the pro) cancel: coordinate directly with the client on a deposit refund — StyleSeat doesn't refund it automatically on your behalf.
Either of you reschedules: the existing deposit and booking fee carry over to the new appointment time — no new charge.
You (the pro) reschedule the appointment, and the client then cancels the rescheduled time: the deposit is eligible for a refund. Since you're the one who moved the appointment, the client backing out of the new time isn't treated as a standard client cancellation.
Client cancels completely and then rebooks a new appointment (rather than rescheduling the original): that counts as a new booking, so a second deposit is charged. You're able to refund the original deposit yourself if you want to avoid double-charging them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I require a deposit for some services but not others? Yes — turn off Require Deposit for individual services from your Service Menu (see above).
Can I waive a deposit for a specific client? Not as a setting — book the appointment yourself on their behalf instead, since pro-booked appointments skip the deposit requirement.
Are deposits refundable? They're presented to clients as non-refundable, but you can issue a refund at your discretion from the appointment's Calendar entry.
How do I see my collected deposits? Deposits appear alongside your other transactions under Earnings → Card Transactions, and deposit funds follow your normal payout schedule (or Instant Payout). See Payouts and Depositing Your Money.
Does Smart Pricing affect the deposit amount? Yes — the deposit is calculated on the Smart-Pricing-adjusted price, not the original listed price.
Can clients use Tap to Pay, Klarna, or pre-pay on a deposit appointment? Not currently — StyleSeat is working on this, but for now those payment methods aren't available when a deposit is required.
If I reschedule a client's appointment and they end up canceling the new time, do they get their deposit back? Yes — since you initiated the reschedule, that cancellation isn't treated as a standard client cancellation, and the deposit is eligible for a refund.