How to take deposits for appointments without losing bookings
No-shows cost small service businesses real money: an empty chair can rarely be refilled the same day. A deposit fixes most of it, but only if the amount and the rules feel fair to the client. Here is a setup that works.
Pick a deposit amount clients accept
A deposit between 15% and 25% of the service price is usually enough to make someone show up, and small enough that they still book. Flat deposits work well when your prices are similar across services; percentage deposits work better when you sell both short and long appointments.
Always show the deposit before the client confirms, and say plainly that it comes off the final price rather than being an extra charge.
Set one cancellation window and stick to it
Twenty-four hours is the common standard for appointments under an hour; forty-eight hours suits longer or higher-value work. Refund the deposit in full inside the window, keep it outside the window.
Write the rule in one sentence and put it on the booking page, the confirmation email and the reminder. Most disputes come from clients who never saw the rule, not from clients who disagree with it.
Remind before the window closes
Send a reminder the day before, and make it easy to reschedule from that message. A rescheduled appointment keeps the deposit and keeps the client; a silent no-show loses both.
How LifeCue handles it
In LifeCue you set the deposit amount and cancellation window once in your business details. Clients booking through your public booking page pay the deposit as they book, through your own connected Square or Stripe account, so the money lands in your account rather than ours.
Confirmation and day-before reminder emails go out automatically, and the deposit appears on your dashboard and in the client's portal alongside their invoices.