Booking deposits and no-show fees. Paid, not chased.
Take booking deposits when customers book on your website, and keep a card on file for the ones who might not show. If they don't, the no-show fee is charged to their card.
- A deposit when they book online
- A saved card for the customers you flag
- Through your own Stripe account
From the booking
to the empty chair.
Pick a part of it. Sample data, made up.
Paid when they book.
Customers pay the deposit right in your booking form, or in the AI receptionist chat.
- A fixed amount or a percentage of the booking.
- Their time is held for 30 minutes while they pay.
- It comes off the bill, so they pay the rest at the visit.
A card for the ones who flake.
Flag a customer and they save a card the next time they book online.
- Flagged customers, or everyone who books online.
- Saved securely with Stripe.
- Nothing is charged unless they don't show.
No chasing anyone.
Mark a no-show and the fee is ready to charge.
- Pre-filled from your default fee.
- The deposit counts towards it.
- The rest goes on the saved card, and the invoice is paid.
Fair both ways.
Customers who give notice get their deposit back without asking.
- Cancel in time: refunded automatically.
- Cancel late or no-show: you keep the deposit.
- Come in: it comes off the bill.
Fewer empty chairs,
and no chasing.
Set it once for your business. It works on every online booking.
A deposit when they book
A fixed amount or a percentage of the booking, paid in your booking form on your own website.
In the AI receptionist too
When the website chat books someone, they pay the deposit or save a card the same way.
Their time is held
The time is kept for 30 minutes while they pay, so nobody else can take it.
Off the final bill
The deposit is on the invoice and comes off what they owe.
Refunds on their own
Cancel in time and the deposit goes back automatically. Cancel late or don't show, and you keep it.
Card on file
Saved securely with Stripe. Nothing is charged unless they don't show.
Flag the ones who flake
Ask only flagged customers to save a card, or ask everyone who books online.
The no-show fee, charged
Pre-filled from your default. The deposit counts towards it, and the rest goes on the saved card.
Your own Stripe account
The money goes straight to you, never through us. Works in the countries Stripe supports.
Stripe's card fees are paid by you to Stripe. Cash, card on your own terminal or UPI can still be recorded on the invoice.
Connect your own Stripe account and deposits and no-show fees are paid straight to you. Cards are saved with Stripe, and FreshBookings never holds your money.
A booking is only
the beginning.
The deposit is only the start. The same booking runs through everything else on its own.
A policy that
enforces itself.
How deposits in your own booking system compare with the usual ways.
| Compared on | FreshBookings | Reminders only | A booking marketplace app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit when they book online | Yes, fixed or a % | No | Often |
| Card on file for no-shows | Flagged customers or everyone | No | Often |
| Where the money goes | Your own Stripe account | Nothing collected | Often through the marketplace first |
| Customers need an account | No | No | Usually |
| Deposit comes off the bill | Automatically | Not collected | Usually |
General patterns, not any one product. Compare named tools on our alternatives pages.
Goes well with
Set up in three steps.
Sign up in a minute. A guided setup walks you through the rest, and every step can be skipped and finished later.
Find your business on Google
Search for it on Google Maps and your details are filled in for you.
Add your services and hours
Pick your type of business, add what you offer, and check your opening hours.
Paste the form on your site
Copy two lines into your website. Try it first with the preview in settings.
All of it, in one place.
From the first booking to the payroll report. Every feature here works today.
Get booked
- Booking form on your siteSits in your page. No customer login.
- AI receptionistAnswers questions and books, day and night.
- Your own questionsText, dropdown, date, yes/no and more.
- Approve bookings firstOnline bookings can wait for your OK.
- Know where bookings come fromUTM tags, referring site and device.
- Calendar inviteAdd to Google Calendar or download .ics.
Run the day
- CalendarDay, week and month, a column per person.
- Check-in to completedClear statuses, and change services on arrival.
- Recurring bookingsUp to 26 visits, with clashes flagged first.
- Automatic reminders24 hours and 1 hour before, by text, WhatsApp or email.
- Two-way textsCustomer replies land in your Inbox.
- Alerts on your phoneNew bookings, requests, cancellations, messages.
Get paid
- Invoices from bookingsComplete a visit and the invoice is ready. PDF too.
- Tax your wayIncluded or added on top. GST codes for India.
- DepositsA fixed amount or %, paid when they book online.
- Card on fileSaved with Stripe, charged only if they don't show.
- Record any paymentCash, card, UPI or online, including part payments.
- TipsSuggested amounts, tracked per staff member.
- Card surchargeAn optional % on card payments, never on cash.
- No-show feesPre-filled, and charged to the saved card.
Bring them back
- Follow-upsWho is due back today, cleared when they rebook.
- Prepaid packagesBundles of sessions, valid for a set time.
- Punch cardsBuy X, get Y free.
- CouponsLimits, minimum spend and expiry dates.
- Referral programCredit for them, a discount for their friend.
- ReviewsHappy customers sent on to Google, Facebook or Yelp.
Run the business
- Customer recordsHistory, notes, packages and lifecycle stages.
- SegmentsGroup customers by visits, spend or recency.
- Staff and rolesOwner, Admin and Staff. Prices and commission per person.
- Time clock and payroll reportHours, commission and tips per person.
- Retail productsStock in batches, sold on the invoice.
- Dashboard and 14 reportsMost of them export to CSV.
- 16 currencies
- Any timezone
- Sign up from your Google listing
- Import customers from CSV or Excel
- Installs like an app
- Address autocomplete
About deposits and no-show fees.
Straight answers, including what it doesn't do yet.
How much can I ask for as a deposit?
A fixed amount or a percentage of the booking. You set it once, and it applies to every online booking for your business.
Can I set a different deposit for each service?
Not yet. There's one deposit rule for the business. A percentage scales with the price, so a long colour takes a bigger deposit than a trim. You can also flag the customers who need to save a card.
What happens if a customer cancels?
If they cancel in time, the deposit is refunded automatically. If they cancel late or don't show, you keep it.
What happens if they don't show up?
Mark the booking as a no-show. The fee is pre-filled from your default, any deposit counts towards it, and the rest is charged to their saved card.
Who has to save a card?
You choose: only the customers you flag, or everyone who books online. Nothing is charged unless they don't show.
Do customers need an account?
No. They pay the deposit or save a card right in the booking form, with no login or app.
Does the AI receptionist take deposits?
Yes. When the chat books someone, they pay your deposit or save a card, just like on the booking form.
Where does the money go, and what does it cost?
Payments go through your own Stripe account, so the money goes straight to you and never through us. You pay Stripe's card fees to Stripe. It works in the countries Stripe supports.
Can customers pay the rest of the bill online?
Not yet. The deposit comes off the invoice, and you record the rest when they pay: cash, card on your own terminal, UPI or a bank transfer.
Your next booking
starts here.
Get FreshBookings for your business, from the first booking to the next one.
- No account needed to book
- AI receptionist included
- No message credits to buy