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Deposits for custom orders and bookings

Take a deposit online, then get the balance on time.

Caterers, photographers, contractors, bakers, furniture makers, venues, and tattoo artists use Flint to take the deposit by link or invoice when the customer says yes, and to send the balance with reminders, so nobody keeps a spreadsheet of who still owes what. Customers pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or bank account, on their own phone.

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Find your trade
A deposit link made in the dashboard, opened from an Instagram bio.
the caterer's invoice, after the deposit
One invoice with a payment schedule, set up once through Flint's API or an AI assistant: the deposit is paid, and Flint asks for the balance on May 29.

Deposit by link or invoice

A link for a fixed deposit anyone can pay, or an invoice for a quoted job.

Balance with reminders

Reminders before and after the due date, late fees if you charge them, and bank payments for big balances.

No monthly fee

3.79% + 35¢ per card payment. Links add nothing; invoices add 0.40%.

01Three ways

Pick the deposit that fits the job.

One question decides it: when you ask for the deposit, do you already know who the customer is and what the whole job costs? The first two work from the dashboard with no code.

Best forDeposit link: The same deposit for everyone: $100 to book a tattoo, a cake, or a session.Two invoices: A quoted job where the balance depends on the final count or the work done.Payment schedule: A quoted job with a known total and fixed dates: a venue, a wedding, a build.
Set it upDeposit link: Dashboard, once. Share the URL or its QR code anywhere.Two invoices: Dashboard, one invoice per payment.Payment schedule: Through Flint's API: a developer, or an AI assistant connected to Flint.
The balanceDeposit link: Sent later as an invoice to the email on the deposit order.Two invoices: Its own invoice, due on the date you set.Payment schedule: On the same invoice, due on its own date, or charged to a saved card that day.
Reminders and late feesDeposit link: On the balance invoice.Two invoices: On each invoice, from your invoice settings.Payment schedule: On each payment in the schedule, counted from its own due date.
The recordDeposit link: One order for the deposit, another for the balance.Two invoices: One order per invoice.Payment schedule: One order with every payment, refund, and write-off on it.
Price beyond processingDeposit link: Nothing.Two invoices: 0.40% of what each invoice collects.Payment schedule: 0.40% of what the invoice collects.

02Set it up

From the dashboard, with no code.

Four steps, done once. After that, each new booking is a link you share or an invoice you send.

1. Put your policy where they pay

In Settings > Policies, add links to your terms of service, refund policy, and contract. They appear at the foot of every payment link and checkout page, and one switch makes buyers check that they agree before they can pay. For invoices, put the deposit policy in the invoice memo, or in the default footer in Settings > Invoices.

2. Make a deposit link

In Payment links, make a standard link named for the deposit, at a fixed price, or let the buyer enter the amount within limits you set. Require email and phone. Limit the number of payments if you have a set number of slots. Copy the URL or download its QR code.

3. Invoice a quoted job

In Invoices, choose New invoice, enter the customer's email, the line, and a due date, and write the policy in the memo. Issue it and Flint emails the customer a link to pay. Send the deposit invoice now, and the balance invoice now or when the final number is known.

4. Set the follow-up once

In Settings > Invoices, add reminders before and after the due date, up to 20, choose how customers can pay, and turn on bank payments with a line that shows what paying by bank saves. Add a late fee and grace period to your payment terms if you charge one.

Each invoice screen has Send reminder for a nudge between scheduled ones, and Record payment for a check or cash. For booking deposits taken by link and texted job links, the developers blog walks through payment links for field services.

03One invoice

The deposit and the balance on one order.

An invoice with a payment schedule asks for part of the total now and the rest later, on a single invoice the customer keeps. Both payments settle one order, so refunds, receipts, and disputes all point at one sale.

Deposit as a percentage or a fixed amount. Ask for 30% or a flat $1,000. Flint works out the deposit and the balance from the total.

Installments in between. Up to 14 payments on one invoice: a deposit, installments on dates you choose, and a balance on the due date. Reminders count from each payment's own due date, and a late fee, if your terms charge one, applies once per overdue payment.

One link for every payment. The invoice page asks for whichever payment is due, and shows Nothing due today in between. Or Flint charges a card the customer saved with you on each due date and retries a decline on your retry settings.

Who still owes you. The Unpaid tab on the Invoices screen lists every invoice with money still owed, and Overdue lists the ones past due, so a deposit in and a balance to come never drops off the list.

How to set it up. Payment schedules are created through Flint's API, so a developer does it once, or you ask an AI assistant connected through Flint's MCP server. The dashboard shows the schedule on the invoice and handles everything after. The deposits guide on the developers blog has the exact request. Invoices on Flint's automatic tax collect in one payment, so a schedule uses tax you supply.

a deposit, two installments, and a balance
The venue example from below as one invoice: the deposit paid, the next payment due in six months.

04By trade

Deposits, worked out for your trade.

Each structure below is an example, not a rule. Set your own from what you commit when someone books: the date you turn away, the materials you buy, the hours before the job. Fees are Flint's, computed from the published rate card.

Caterers

Weddings, corporate lunches, and private dinners.

An example structure

30% to hold the date, and the balance 14 days before the event, once the final headcount is in.

In Flint. Send the deposit as an invoice from the dashboard the day the client books. When the final headcount comes in, send the balance invoice for that count, due 14 days before the event. Reminders 7 days before the due date and on the day go out on their own. A count that changes after you invoice is a second invoice for the extra guests.

Policy tip. Name the day the headcount locks, and say what the deposit pays for: the date you turned others away for, the staff you scheduled, the food you ordered.

Worked example. A 120-guest wedding dinner quoted at $6,000.

PaymentDueAmountPaid byFlint fee
Deposit, 30%When the client says yes$1,800.00Invoice, card$75.77
Balance for the final count14 days before the event$4,200.00Invoice, bank$58.80
Flint fees on this job$134.57
Sample policy wording
Your deposit reserves June 12, 2027 and is applied to your final bill. Your final guest count is due May 29, and the balance for that count is due the same day. The deposit isn't refunded if you cancel, and no balance is owed.

Photographers

Weddings, portraits, and brand shoots.

An example structure

A flat retainer at booking, and the balance 30 days before the wedding.

In Flint. Issue both invoices when the contract is signed: the retainer due now and the balance due 30 days before the wedding. The couple sees the whole plan on day one, and the balance reminders run months later without you. For portrait sessions, a fixed session retainer on a payment link in your bio or booking page does the same job for anyone.

Policy tip. Treat rescheduling and canceling as different events. Couples ask about both, and a clear answer to each keeps the conversation out of their bank's dispute form.

Worked example. A $3,200 wedding package with a $1,000 retainer.

PaymentDueAmountPaid byFlint fee
RetainerAt booking$1,000.00Invoice, card$42.25
Balance30 days before the wedding$2,200.00Invoice, card$92.53
Flint fees on this job$134.78
Sample policy wording
The retainer reserves your date, and we turn down other work for it. It's applied to your package and isn't refunded if you cancel. You can move your date once, to an open date within 12 months, and the retainer moves with it.

Contractors and remodelers

Kitchens, baths, decks, roofs, and additions.

An example structure

Set by law in some states. In California, the CSLB caps a home improvement down payment at $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less, with no exception for special-order materials, and later payments can't run ahead of the work done. Check your own state's rules.

In Flint. Send the down payment as an invoice at signing, then one invoice per phase as each phase is finished, so no payment asks for money ahead of the work. Turn on bank payments for the big ones, and when a homeowner hands you a check, use Record payment on the invoice and the balance drops by that amount.

Policy tip. Signed the contract at the customer's kitchen table? The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule can give the buyer until midnight of the third business day to cancel for a full refund, and the seller then has 10 days to refund. Repairs the customer asked you to come out for are excluded. Don't spend the down payment before the window closes.

Worked example. An $8,400 bathroom remodel in California.

PaymentDueAmountPaid byFlint fee
Down paymentAt signing$840.00Invoice, card$35.55
Demolition and rough plumbingWhen that phase is done$3,000.00Invoice, bank$42.00
Tile and fixturesWhen that phase is done$3,500.00Invoice, bank$49.00
Final paymentOn completion$1,060.00Invoice, bank$14.84
Flint fees on this job$141.39
Sample policy wording
Down payment: $840, due at signing. Each later payment is due when the phase it names is complete and is never more than the value of the work done or materials delivered.

Custom cakes and bakers

Wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and dessert tables.

An example structure

A flat booking deposit on every custom order, and the balance a week before pickup.

In Flint. Make one $100 custom cake deposit link in the dashboard, require a phone number so you can call about the design, and put it in your Instagram bio and on your site. When the design is final, send the balance invoice. For ready-made orders that customers prepay and collect, see preorders with local pickup.

Policy tip. Say when the design locks. Most cake arguments are about a change asked for after you bought the ingredients and blocked the oven time.

Worked example. A $480 three-tier wedding cake.

PaymentDueAmountPaid byFlint fee
Booking depositWhen they order$100.00Link, card$4.14
Balance7 days before pickup$380.00Invoice, card$16.27
Flint fees on this job$20.41
Sample policy wording
Your $100 deposit books your date and comes off the price of your cake. Design changes are free until 14 days before pickup. Cancel more than 30 days out and we refund the deposit; after that it's kept, because your date was held for you.

Custom furniture makers

Tables, cabinetry, built-ins, and upholstery.

An example structure

50% to buy materials and start, and the balance when the piece is ready.

In Flint. One invoice with a payment schedule fits this job best: the deposit due when you issue it, the balance due on the delivery date, and Flint asks for each on its day. From the dashboard alone, send a deposit invoice now and a balance invoice dated for delivery.

Policy tip. Tie the deposit to materials bought for this one piece. A slab cut to a customer's size can't be sold to anyone else, and saying so makes the deposit easy to understand.

Worked example. A $3,600 walnut dining table with a 10-week lead time.

PaymentDueAmountPaid byFlint fee
Deposit, 50%When they order$1,800.00Invoice, card$75.77
BalanceOn the delivery date$1,800.00Invoice, bank$25.20
Flint fees on this job$100.97
Sample policy wording
The 50% deposit buys the lumber and hardware for your table, cut to your size. Once materials are ordered, the deposit isn't refundable. The balance is due on delivery.

Event venues

Barns, lofts, halls, and restaurants with private rooms.

An example structure

25% to hold the date, 25% six months out, and the balance 30 days before the event.

In Flint. A payment schedule puts all three payments on one invoice, with reminders and any late fee on each payment's own date. From the dashboard alone, issue one invoice per payment at booking, each with its due date. Selling tickets to your own events instead? See event tickets with tiers and a cap.

Policy tip. Use a sliding scale, and keep your records until well after the event. For a future event or service, card networks generally start the dispute window on the event date, not the day of payment, according to Stripe.

Worked example. A $9,000 Saturday rental in June 2027.

PaymentDueAmountPaid byFlint fee
Deposit, 25%At booking$2,250.00Invoice, card$94.63
Second payment, 25%6 months before$2,250.00Invoice, bank$31.50
Balance30 days before$4,500.00Invoice, bank$63.00
Flint fees on this job$189.13
Sample policy wording
Cancel more than 180 days before your event and we refund everything you've paid except the $2,250 deposit. Cancel within 180 days and payments made are kept, unless we rebook your date.

Tattoo artists

Custom pieces, flash days, and guest spots.

An example structure

A flat deposit to book, taken off the price of the tattoo.

In Flint. Make one deposit link and put it in your bio and booking replies, with a phone number required. For a flash day, set Limit number of payments to your number of slots, and the link stops taking deposits when they're gone. Take the rest at the chair the way you do today, or send it as an invoice the client pays on their phone.

Policy tip. Say how much notice a reschedule needs, and how many times. A deposit also pays for drawing time, so say that too.

Worked example. A $450 forearm piece with a $100 deposit.

PaymentDueAmountPaid byFlint fee
DepositTo book$100.00Link, card$4.14
Rest of the priceAt the appointment$350.00Outside FlintNone
Flint fees on this job$4.14
Sample policy wording
Your $100 deposit holds your appointment, pays for drawing time, and comes off the price of your tattoo. Reschedule once with 48 hours' notice and it moves with you. No-shows and later cancellations forfeit it.

Sample policy wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Laws on deposits and cancellations vary by state and trade.

05Cancellations

When the customer cancels, follow your policy in a few clicks.

Whatever your policy says, Flint has the step for it, and the order keeps the record of what was paid, refunded, and written off.

Keep the deposit

On the invoice, choose Mark uncollectible. The deposit stays collected, the unpaid balance is written off, and the invoice moves to Closed.

Refund all or part of it

Open the order and refund any amount up to what was paid, such as the deposit minus a cancellation fee your policy names. Flint emails the customer a refund receipt.

Cancel a balance not yet paid

Void a balance invoice nobody has paid, so its link stops working and reminders stop.

Turn it into credit

Refund the deposit onto a new Flint gift card for a rebooking, so the money stays with you. This is an API option today; the refunds guide shows it.

Shrink the job

Issue a credit note against the invoice and the balance falls, with a numbered document the customer can see.

What a refund costs

Flint charges nothing to refund. The original processing fee isn't returned, so a deposit you refund still cost the fee you paid on it.

Store credit and the rest of the refund options are in the refunds guide, and invoice corrections in the invoicing guide.

06The rules

Nonrefundable deposits and disputes, the basics.

A deposit policy works when it would stand up in two places: a court, and the customer's bank. Neither is common, but both reward the same habits.

A nonrefundable deposit is compensation, not a penalty. A fixed amount agreed in advance for a broken contract is called liquidated damages, and it suits losses that are hard to put a number on, like a wedding date you turned others away for. Courts won't enforce one that is punitive or unconscionable. Keep the deposit in proportion to what you commit.

Some sales come with a right to cancel. The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule gives buyers until midnight of the third business day to cancel many sales made at their home or at a temporary location, like a bridal fair, and the seller then has 10 days to refund. Home improvement deposits are capped outright in some states, such as California.

Write it where they agree to it. Name the amount, what it holds or pays for, when it stops being refundable, and what rescheduling does. Then show it before payment: Flint's policy links and agreement checkbox on links and checkout, and the memo on invoices.

Disputes can come late. Card networks typically allow 120 days to dispute a payment, and for a future event or service the window generally starts on the event date, according to Stripe's docs. A deposit for a wedding next June can be disputed after the wedding.

What happens. The disputed amount is pulled from your balance and held while the bank decides. You usually have 7 to 21 days to respond, and the whole process can take two to three months. A partly refunded payment can still be disputed for the full amount.

What wins a cancellation dispute. For prepaid services like reservations, Stripe lists the evidence: your cancellation or refund policy as the customer received it, how and where it was shown before they paid, and your messages with them. Stripe also advises requiring agreement to your terms and showing the full policy, not just a link.

On Flint. Respond to a dispute from its screen in the dashboard, with your evidence. Card dispute fees are passed through at cost, with no markup.

07What it costs

One rate, and nothing monthly.

3.79% + 35¢ per card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay payment, no monthly fee, and no setup fee. The card rate includes the underlying card processing, so there's no separate processor bill.

Deposit links

3.79% + 35¢ per card payment, nothing more. A $100.00 deposit costs $4.14.

Invoices

The payment rate plus 0.40% of what the invoice collects. That pays for the emails, reminders, late fees, schedules, and the hosted invoice page.

Bank payments

1.00%, $1 minimum, no cap. On the caterer's $4,200.00 balance, bank instead of card saves $117.53.

Refunds have no Flint fee, and card disputes are passed through at cost. Every rate is on the pricing page.

08Start

Take your next deposit with Flint.

Sign up, make a deposit link or a deposit invoice in the sandbox, and pay it from your own phone with a test card to see exactly what your customers will see.

3.79% + 35¢ on cards · no monthly fee · free sandbox · no credit card

Then read these

  1. 01
    InvoicesReminders, late fees, schedules, and checks on one balance.
  2. 02
    Payment linksA deposit link, its QR code, and its payment limit.
  3. 03
    Preorders with local pickupFor bakers and makers who sell ahead and hand over in person.
  4. 04
    Event ticketsTiers and a cap for events you run yourself.
  5. 05
    How to collect a deposit and the balance laterThe developer's guide to deposit invoices and links.
  6. 06
    Stripe deposits and remaining balancesHow Flint's deposit invoice compares with doing it on Stripe.
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Sources

Where the rules come from.

  • California's home improvement down payment cap of $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less, with no exception for special-order materials, and the rule that payments can't exceed the value of the work performed. CSLB: Learn about home improvement contracts

    www.cslb.ca.gov

  • Three business days to cancel certain sales made at a buyer's home or a temporary location, the seller's 10 days to refund, and the exclusion for repairs the buyer asked for. FTC: Buyer's remorse and the Cooling-Off Rule

    consumer.ftc.gov

  • What liquidated damages are, and that courts won't enforce a clause that is punitive or unconscionable. Cornell LII: Liquidated damages

    www.law.cornell.edu

  • The 120-day dispute window, its start on the event date for future services, the 7 to 21 days to respond, funds held during a dispute, and the two to three month timeline. Stripe docs: How disputes work

    docs.stripe.com

  • Credit not processed disputes, and the evidence for prepaid offline services: the policy as provided, how it was disclosed before purchase, and customer communication. Stripe docs: Dispute categories

    docs.stripe.com

  • Requiring agreement to your terms and showing the full policy before purchase, and that a partially refunded payment can still be disputed for the full amount. Stripe docs: Best practices for preventing fraud

    docs.stripe.com

last reviewed 2026-10-26 · corrections: Flint Help

FAQ

Questions about taking deposits.

How do I take a deposit online?

Make a payment link for a fixed deposit and share it, or send the customer an invoice for the deposit. In Flint, both take a few minutes in the dashboard, and the customer pays by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or bank account on their phone. When the work is done, send the balance as an invoice, and Flint emails reminders on the schedule you set.

How do I collect a deposit from a client and the remaining balance later?

Send two invoices from the Flint dashboard, one for the deposit due now and one for the balance due on the date you choose, or have a developer or AI assistant create one invoice with a payment schedule. With a schedule, both payments sit on one invoice and one order, and Flint asks for each on its due date, by email with reminders, or by charging a card the customer saved with you.

How much should a deposit be?

There's no single standard. Set it from what you commit when a customer books: the date you turn others away for, the materials you buy, the hours you spend before the work starts. Some states cap it for some trades: California limits a home improvement down payment to $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less.

Can I make a deposit nonrefundable?

Usually, when the amount is a reasonable estimate of what a cancellation costs you and the customer agreed to it before paying. Courts can refuse a fixed amount that works as a penalty rather than compensation, and some sales, such as many contracts signed in a customer's home, carry a legal right to cancel. Put the policy in writing, link it at checkout, and ask a local lawyer about your state's rules.

What does a deposit invoice for catering look like?

It names the event, the date it reserves, the deposit amount, and what happens to it if the client cancels. On a $6,000 wedding with a 30% deposit, the invoice asks for $1,800 now, and the $4,200 balance follows once the final headcount is in. Flint's fee on the $1,800 deposit paid by card is $75.77.

Can I refund part of a deposit?

Yes. Open the order in the Flint dashboard and refund any amount up to what was paid. To keep the deposit and cancel what's still owed on an invoice, use Mark uncollectible: the deposit stays collected and the balance is written off. Flint charges nothing to refund, but the original processing fee isn't returned.

What happens if a customer disputes a deposit with their bank?

The disputed amount is held while the bank decides, which can take two to three months. Respond from the dispute screen in the Flint dashboard with your policy as the customer saw it before paying, where it was shown, and your messages with them. Flint passes card dispute fees through at cost, with no markup.

Can the customer pay the balance by bank transfer?

Yes. Turn on bank account (ACH Direct Debit) in your invoice settings and customers can pay the balance from their bank on the invoice page, at 1.00%, $1 minimum, no cap. Checks and cash go on the invoice with Record payment, and the balance drops by that amount.

Can Flint charge the balance automatically?

Yes, on an invoice with a payment schedule and automatic collection. Flint charges a card the customer saved with you on each due date, retries a declined card on your retry settings, and the customer can still pay with another card from the invoice link. Payment schedules are set up through Flint's API, by a developer or an AI assistant connected to Flint.

Do I need a website to take deposits?

No. A Flint payment link and a Flint invoice are each their own page. Text the link, post it in your bio, print its QR code, or email the invoice. If you have a site, link to them from it.

What does Flint cost for deposits?

3.79% + 35¢ per card payment, no monthly fee, and no setup fee. Bank payments are 1.00%, $1 minimum, no cap. Payment links add nothing; invoices add 0.40% of what they collect.