SplitForms Booking · No-show fees
No-show fees and appointment deposits, collected through Stripe
With SplitForms Booking, the no-show fee is collected up front as a deposit: any percent from 1 to 100 of the service price (25% by default), paid on Stripe Checkout when the client books and sent to your own Stripe account. SplitForms does not keep cards on file, so it cannot charge a card automatically after a missed appointment. Instead you mark the no-show and, if you want, email a Stripe payment link for a fee that stays open 24 hours.
14-day free trial, no card. Then $100/year for 10,000 bookings.
How it works
What happens to the money, step by step
1. Deposit at booking
The client picks a time and is sent to Stripe Checkout for the deposit. The slot is held for 30 minutes while they pay; if they don’t, it goes back on the calendar.
2. Balance at the appointment
The deposit counts toward the price. The booking shows what was paid and what is left, for example “Paid $20 of $80”, and the rest is paid in person.
3. If they don’t show
Click “Mark no-show”. The deposit stays in your Stripe account unless you refund it, the client’s history records the no-show and Reports shows your no-show rate.
Need more than the deposit?
“Send payment link” emails the client a secure Stripe link for any amount you type. It works for 24 hours; nothing is charged unless they pay it.
Changed your mind?
“Refund” returns all or part of what was paid, through Stripe. Cancellations never refund automatically, so the decision stays with you and your policy.
Bookings you add yourself
Appointments you enter from the dashboard skip the deposit, and services priced at zero always book without payment.
Deposit maths
How much an appointment deposit comes to
The deposit is a percent of each service’s price, rounded to the cent, never less than $0.50 and never more than the price. These rows are worked out by the same function that prices real bookings.
| Service | Price | Deposit % | Paid at booking | Due at visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haircut | $80 | 25% | $20 | $60 |
| Massage, 60 min | $120 | 50% | $60 | $60 |
| Consultation | $40 | 100% | $40 | $0 |
| Quick trim | $1 | 25% | $0.50 | $0.50 |
The last row shows the $0.50 floor: 25% of $1 would be 25 cents, below Stripe’s smallest card charge, so $0.50 is taken.
Two ways to charge
Deposit up front vs a fee afterwards
A fee billed after a no-show depends on the client choosing to pay. A deposit is already collected, which is why it is the method SplitForms is built around.
| Deposit at booking | Payment link after a no-show | |
|---|---|---|
| When the money moves | When the client books | After the missed appointment |
| Does the client have to act? | Yes, they pay to confirm the slot | Yes, they have to open the link and pay |
| What splitforms does | Stripe Checkout at booking, slot held while they pay | You email a Stripe link; it stays open 24 hours |
| If they never pay | The slot is released after 30 minutes | Nothing is charged; you follow up yourself |
| Counts toward the price | Yes, the rest is due at the appointment | It is a separate amount you choose |
Policy wording
Sample no-show policies you can adapt
A clear policy says how much is taken, when the cancellation window closes, how to cancel and what happens after a missed visit. Clients see the text you save before they book, in their confirmation email and on their reschedule-or-cancel page. These are starting points, not legal advice: deposit and cancellation-fee rules vary by place and industry, so have a lawyer review your final wording.
Deposit kept on late cancellation
“A 25% deposit is taken when you book and goes toward your service. Cancel or reschedule online up to 24 hours before your appointment and we will refund your deposit. Within 24 hours, or if you miss the appointment, the deposit is kept.”
Deposit applied, fee for no-shows
“Your deposit secures the time and is taken off your bill on the day. If you do not arrive and have not cancelled at least 24 hours ahead, the deposit is kept and we may send a payment link for the rest of the service price.”
No deposit, fee after a no-show
“Please cancel at least 12 hours before your appointment using the link in your confirmation email. If you miss an appointment without notice, we will email you a payment link for a missed-appointment fee of $25.”
Match the hours in your text to the online-change cutoff in Booking rules (0 to 720 hours), so clients can’t cancel online after the window your policy describes. Refunds are never automatic, so a “we will refund” promise means you click Refund on that booking.
Prevention
Remind clients before you have to charge them
Reminder with a cancel link
Every reminder email and text carries a link to reschedule or cancel, so a client who can’t make it can free the slot instead of just not turning up. See appointment reminder texts and emails for timings and wording.
Freed slots go to the waitlist
When a booking is cancelled, the first person on the waitlist for that day and service gets an email, so a late cancellation can still be filled.
Setup
Set up deposits in five steps
Connect Stripe
In the dashboard open Integrations › Stripe and finish the steps Stripe asks for. Deposits are paid into your own Stripe account; until Stripe can take payments, people book without paying.
Choose “Take a deposit”
Go to Booking › Payments, pick “Take a deposit”, set the percent of each service's price (1 to 100) and your currency, then save. “Pay in full” takes the whole price instead.
Write your cancellation policy
Under Booking › Settings › Booking rules, add the policy text clients see before they book and set how many hours before the appointment they can still cancel or reschedule online.
Turn on reminders
Under Booking › Emails & texts, switch on the reminder email (30 minutes to 1 week before) and, if you want, opt-in text reminders.
Handle a no-show
Open the booking, click “Mark no-show”, then use “Send payment link” for a fee or “Refund” if you decide to return the deposit.
Pricing
Deposits are included in the Booking add-on
- Booking add-on: $100/year for 10,000 bookings per billing year
- 14-day free trial, no card needed
- Deposits, pay-in-full, payment links and refunds included
- Money is paid into your own Stripe account; Stripe's processing fees apply
- Email reminders included; text reminders use SMS credits
Deposits by industry: salon booking software and the barber booking app. Taking payments on ordinary forms instead? See Stripe payments on forms, or the full online booking system overview.
Frequently
asked.
Anything missing? Email us and we’ll answer.
What is a no-show fee?
A no-show fee is an amount a business charges when a client misses an appointment without cancelling in time. Many businesses take it as a deposit when the client books, so the money is already collected; others bill the client afterwards.
Can SplitForms charge a client's card automatically after a no-show?
No. SplitForms Booking does not keep cards on file, so it cannot charge a card later on its own. You can take a deposit at booking, and after a no-show you can email the client a Stripe payment link for any amount; the link stays open 24 hours and the client chooses whether to pay it.
How much should an appointment deposit be?
That is your call. SplitForms lets you set any percent from 1 to 100 of each service's price, 25% by default, and never takes less than $0.50 or more than the price. On an $80 service a 25% deposit is $20, and the client owes $60 at the appointment.
Is the deposit refunded when a client cancels?
Not automatically. When a client cancels, the cancellation email tells them any refund due under your policy is handled by you. Open the booking and click Refund to return all or part of the deposit; it goes back through Stripe.
Do clients see my no-show policy before they book?
Yes. The cancellation policy you write (up to 1,000 characters) is shown on the booking page before they confirm, printed in the confirmation email and repeated on the page where they reschedule or cancel.
Is a no-show fee legal?
Rules on deposits, cancellation fees and refunds differ by country, state and industry, and this page is not legal advice. Have a lawyer or your local business association review your policy wording before you publish it.
Which payment providers and currencies work?
Payments run on Stripe only. Deposits can be taken in USD, CAD, EUR, GBP, AUD, NZD, INR, SGD, AED, CHF.
How much does SplitForms Booking cost?
Booking is a paid add-on: $100/year (USD) for 10,000 bookings per billing year, after a 14-day free trial with no card. Stripe charges its own processing fees on deposits.
More booking guides
Appointment reminder texts and emails
Reminder timing, what the text says and how SMS credits work.
Google Calendar booking page
Two-way sync, busy times, Google Meet links and per-staff calendars.
Calendly alternative
Per-account vs per-seat pricing, and where each tool is the better pick.
Salon booking software
Stylist calendars, service menus with deposits, and client intake questions.
Barber booking app
Book a barber from your bio link in the phone browser, with deposits and reminders.
Massage booking software
60 and 90-minute sessions, a break between clients, intake questions and deposits.
Spa booking software
Staff mode or spaces per time for a day spa, with intake per treatment.
Tattoo booking software
Free consultations, session deposits, artist calendars and reference images.
Personal trainer booking app
1:1 and small-group sessions, a health check and waiver, payment at booking.
Yoga studio booking software
Class spaces per time, a health waiver, waitlist emails and reminders.