Setting your deposit, and what happens if a client underpays

A deposit is what a client pays to hold the slot. Until it lands and you verify it, the booking sits as pending — the time is reserved, but you have not committed to anything.

Fixed or percentage

You set the deposit on each service, so a ₦150,000 bridal booking and a ₦20,000 touch-up can ask for very different commitments.

• Fixed — the same amount every time. Best when the deposit is really covering a cost you incur up front, like materials or a travel booking.
• Percentage — scales with the price. Best when the thing you are protecting is your time, because a bigger job costs you more to lose.

A percentage deposit is calculated from the price the client is actually being charged, including any location price override. So a service priced at ₦80,000 with a 30% deposit asks for ₦24,000 — but if they choose home service and that adds ₦20,000, the deposit is 30% of ₦100,000.

What the client sees

The amount is shown before they enter any details, again on the payment step next to your account details, and once more in their confirmation email. Nobody reaches the end of your booking flow and discovers a number they were not expecting.

When the amount that arrives is wrong

This happens more than you would think — bank charges take a slice, or someone rounds down. When you open the booking you can reject the payment and pick a reason, and the client gets an email that explains what to do rather than a dead end.

1. The amount did not match — they are told what was expected and asked to send the difference. Use this even for small shortfalls; it is far less awkward coming from us than from you.
2. The payment has not arrived — transfers between some banks take hours. The client is told this and invited to send the receipt again.
3. The receipt was not clear — they are asked for a screenshot showing the amount, the date and who it went to.

In all three cases the booking stays alive and the client can respond. Rejecting a payment is a step in a conversation, not a cancellation.

If you would rather not take deposits

Turn the deposit off on that service and bookings confirm immediately. You can do this for some services and not others — a consultation might need nothing, while a wedding date needs real commitment.