Can a deposit be refunded automatically?

Refunds are issued from the dashboard in a couple of clicks, in full or in part, and the client receives an emailed confirmation.

Does a deposit count towards the treatment price?

It should. Record the deposit against the appointment and collect only the remaining balance on the day.

What fees apply to a deposit?

The same as any other card payment: Stripe's published processing fee plus the Enterprise Pay Gateway platform fee for your plan.

Med spas and aesthetics

No-show deposits for med spas: what to charge and how to make them stick

Updated 10 September 2026 · 6 min read

A med spa no-show deposit is a card payment taken when the appointment is booked and credited against the treatment when the client attends. Deposits of 20%–50% of the treatment price, with a 24 or 48 hour cancellation window, cut no-shows sharply. Taken through a hosted checkout link they carry authentication, a receipt and a clear statement description, which is what wins a dispute.

What a no-show really costs

An empty injector chair is not a small loss. It is the provider's hourly cost, the room, and the revenue of the treatment that could have filled it — often several hundred dollars for a single slot.

Because aesthetic appointments are long and provider-specific, they are also the hardest to backfill at short notice. That is why deposits matter more here than in a business selling ten-minute services.

How much to ask for

For consultations, a flat $50 to $100 is usually enough to signal commitment. For laser and injectable appointments, 20% to 50% of the treatment price is the range most practices settle on.

Always credit the deposit against the final bill. A deposit that feels like an extra charge damages the booking; one that visibly reduces the amount due on the day does not.

Writing a policy that holds up

State the cancellation window, the amount retained, and what happens on a late reschedule. Show it at the moment of payment, not buried in a page nobody opens.

When a client disputes a retained deposit, the evidence that matters is the authenticated payment, the receipt, the policy text they saw, and the appointment record. Collecting the deposit through hosted checkout produces all four without extra admin.

Safe med spa payment processing: never key a card by phone

Reading a card number aloud and writing it on a booking sheet is both a compliance risk and the weakest possible dispute position, because there is no authentication attached to the payment.

Send a checkout link by text or email instead. The client pays on Stripe's page, the card never touches your desk, and the payment arrives already documented.

Frequently asked

Can a deposit be refunded automatically?: Refunds are issued from the dashboard in a couple of clicks, in full or in part, and the client receives an emailed confirmation.
Does a deposit count towards the treatment price?: It should. Record the deposit against the appointment and collect only the remaining balance on the day.
What fees apply to a deposit?: The same as any other card payment: Stripe's published processing fee plus the Enterprise Pay Gateway platform fee for your plan.

Start taking payments for your med spas and aesthetics

Create a free account, connect payments through Stripe, and take your first payment the same day. Enterprise Pay Gateway is software, not a bank or lender — Stripe processes payments under your own Stripe agreement and pays out to your bank.

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