Deposit policies that protect you without scaring customers off

A deposit does two jobs: it filters out the bookings that were never serious, and it gives you something to set against a late cancellation. Done badly, it also filters out perfectly good customers who balk at handing money to a business they've not used yet. The trick is to make the deposit read as reassurance, not a test.

How much

For most catteries, somewhere between 20% and 30% of the stay total is the sweet spot — enough that a no-show stings, small enough that it doesn't feel like you're asking for the lot up front. A flat amount (say £20) works well for short stays where a percentage would be trivial. Whichever you choose, make the balance and the due date obvious; the surprise people resent isn't the deposit, it's discovering a balance they didn't expect.

When to take it

Take the deposit at the point you confirm the booking, not when the enquiry comes in. Confirming first tells the customer you've actually got the space; asking for money before you've said yes feels back-to-front. If you collect online, the cleanest flow is: customer requests, you accept, the system asks them to pay the deposit to lock it in.

Wording that lands

Compare "Non-refundable deposit required to secure booking" with "A 25% deposit confirms your dates — the balance is due on arrival, and we'll email you a reminder a few days before." Same policy, completely different feeling. Spell out what the deposit secures, when the balance falls due, and what happens if plans change. A clear cancellation window ("full refund up to 7 days before") does more for trust than any amount of fine print.

The peak-season exception

Christmas and the summer holidays are when no-shows hurt most, because you've turned away other bookings to hold the pen. It's reasonable to ask for a larger deposit — or the full amount — over peak periods, as long as you say so up front. Customers booking Christmas in October understand it; what they don't forgive is finding out at the last minute.