zenpageAsking for a deposit at booking: how to set it up for a therapy session
Fixed or percentage deposit at booking, per-service settings, online payment prerequisites and best practices for a therapy practice.
A client who pays part of their session at booking is more likely to keep their appointment. A deposit protects your time without turning booking into a sales exercise. Zenpage lets you ask for one, under certain conditions. Here is how to set it up.
Activation conditions
The deposit relies on online payment. Your plan must therefore allow it, payment must be enabled and a payment method must be configured. The details of these prerequisites are in the payments documentation. If the deposit doesn't appear in a service's page, it is usually one of these conditions that is missing.
Enable the deposit on a service
Open the page of the relevant service. In the payment section, enable the deposit option, then choose how it is calculated:
- Fixed amount: the same sum whatever the service price, for example €20.
- Percentage: a share of the price, for example 30%, which follows any price change.
Save, then check on your public page that the service shows the amount requested at booking.
Which amount to choose?
A deposit high enough to commit the client, but low enough not to put off someone discovering your practice. The choice is yours: Zenpage sets no threshold. A common option is to ask for a deposit only on the first appointment.
State in the service description whether the deposit is refundable, and under what conditions. A rule written before booking avoids most discussions afterwards.
Balance and cancellation
The deposit does not replace your cancellation policy. The minimum cancellation notice, set in the general settings, applies to appointments. Settle the session balance according to your practice: on site, by bank transfer or another method. Zenpage does not collect it for you.
Going further
The settings for each service are detailed in our guide to services. To reduce no-shows without a deposit, read our advice on missed appointments.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask for a deposit on a single service?
Yes. The setting is made service by service: you enable the deposit on the ones that justify it, for example an assessment or a workshop, and not on the others.
Can the deposit be a fixed amount?
Yes. You choose between a fixed amount, expressed in your currency, and a percentage of the service price.
Does the deposit require online payment?
Yes. The deposit is collected at the time of booking, through online payment. The prerequisites are described in our guide to online payment.
