Deposit rules

You decide which of the things you sell take a deposit, and how much. The rule sits on the item itself, so it applies every time that item is booked or bought — by you or by the customer.

• Services — on the service (Bookings → Services). Used whenever a deposit is requested on a booking for it.
• Classes & courses — on the course. The customer can pay the deposit to hold their place, with the balance owing on the same invoice.
• Packages & passes — on the package, for when you would rather not ask for the whole amount up front.

Each rule is either a fixed amount (say £10) or a percent of the price (say 25%). Set it to No deposit for anything you want paid in full.

Setting one rule for everything: under Settings → Payments there is a Default deposit. Anything left on “Use the business default” follows it, so you can charge, say, 20% across the board without editing every item — and change it later in one place. Anything you have explicitly set to No deposit stays free.

Percentages are worked out from the price the customer is actually being charged — so breed-based pricing, sale prices and add-ons are all reflected, not the list price.

Where a deposit applies, the customer sees a Pay deposit only button on their invoice alongside paying in full. Once they pay it the invoice shows as part paid, with the remaining balance clear to both of you.

Example

A trainer charges 25% on a £120 six-week course. The customer pays £30 to hold the place, the invoice shows £90 still to pay, and the balance is collected on the first night.

FAQ

Can I set one deposit rule for everything?
Yes. Set a Default deposit under Settings → Payments, and every service, course and package set to “Use the business default” follows it. Change the default once and they all change together.

Will turning on a default start charging deposits on things I had set to free?
No. Anything explicitly set to No deposit keeps taking nothing. Only items set to follow the default are affected.

Is the deposit taken automatically?
The rule decides the amount; the customer pays it from their invoice, or you take it on a booking. Nothing is charged without them paying.

What happens to the rest of the money?
It stays on the same invoice as an outstanding balance, so it is chased and reported like any other unpaid amount.

My percentage deposit looks wrong on a priced-up groom.
It is now calculated from the booking’s actual price rather than the service list price, so breed pricing and sale prices are included. Re-request the deposit to pick up the corrected figure.