This guide covers how much deposit to take for salons, tutors and home services, how to word a policy customers accept, and how bookings with deposits work in AQUORIA O.N.E.
Why no-shows cost more than they look
A 90-minute set of gel extensions at S$75 that nobody turns up for isn't only S$75 lost. It's the slot you turned someone else away from, plus the products you laid out. For a home cleaner, it's the trip to a locked door in Punggol. For a tutor, it's an evening hour nobody will buy at ten minutes' notice. Two no-shows a week at S$60 each comes to over S$6,000 a year.
Most no-shows aren't rude. People forget, or book three places and keep one. That's why the fix is mostly about commitment and memory: a deposit and a reminder.
How booking deposits work
A booking deposit is part of the price, paid when booking and taken off the final bill. It isn't a booking fee, which is charged on top and not taken off. Customers accept a deposit when the amount is small, the rule is clear, and they see both before they pay. Typical amounts:
- Nails, lashes and brows: S$10 to S$20, or about 20% for long sets.
- Hair colour and treatments: S$20 to S$30, since colour is mixed for that customer.
- Bridal makeup and henna: 30% to 50% to hold a date, often booked months ahead.
- Tuition and music lessons: the first lesson paid up front, then the month's fees at the start of each month.
- Home cleaning, aircon servicing and handyman visits: S$20 to S$30, enough to cover the trip if nobody's home.
- Photography: around 30% to hold the date.
A fair deposit policy in five lines
Customers argue about deposits when the rule surprises them. Singapore's consumer association, CASE, tells shoppers to ask about the refund policy before paying a deposit, so put yours where it's seen before payment. A fair policy:
- Says how much the deposit is, and that it comes off the final price.
- Gives a free cancellation window, such as up to 24 hours before.
- Says what happens after that: the deposit is kept as a cancellation fee.
- Lets customers move a booking instead of losing it, when they give notice.
- Leaves room for kindness: you can still refund someone who falls ill.
An example you can copy
'A S$15 deposit confirms your booking and comes off your bill. Cancel or change up to 24 hours before at no cost. Later than that, or if you don't come, the deposit is kept.' Three sentences, no small print, and the customer knows exactly where they stand.
Reminders: the simplest fix
A reminder the day before catches the forgetful. Include the service, date, time and address, and make it easy to reply if they can't come, so you can offer the slot to someone else. For bookings made weeks ahead, a confirmation at booking plus the day-before reminder is enough; more messages than that start to feel like nagging, and people stop reading them.
Salons, tutors and home services: what's different
- Salons and beauty: short slots and many first-timers. Deposits matter most on long services and on new customers; regulars with a good record rarely miss.
- Tutors: the same slot every week. Book the term's lessons as weekly repeats and collect fees at the start of the month, so a missed lesson is already paid for.
- Home services: you travel, so a no-show costs travel time and transport. Take the address and a deposit when booking, and keep travel time between jobs so one late finish doesn't wreck the next.
How bookings with deposits work in AQUORIA O.N.E
Bookings in AQUORIA O.N.E run from your services. Give a service a duration and, if you want one, a deposit. Customers choose the service, a day and a free time on your booking page, sign in with their phone number, and see 'A S$15 deposit confirms the booking' before they book. The booking shows as 'Waiting for deposit', and the customer has 2 hours to pay it, by PayNow QR or card online if you've opened a payment account. If they don't pay, the time goes back on offer. A deposit received any way, online, by transfer or at the counter, confirms the booking.
You set the rules once: how many hours ahead customers must book (the same notice decides how late they can cancel or move online), how many days ahead they can book, how often start times are offered, a gap after each appointment and, for home visits, travel time before and after. Customers cancel or change the time online within that notice. Once a deposit is paid, they contact you to cancel, so the decision stays yours.
A reminder goes out the day before by the SMS account or email mailbox you connect under Message channels, inviting the customer to reply if they can't make it. Until you connect one, the reminder waits on the Messages page with a button that opens WhatsApp on your phone with it written, for you to send. If someone doesn't come, tap No-show: a paid deposit is kept as the fee and the booking closes. If you cancel for them, you choose 'Keep the deposit (cancellation fee)' or 'Refund the deposit', and your books record either one; a refund itself you send back yourself. Reports count no-shows, so you can see whether the deposit is working.
Tutors set a lesson to repeat every week or every 2 weeks and can add a booking question such as 'Student's name and age'. Home services set appointments to take place at the customer's place, so the booking asks for the address. Today shows the day's appointments and the deposits still to come. Bookings and deposits are on both Essential and Business.
How it works
- 1Turn on Appointments and set your working hours and days off.
- 2Give each service a duration and, where it helps, a deposit.
- 3Share your booking page; customers pick a free time and pay the deposit by PayNow.
- 4A day-before reminder is written for you, sent by your connected SMS or email; mark the visit Done, No-show or Cancel, and the deposit is handled.
What you'll use
- Online booking systemAn online booking system for Singapore: services with durations, your own booking page, deposits, day-before reminders and a calendar. Try it free.
- PaymentsTake payments in Singapore: PayNow QR for the exact amount, cash, transfer and cards through your own account, plus deposits and part payments. Try free.
- ReportsSales report software with a live dashboard: revenue by day, service and channel, payments by method, top customers and CSV downloads. Try it free.
- Point of saleA POS system for Singapore on the phone, tablet or computer you own: quick sales, walk-ins, PayNow QR, receipts and cash-up. No hardware. Try it free.
Plan: Essential or Business
Sources
Published 4 November 2026
Questions
How does a booking deposit work?
The customer pays part of the price when booking, and it's taken off the bill at the visit. If they cancel late or don't come, the deposit is usually kept as a cancellation fee, as long as your policy said so before they paid. If they cancel in good time, you refund it or move the booking to another day.
Is a booking fee the same as a deposit?
No. A deposit is part of the price and comes off the final bill. A booking fee is charged on top and isn't taken off. Customers tend to accept deposits more readily because they don't pay more in the end, so most salons, tutors and home services use a deposit rather than a fee.
How much deposit should a salon charge?
A common range is S$10 to S$20 for nails, lashes and brows, around S$20 to S$30 for colour and treatments, and 30% to 50% for bridal bookings. Keep it small enough that it doesn't put people off and big enough that it covers the slot's cost if they don't come.
Can I keep a deposit if a customer doesn't show up?
Keeping it as a cancellation fee is common practice when your policy said so before they paid. Make the rule clear and fair, and refund when there's a genuine emergency. In AQUORIA O.N.E, marking a booking as a no-show keeps a paid deposit as the fee and records it in your books.
How should I remind clients of their appointments?
One reminder the day before is enough for most bookings, with the service, date, time and address, and an easy way to reply if they can't come. Add a confirmation when they book. More messages than that rarely help; a deposit does more to stop no-shows than a third reminder.
Do customers need to download an app to book?
No. Customers book on your booking page in their browser and sign in with their phone number. They can see their upcoming bookings, change the time or cancel within your notice period, and pay the deposit on the next screen after booking. Regulars can book again from their past visits.