Setting up deposit requirements

4 min read · Updated April 13, 2026 · Written by the OVIAH Team

Overview

To require deposits in OVIAH, go to Payments settings, toggle Require Deposit on, and choose a fixed amount or percentage — even a $25 deposit significantly cuts no-shows.

Why require deposits

Deposits protect your time. When a client puts money down to book, they're far more likely to show up. Even a modest deposit — $20 to $25 — dramatically cuts no-shows and signals that you run a professional operation.

How to enable deposits

Go to Payments settings

Open Payments from your dashboard settings. Make sure you've already connected Stripe or Square — deposits require an active payment provider.

Toggle Require Deposit on

This enables deposit collection for all bookings made through your booking page.

Choose your deposit type

You have two options: Fixed amount (e.g. $25 per booking regardless of service) or Percentage (e.g. 25% of the service price). For percentage deposits, you can also set a minimum and maximum to keep things predictable.

Set when to collect

Choose At booking to collect immediately, or enable Pay Later to give clients a grace period (default 24 hours) to complete the deposit after they reserve a slot.

Payment links

Need to collect a deposit or balance outside the booking flow? You can send a payment link directly from a booking's detail panel. Payment links are unique, secure, and expire after 7 days. Clients click the link, pay via Stripe or Square, and the booking is automatically updated.

This is useful for collecting the remaining balance before an appointment or for rescheduled bookings where the original deposit was already applied.

Tip

If you offer high-ticket services (like installs or color corrections), consider using a percentage deposit with a minimum. That way a $300 service collects a meaningful deposit, but a $50 service doesn't ask for an uncomfortably large upfront amount.

How deposits appear to clients

During booking, clients see the deposit amount clearly before they confirm. After payment, their booking status shows as Deposit Paid with the remaining balance displayed. You can track deposit status, balance due, and payment history for every booking in your dashboard.