Setting up deposits

No-shows hurt most on your largest tables. Deposits and card holds let you protect that capacity — taking a deposit up front, or keeping a card on file to charge only if the party doesn't show. Payments run through your own Stripe account, so the money goes straight to you. This is a Pro feature.

Choose a policy

On the Integrations page (under Manage), in the deposits and card holds card, pick a policy:

• Off — no deposit or hold (the default).
• Deposit (charge up front) — the party is charged when they book. A timely cancellation is refunded.
• Card hold — the party's card is saved but not charged. You only charge it if they no-show.

Set the terms

Three settings decide when and how much the policy applies:

• From party size — the smallest party the policy kicks in for. Deposits are usually reserved for larger tables (the default is parties of six and up), so a couple booking dinner is never asked to prepay.
• Amount per cover — the deposit (or no-show fee) charged per guest. A party's total is this amount times the number of covers.
• Refund window — how far ahead a cancellation must be to earn a refund. Cancel inside the window and the deposit is kept.

Connect your Stripe account

Deposits use your own Stripe keys, entered in the same settings — a publishable key and a secret key. Because the money moves through your Stripe account directly, there's no extra payment onboarding, and diners pay you, not a middleman. You can optionally add a Stripe webhook signing secret so deposit outcomes update instantly; there are setup notes beside the field.

A booking only triggers a deposit when the policy has a mode set, your Stripe keys are in place, an amount above zero, and the party is at or above your minimum size. Miss any of those and the booking simply proceeds without one.

What this affects

• Your booking flow — qualifying parties are asked to pay or provide a card before their booking confirms.
• No-show cost — a card hold gives you recourse when a big table doesn't arrive.

What affects this

• Your plan — deposits are a Pro feature (trials included).
• Your Stripe account — deposits can't run without your keys.

Related: deposits and experiences overview and creating an experience.