How should a lash and brow studio use deposits?

A long full-set appointment reserves more of an artist’s diary than a short brow visit. A studio may want a different booking commitment for each, but the client still needs to understand what they are paying and what happens next.

Start with the appointment and the studio’s policy. Decide whether you are collecting money upfront or saving a card with consent for an eligible later fee. Show the conditions before the client agrees, then make sure the booking record and checkout reflect what has actually happened.

Deposits support a booking policy. They do not eliminate cancellations or guarantee that an empty appointment will be filled.

Distinguish a paid deposit from a saved card#

OpenChair’s Booking Protection has two different approaches: Deposit Upfront and No-show Card Protection.

With Deposit Upfront, money is collected as part of the booking-protection process. A captured deposit contributes towards the appointment balance.

With No-show Card Protection, the client consents to saving a card under the displayed policy. This does not collect a deposit or reduce the amount due for the appointment. An eligible late-cancellation or no-show charge remains a separate operator action.

A card already saved on a profile is not a reason to assume that every possible future charge is authorised. Review the protection arrangement and the policy agreed for the booking.

Choose rules that reflect the booked work#

Look at the services that reserve substantial time, the notice the studio needs and how clients book. A full set, maintenance visit and brow appointment need not all use the same rule.

OpenChair supports fixed or percentage deposits, with rules applying to selected services or the whole booking. Pro adds conditional targeting. The studio chooses the configuration; the software does not decide an appropriate deposit for a lash or brow treatment.

A fixed amount is easy to explain for a defined service. A percentage changes with the booking value. Whichever approach you choose, test what happens when the client selects an additional service or changes an option that affects the price.

Check the combined booking rather than assuming that separate rules will add together in the way you expect. The client should see the result of the configured policy, not a number assembled manually in a message.

This guide does not set a recommended deposit percentage or cancellation window. Choose the policy for your business and have its terms reviewed for the market in which you operate.

Make the agreement understandable before payment#

The client should be able to identify the amount required, whether it is a payment or saved-card arrangement, and the conditions that apply to cancellation or rescheduling.

Read the agreement beside the configured rule. The wording and the software need to describe the same arrangement. A policy paragraph cannot create an enforcement rule that has not been configured, and a rule does not explain itself to the client.

For example, do not describe a saved-card arrangement as “pay your deposit” when no money is being collected. Do not use a universal “non-refundable” statement as a substitute for checking how your actual terms should work.

Any AI-drafted policy wording still needs the studio’s review. It is not legal advice or confirmation that a particular charge is enforceable.

The Booking Protection guide explains the configuration and client-facing payment steps. Keep service choices and any relevant preparation instructions clear alongside the payment terms, rather than asking a deposit message to carry the whole consultation.

Check bookings made by the team as well as online#

A returning client may arrange their next appointment with the artist before leaving. Another booking may come from a message that reception handles. Neither starts in the public booking page, but the studio may still require protection.

OpenChair supports deposit or card-setup requests for existing operator-created bookings. Staff can send the client the relevant link and review its state from the booking workflow.

An important distinction applies here: the operator-created booking can remain confirmed and reserve its time while a deposit request is unpaid. An unpaid request does not automatically mean the diary slot has been released.

Decide who checks outstanding requests and what the team does when one needs attention. Sending another message is not the same as receiving payment. When a booking changes, check whether the original request still matches its details rather than assuming an old link remains appropriate.

An unpaid request needs a staff follow-up plan. The request does not itself cancel the appointment or release the time for someone else.

Carry the captured deposit into checkout#

Use the recorded payment, not a recollection that the client “paid something online”.

For a simple illustration, an A$100 appointment with an A$30 captured deposit has A$70 left to collect, assuming no other adjustments or payments. These are example amounts, not suggested lash or brow prices or a recommended policy.

If the client has only completed saved-card protection, there is no A$30 deposit to deduct. If the studio sent an A$30 request but it remains unpaid, there is also no captured deposit to deduct.

Review any service changes or retail items before collecting the final amount. Keep the original appointment value, deposit and remaining payment distinguishable in the client’s explanation.

If a payment result is uncertain, check the existing attempt before charging again. A screen failing to refresh does not establish that the payment failed.

Handle cancellations as a separate decision#

When an appointment is cancelled, inspect the booking’s policy and payment record before deciding the next action. A paid deposit, incomplete request and saved-card arrangement have different consequences.

Do not assume that cancelling a diary entry automatically refunds a deposit, charges a fee or sends a recovery offer. Check the relevant workflow and record what the authorised operator actually does.

Rescheduling also deserves a check. Confirm how the existing payment or protection applies to the revised booking and whether any request needs updating. Avoid collecting another deposit merely because the appointment has a new time.

Keep the client’s communication clear about the action taken. “Your appointment has moved” and “your payment has been refunded” describe different events.

Keep booking commission separate from payment processing#

OpenChair charges zero booking commission on bookings made through an OpenChair storefront. Card-processing fees still apply.

A deposit is a payment transaction, so do not describe it as cost-free because the booking itself has no OpenChair commission. Review current regional pricing and payment terms when comparing the studio’s costs.

Test the policy before applying it to clients#

Use a test setup to follow a longer service and a shorter maintenance appointment through the configured protection steps. Check both a public booking and a booking created by the team. Then review an unpaid request, a captured deposit and a service change at checkout.

The team should be able to explain each state without guessing whether money has moved. That is the standard to aim for before introducing or changing a deposit rule.

See how OpenChair for Lash & Brow studios keeps deposits, booking conditions and checkout connected to the same appointment.