Deposit and Refund Window
A deposit (DP) has the customer pay part of the price up front to lock the slot, and the rest when they arrive. It protects you from customers who book and then do not show up. It is optional per service and works for both fixed-session and timed services.
Booking deposits arrive with this release and are available from the Growth plan. See Booking Plans and Roles.
In a Rental shop, the security deposit is a guarantee on the item that is returned when the item comes back. A booking deposit is part of the price paid up front. They are different and do not affect each other.
Setting a deposit
In the service settings, choose a deposit type:
| Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| No deposit (default) | the customer pays in full | |
| Fixed amount | whole rupiah per unit | Rp50,000 |
| Percent | a whole number 1-99 of the service price | 30% |
A deposit never exceeds the order total. If the deposit would cover the whole total, the order is treated as an ordinary full payment.
In the booking policy you also set the refund window (default 24 hours).
What the customer sees
On the service page the customer sees the full price and a badge such as "Pay a deposit of Rp90,000 now, the rest at the visit". Before booking they see a breakdown: the total, the deposit paid now, the balance paid at the visit, and the refund deadline ("Your deposit is refundable until 19 Oct 2026 13:00"). At payment only the deposit is charged (QRIS, virtual account, card). The receipt shows the total, what has been paid, and the balance.
Order status with a deposit
The order becomes Paid once the deposit is received, and that means the slot is confirmed. The rest is tracked separately as the balance due.
| Stage | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Awaiting deposit | the order is waiting for payment. The slot is held and released automatically if the order expires (following the payment method's time limit) |
| Deposit received (held) | the order is Paid, the slot is confirmed, and a balance is still due |
| Settled / deposit applied | the balance was paid at the visit |
| Refund due | the deposit must be returned but you have not transferred it yet |
| Refunded | you transferred the refund and marked it |
| Forfeited | you keep the deposit because of a late cancellation or a no-show |
The order can only be marked Delivered/Completed once the balance is collected or waived. See Booking List and Calendar.
The refund window in plain words
The refund window is the free-cancellation policy: as long as the customer cancels at least that many hours before the start, the deposit is refunded in full. After that, the deposit is forfeited and stays with you.
- the deadline is counted back from the booking's start time in the shop time zone
- exactly at the deadline still counts as refunded (the deadline itself is valid)
- the deadline time is always shown to the customer before they pay and before they cancel
Worked example
A Hair colouring service at Rp300,000, deposit 30%, refund window 24 hours. The customer books for 20 October at 13:00.
- deposit paid now: 30% x Rp300,000 = Rp90,000
- balance at the visit: Rp210,000
- refund deadline: 19 October at 13:00
| Event | Result |
|---|---|
| Customer cancels 19 Oct at 12:00 | deposit Rp90,000 refunded. The order is canceled and the slot reopens |
| Customer cancels exactly 19 Oct at 13:00 | still refunded |
| Customer cancels 20 Oct at 09:00 | deadline passed: deposit Rp90,000 forfeited. The order stays Paid, the Rp210,000 balance is written off, the slot reopens |
| Customer does not show up | no-show: deposit forfeited (or you choose to refund it) |
| Customer arrives and pays the balance | you record the Rp210,000 payment. Total revenue Rp300,000 |
| You (the shop) cancel | by default the deposit is refunded; you may choose to keep it |
Effect on revenue reports
Until the balance is collected, a deposit order counts in reports only for the deposit received. After collection it counts in full. A booking whose deposit was forfeited counts exactly the deposit you kept, and a booking whose deposit was refunded does not count.
Refunding the deposit
Etalasse records the refund but does not transfer the money automatically. The flow:
- a cancellation inside the window (by the customer or by you) sets the deposit to Refund due
- you transfer the money to the customer yourself (like other refunds in Sales)
- open the booking and choose Deposit refunded. The status becomes Refunded
Automatic refunds back to the payment gateway are not available yet.
Good to know
- The balance is paid at the visit and recorded by you (recording the balance payment). Customers cannot pay the balance online yet.
- Deposits apply to online orders only (Catalog and Link). Cashiers in the POS take full payment and never split a deposit.
- If your plan drops and no longer includes deposits, new bookings are charged in full again. Bookings that already have a deposit keep running.
- An order with several booking lines is not settled automatically: a cancellation or no-show only changes the booking status, and you settle the money through Refunds.