Deposits and payment at booking
Ask for a deposit on a service or full payment when clients book online, offer optional prepayment and tips, and see where those payments go.
You can have clients pay when they book online. Ask for a deposit on certain services, or the full price on every booking. Clients can also choose to pay ahead, and add a tip when they pay in full.
Before you start
You need payments set up to take money at booking. Until then, you can't turn on the settings below. Lilo shows Set up payments next to them. The owner or an admin sets up payments in Settings → Payments. See Connect payments and get paid out.
Everyone except service providers
Add a deposit to a service
- Go to Catalog → Services and select Edit next to the service.
- Turn on Require deposit.
- Enter the Deposit Amount ($). It fills in from the right. Type the cents along with the dollars. It can't be more than the service's price.
- Select Save changes. You'll see the service's name and updated.
The service's row in your list shows the deposit amount. To stop asking for it, turn off Require deposit and save.
In the Lilo app, go to More → Services, tap the service, then tap Edit. Turn on Requires Deposit, enter the Deposit Amount, and tap Save Changes.
Owners and admins
Choose what clients pay at booking
- Go to Settings → Booking Page.
- Under Features, turn each of these on or off:
- Require Payment on Booking: every client pays the full price when they book online. This replaces any service deposits.
- Offer Optional Prepayment: when nothing has to be paid, clients can choose to pay ahead.
- Accept Tips at Booking: clients can add a tip when they pay in full.
- Select Save Changes at the top of the page. You'll see Booking page settings saved.
Offer Optional Prepayment and Accept Tips at Booking start out on.
In the Lilo app, go to More → Business Settings → Online Booking. The same switches are under Booking Payments. Tap Save Payment Settings.
What clients see when they book
When a booking needs a payment, the last step of online booking has a Payment box:
- For a deposit, it lists each service's deposit, the Deposit due now and the Remaining balance at appointment. The client chooses Pay deposit or Pay full amount.
- For full payment, it shows the Total due now.
The client enters their card and selects Verify Card. Lilo charges the card when they select Confirm Booking. They can also check Save this card for future visits. Cards on file explains saved cards.
With Offer Optional Prepayment on, clients who don't owe anything see Pay for your service today instead. They can open it and pay now, or leave it closed and pay at the appointment.
After they book, the confirmation shows what was charged.
How it works
Which payment applies
| Your settings | What clients pay when they book online |
|---|---|
| Require Payment on Booking is on | The full price, plus any tip |
| A service they picked has a deposit | The deposits for those services, or the full price if they'd rather |
| Neither | Nothing, unless they choose to pay ahead |
- Only online bookings take payment. When you or your team book an appointment in Lilo, nobody is charged, even with Require Payment on Booking on.
- Deposits are a dollar amount per service. When a client books several services, their deposits add up.
- If the deposits add up to the full price, the client pays in full.
- Clients can only add a tip when they pay in full, never on a deposit.
- If your card payments stop working, clients book without paying, even for services with a deposit.
- Changes apply to new bookings. Clients who already booked aren't charged.
Where the payment goes
- Lilo puts the payment, and any tip paid with it, on the appointment's invoice as soon as the client books. A deposit leaves the rest owed. A full payment marks the invoice Paid.
- When you check the client out, the payment is already listed. Balance Due shows what's left to pay.
Invoices and balances explains how to find these invoices.
Cancellations and no-shows
When a client cancels late or doesn't show up, Lilo can keep their deposit. With Require Payment on Booking on, the full service price counts as the deposit. Cancellations, no-shows, and deposits explains when Lilo keeps it and when it refunds it. Under the payment box, clients see how long their payment stays refundable.
Clients who keep missing appointments can be asked for a deposit of their own. See No-show protection. When a client's own deposit and a service's deposit both apply, they pay the bigger one.
Common questions
Why wasn't a client asked to pay?
- You or someone on your team booked them. Only online bookings take payment.
- Payments aren't set up, or your card payments aren't working right now.
- None of their services has a deposit, and Require Payment on Booking is off.
Can I take a deposit when I book a client myself?
No. Deposits are only collected when clients book online.
Can I set a deposit as a percentage?
No. A service's deposit is a fixed dollar amount, up to the service's price.
Why are the payment switches grayed out?
Payments aren't set up yet. The owner or an admin sets them up in Settings → Payments. You can turn the switches on once your account can take card payments.
Can clients pay the rest online before the appointment?
No. They pay what's left at the appointment.
How do I give a client their deposit back?
The owner, an admin or a location manager refunds it from the appointment's invoice. Refunds, voids, and receipts shows how.
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Cancellations, no-shows, and deposits
What happens to a deposit when an appointment is cancelled or missed, how to cancel so the client gets it back, and why there's no cancellation fee.