Smart deposit risk scoring: how the agent decides what to charge upfront

Flat deposits are a blunt instrument. A loyal client of three years feels insulted being asked for $25 upfront. A repeat ghoster who's no-showed twice doesn't deserve to book without committing 100%. Smart deposit risk scoring sets the upfront deposit dynamically per client, per booking — usually to your benefit, sometimes against.

What the score actually looks at

The score is computed live at booking time. Inputs include:

• Number of past visits with you (a 3-visit client is materially different from a 0-visit one)
• No-show count + percentage (one no-show in 30 visits = fine; one in 3 = not fine)
• Last-minute cancellation frequency (cancelling within 2 hours is treated as a soft no-show)
• Average days between booking and visit (last-minute bookers are higher risk)
• Time-of-day pattern (early morning + late evening slots have higher no-show rates industry-wide)
• Service type (high-value services get higher base deposits)
• How they're booking (a direct text from a saved client is lower risk than a brand-new web booking)

The output is a percentage of the service price, ranging from 0% (loyal, never missed) to 100% (high-risk new or burned). Most clients land between 10% and 30%.

Real examples

• Maria, 18 visits, 0 no-shows, books a $135 fill → deposit: $0
• Brand new client, $95 brow lamination → deposit: 25% ($24)
• Walk-in inquiry from an unknown number at 11pm → deposit: 50% ($48)
• Returning client with 2 prior no-shows in last 6 months → deposit: 100% ($95)

How to override per client

From the client's profile, you can set their deposit policy to: System (smart), Always 0%, Always X%, or Always 100%. Use this for: VIPs you always trust (Always 0%), problem clients you want to keep on a tight leash (Always 100%), or clients who explicitly asked you to never charge upfront.

How to override per service

From the service settings, you can set a minimum deposit (the smart score never goes below this) or a fixed deposit (the smart score is ignored entirely). Operators do this most often for high-value services where a no-show is catastrophic — lash full sets, dental crowns, multi-hour HVAC installs.

When you should turn it off

Rarely. The point of smart scoring is it's better for your loyal clients than a flat deposit, and it protects you from your sketchy ones. The only operators we see disable it are those in cultures or verticals where deposits are considered rude across the board (some immigrant-heavy markets, some hyper-personal services like home cleaning where trust is built differently). You can disable in Settings > Payments > Risk Scoring → Off.

Why the score is more accurate than a flat policy

Behaviorally: humans hate being treated as a category when they're actually individuals. Your 5-year regular doesn't want to be asked for the same deposit as a stranger. And your stranger should be paying more than your regular, not less. Smart scoring aligns the deposit with the actual risk, which feels fair to both sides — and gets you fewer angry texts about "why do I need to pay $25 to book?"