How much deposit to take for nails, lashes and brows (with a sample policy)

Short answer: set the deposit so it covers what a missed appointment actually costs you: the product you prepped, plus a fair share of the time you can no longer sell. For most nail, lash and brow services that lands between a quarter and a third of the price, rounded to a whole number. Long or expensive services sit at the top of that range; quick ones at the bottom, or with no deposit at all.

What a deposit is for

Be clear about the job a deposit does, because that decides the amount.

A deposit is not a penalty and it is not extra income. It does two things:

1. It turns a booking into a commitment. People who have paid something show up, or at least tell you when they can't.
2. It covers your loss when they don't. If a client cancels too late for you to fill the slot, the deposit pays for what that gap cost you.

If the amount you keep is far bigger than the loss, clients feel it and you invite disputes. If it is so small it doesn't register, it won't change behavior. The right amount is in between.

Working it out per service

Take one service and answer three questions.

1. What does a no-show cost you in product and prep? For lashes, that might be a tray you already set out. For nails, the tips you sized or a custom color you mixed. For brows, often very little.

2. How much of the time can you realistically resell? A 30-minute brow wax canceled the evening before is easy to fill. A two-hour full set on a Saturday morning usually isn't.

3. How long is the service and what does it cost? The longer and pricier it is, the more a gap hurts.

Then pick a deposit that roughly covers question 1 plus part of question 2. Here is how that works with example prices. Yours will differ, so treat this as a method, not a price list.

A few patterns worth noticing:

• New clients carry more risk than regulars, simply because you don't know them yet. Some techs take a deposit from every new client and leave regulars alone.
• Saturdays and evenings are the slots you lose most when they sit empty. You can keep the same deposit and be stricter about the cancellation window for those.
• Patch tests for lash and brow tints are a separate, short appointment. Most techs keep them free, because the point is to get the client in.

Percentage or flat amount?

Both work. A flat amount per service is clearer: "$40 deposit, applied to your total." A percentage scales automatically when you raise prices, but you end up with odd numbers. If you prefer a percentage, round it so the client sees $25 instead of $24.70.

What doesn't work well is one deposit for everything. A flat $35 on a $35 brow wax means the client pays the full price upfront, which is a different conversation entirely.

Keeping it defensible

Deposit rules in the US are mostly state law, and they vary. The common thread is simple: a client who clearly saw and accepted the policy before paying, and an amount that reflects your real loss.

Habits that keep you on safe ground:

• Show the deposit on the service and in the booking summary, before the client pays.
• Say in one sentence when the client loses it, and when they don't.
• Refund it in full when you cancel.
• Keep a record. If a client disputes the charge with their card issuer, your booking confirmation showing the policy is your evidence.

These are good habits rather than legal advice. Your state's consumer protection office is a good first stop if you are unsure.

A sample deposit policy you can adapt

Change the amounts and hours to fit your salon, and keep the wording short. Clients read the first two lines and skim the rest.

Deposits and cancellations

To book, we take a deposit of $15 to $40 depending on the service. You'll see the exact amount before you pay, and it's applied to your final bill.

Need to cancel or reschedule? You can do it free of charge up to 24 hours before (48 hours for lash full sets), using the link in your confirmation email. Your deposit moves to your new appointment.

Canceling later than that, or not coming at all? We keep the deposit, because we usually can't fill the time on such short notice.

Running late? Let us know. If we can still do the full service we will; otherwise we may need to shorten it or rebook you.

If we have to cancel, you get your deposit back in full and we'll help you find a new time.

Put this policy in three places: on your booking page, in the confirmation email, and in an Instagram story highlight if that is where clients find you. When it is the same everywhere, nobody can say they didn't see it.

Telling your existing clients

If you are adding deposits for the first time, regulars will notice. A short message is enough:

"Starting next month, bookings for full sets and new clients include a small deposit, which is applied to your bill. It helps us keep spots open for people who show up. Nothing changes for fills."

Most clients get it. The ones who object loudly are often the ones the deposit is meant for.

Setting deposits per service in Avana

In Avana, the deposit lives on the service itself, so the client sees it the moment they choose what to book.

• A flat deposit per service, or full payment at booking if you prefer that for certain services.
• Two services in one booking? You decide whether the client pays a deposit for each, or only the higher of the two. A client booking a gel set and a lash fill together then pays one sensible amount.
• Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, paid straight to your own account through Stripe. There is no commission on bookings from your own page.
• Your cancellation window decides when the online cancel button closes. After that, the client sees your own message and a call button instead.
• Deposits count toward packages. If a client bought a series of services, a deposit they paid comes off the package.

You can turn all of this on during the free trial and test it with a booking of your own. The features overview shows the settings, and pricing lists what each plan includes.

For the bigger picture, including reminders and what to do when someone still doesn't show, see how to reduce no-shows at your salon.