A deposit or a no-show fee?
When to use which — and how much.
2 min read ·
Both are about the same thing: the client having something at stake. But they work differently.
A deposit is paid at booking. The client puts down 25 %, say, now, and the rest at the visit. What is good about it: the money is there, and the client turns up. What is not: it is one more step while booking, and some people drop out. Use it on long and expensive treatments — colour, extensions, anything over two hours — and on new clients.
A no-show fee is only paid if the client does not turn up. She accepts it at booking, the card is kept, and the fee is charged when she does not come. What is good about it: no friction for the people who do turn up, which is almost everybody. What is not: you have to be willing to charge it. Use it as the standard on everything.
How much? A deposit of 20–30 %. A fee of 50 % of the price — 100 % feels like a punishment, 25 % feels like nothing. Write it on the booking page in one sentence: "Not turning up without cancelling at least 24 hours before costs 50 % of the price."
Both? Yes, by all means: a fee on everything, and a deposit on top for the long appointments. And always a cancellation deadline the client can meet — 24 hours is reasonable.
In Piklo Booking you set one percentage for the deposit and one for the fee, and choose per service whether it needs a deposit. The rest happens by itself, through Stripe.