Taking deposits online before a job or booking

The simplest way to take a deposit online is a payment link from Stripe, PayPal or Square, set to the deposit amount and sent to the customer by text or email once you have agreed the job or date. If customers book a time themselves, a booking tool that asks for the deposit during booking does the same job in one step. Either way, write your deposit and refund terms in plain words right beside the payment, and put the customer's name or job in the payment so you can match it later.

Why a deposit, and what it is for

A deposit tells both sides the booking is real. For the customer it holds a date, a slot or materials. For you it covers the cost of turning other work away, or of buying parts and supplies before the job starts. Businesses that commonly ask for one:

Trades: a deck builder or a cabinet maker ordering lumber, a fence company booking a crew for a week.
Event businesses: a caterer, a DJ, a photographer, a party rental company holding a date.
Studios and classes: a tattoo artist booking a long session, a pottery studio holding a seat in a course.
Custom orders: a baker making a wedding cake, a seamstress altering a gown.

Decide first what the deposit covers, because that shapes the amount and the refund terms. "Holds your date" and "pays for the materials we order for you" are different promises.

Option 1: a payment link for the deposit

Best when you agree each job by phone or quote first, then ask for the deposit.

In Stripe, PayPal or Square, create a payment link. Call it what it is, for example "Deposit to hold your event date".
Choose a fixed amount if your deposit is always the same, or let the customer enter the amount if it varies by job and you tell them the figure in your message.
If the provider offers it, ask for the customer's name and phone number, or add a field for the event date or job address.
Pay it once yourself and refund it, to see what the customer sees.
Send the link by text or email, with one line saying what it is for and what happens next.

Payment links: getting paid online without a shop shows where each provider keeps the button.

If your deposit is a share of a quote that differs every time, an invoice for the deposit can be tidier than a link. Most accounting tools and all three payment companies can send one, with the customer's name and the job already on it.

Option 2: a booking tool that takes the deposit

Best when customers pick their own time: a salon chair, a session, a class, a consultation. Most booking tools can ask for a deposit or full payment when the customer books, and connect to Stripe, PayPal or Square to collect it. The deposit and the appointment then arrive together, already matched.

Check three settings when you set it up: the deposit amount per service, the cancellation window, and whether the tool refunds automatically when a customer cancels in time. Booking tools for service businesses compared can help you choose one.

What to write next to the deposit

Customers hesitate at a deposit when they cannot see what happens if plans change. A few plain sentences beside the button or in your message answer that before they ask. Cover:

What the deposit does: "Holds your date" or "covers the materials we order for your job".
Whether it counts toward the total: "Comes off your final bill."
When the rest is due: "The balance is due on the day of the event."
What happens if they cancel, in plain words and with a clear time limit.
What happens if you have to cancel or reschedule.
How to reach you with a question.

An example for a caterer: "A deposit holds your date and comes off your final bill. If you cancel more than 30 days before the event, we refund it in full. After that, it covers food we have already ordered. If we ever have to cancel, you get it all back." Write your own terms to suit your business.

Deposit and refund rules can be affected by state law, and some trades have their own rules about how much can be taken up front before work starts. Check your terms with your attorney, and ask your accountant how deposits should be recorded and taxed.

Matching each payment to the customer

The most common deposit headache is not taking the money but knowing whose it is. A payment that shows only "J. Smith" is a puzzle when you have three Smiths booked in June.

Ask for the name and event date or job address in the payment form, if your provider offers custom fields.
One link per job for larger work: name it "Deposit, Harris kitchen". It takes a minute and leaves no doubt.
Keep a simple list with customer, amount, date paid and balance due. A notebook, a spreadsheet or your booking calendar all work.
Send a short confirmation when the deposit arrives: "Got your deposit, thank you. You're booked for May 14." That message doubles as the customer's reassurance and your record.

Putting it on your website

If customers usually decide on your website, a "Pay your deposit" button on the page that describes the service saves a phone call. Put the terms above the button, not on a separate page, and say what happens next, for example "We'll call within one business day to confirm." Adding a PayPal or Stripe button to your website shows how to set the button up.

What to do this week

Decide what your deposit covers and how much it is.
Write your refund terms in four or five plain sentences, and have them checked.
Create one deposit link or switch on deposits in your booking tool.
Test it with your own card and refund it.
Start a simple list for matching deposits to customers.

If you would like a "Pay your deposit" button on a site that is clear and easy to change, you can see your site rebuilt first, with the button using your own payment link.