Solve: deposits

A booking app that takes a deposit before it holds the court

Pick how you get paid up front. A deposit, full prepay, a card on file, or a pack. The client picks a time and pays right then, so you stop saving court hours for people who never show or never pay.

The short answer

Coach is a booking app that takes a deposit at the moment a client books. You set the rule once (a flat deposit, a percentage, full prepay, a saved card, or a lesson pack), and every booking on your page follows it without you asking. The money lands before the lesson, and you keep it. 0% platform fee, Stripe processing still applies.

The four modes

What “takes a deposit” actually means here

A client opens your booking page and picks a time. Before that slot is yours to lose, they pay what your policy says. Four ways to set it up, one per service or across the board.

ModeWhen the money movesGood for
PrepayFull price at bookingOne-off lessons, new clients
DepositA set amount at booking, rest laterHolding a slot without full upfront
Card on fileSaved at booking, charged only on a no-show or late cancelRegulars you trust
PackPaid once, one lesson deducted per visitSteady clients who book a lot
PrepayFull price at bookingGood for: One-off lessons, new clients
DepositA set amount at booking, rest laterGood for: Holding a slot without full upfront
Card on fileSaved at booking, charged only on a no-show or late cancelGood for: Regulars you trust
PackPaid once, one lesson deducted per visitGood for: Steady clients who book a lot
Full prepayThey pay the whole lesson to book. Good for one-off sessions and new clients you don't know yet.
DepositA flat amount or a percentage, say $20 or 50%, held against the lesson. The rest is due at the court or charged after.
Card on fileNo money moves yet, but the card is saved. If they no-show or cancel late, your cancellation policy charges the fee on its own.
PackThey buy a block of lessons once. One is deducted automatically when they attend, and they can see how many are left.

You don't chase any of it. The booking page collects it the second they commit to a time.

Why it works

Why a deposit on the booking page is the point

A free booking link reserves your time and asks for nothing. That's how you end up holding a Tuesday 6:00 pm slot for someone who forgets you exist. A deposit changes who books. People who put $20 down show up. People who won't put $20 down were never going to show.

This is one of the two things Coach is built to do. Deposits and prepay kill the chasing. A saved card plus your own cancellation policy kills the no-shows. Both happen on the booking page, before the lesson, with no invoice to send and no awkward text to write.

Set it up

Set it up from a chat, not a settings maze

Tell the chat how you work. “Require a $25 deposit on all lessons, full prepay for first-timers, charge 50% for a cancel inside 24 hours.” It builds the policy into your public booking page and applies it to every slot. Want to change it later? Say “drop the deposit to $20.” Done, live on the page.

No forms to wire up, no payment plugin to bolt on. The deposit rule and the booking page are the same thing.

The money

Where the money shows up

  • The deposit or prepay hits your Stripe account when they book.
  • Packs are paid once, then drawn down one lesson at a time as clients attend.
  • The client sees their pack balance any time, not just while booking.
  • You see it all on the money screen, and you can run the whole thing from chat: “who owes me?”, “invoice Anna”, “refund the deposit on Saturday.”

You keep the lesson money. Coach takes 0% of it. Stripe's standard processing fee still applies to each charge, the same as any card payment anywhere.

FAQ

Fair questions

Can I require a deposit before someone can book?

Yes. Set a flat amount or a percentage, and the booking page won't hold the slot until the client pays it. You can require full prepay instead if you'd rather collect the whole lesson up front.

Can different lessons have different deposit rules?+

Yes. A junior clinic can take full prepay while a private hour takes a $20 deposit and a returning regular runs off a pack. You set it per service or apply one rule everywhere.

What happens to the deposit if they cancel?+

That's your call, written into your cancellation policy. Inside your window, the deposit (or part of it) is kept and the policy charges any extra fee on its own. Outside the window, you can refund it from the money screen or by telling the chat.

Is a deposit the same as a saved card?+

No, and you can use either. A deposit moves money now. A card on file moves nothing until a late cancel or a no-show, then your policy charges the fee automatically. Plenty of coaches use both: a card saved at booking plus a small deposit.

What does it cost me to take deposits?+

Coach charges 0% on the lesson money, so the deposit is yours. Stripe's standard processing fee applies to each card charge, same as it would anywhere you take a card.

Start taking deposits this week

Set your deposit rule in one sentence and your booking page starts collecting it today. 14 days free, card required to start. $19/mo or $190/yr after that. First 50 coaches lock in $15/mo for life.

Start free, 14-day trial