Nail Salon Deposit Booking: Take the Deposit Before the Chair Is Theirs
A nail salon should take a deposit when a no-show burns a long appointment. You set the amount and apply it to the ticket. AIVA asks on the phone and texts the link — $200 one-time. Calendar is free for up to 3 staff. $20/month unlocks unlimited staff and customers, plus Reserve with Google. It does not answer the phone.
Contents · 9 sections
Short answer
Yes — take a deposit when the empty chair is expensive. Full sets, acrylic, and long fills are the usual list. You choose the amount and you say that it applies to the ticket. State it before the slot is final. AIVA can ask for that deposit on the phone and text the payment link. That call is the AI receptionist that takes deposits, and AIVA is $200 one-time. Get AIVA — $200. The public book is a different product: Calendar is free for up to 3 staff. $20/month unlocks unlimited staff and customers, plus Reserve with Google. Start Calendar free. Calendar does not answer the phone, so it does not ask for a deposit on a call.
Which appointments deserve the rule
A 30-minute polish and a two-hour set are not the same empty hour. Most shops put the deposit on the long work: full set, acrylic, a long fill, a party booking. Short services can stay open. Write the list in plain language and train it once. We do not publish a universal dollar amount — the figure is your policy, applied to the service, not a surprise fee at checkout.
The wider set of tactics (reminders, rebooking, a no-show list) is on prevent salon no-shows. This URL is the booking question: when the deposit is part of taking the appointment.
How the policy should read
- Name the services. “Full set and acrylic require a deposit. Gel polish does not.”
- Say it applies to the ticket. The guest is holding the chair, not buying a separate product.
- Say it before the time is final. A deposit mentioned after they no-show is a complaint. A deposit mentioned while the slot is still open is a booking rule.
- Match the channel. The booking page, the Google Book Online button, and the phone should describe the same rule. Guests notice when they do not.
Calendar holds the slot. It does not make the phone ask.
The online booking calendar is where the chair lives in public: your site and, after Google approves it, the Book Online button. That plan is Calendar. Calendar is free for up to 3 staff. $20/month unlocks unlimited staff and customers, plus Reserve with Google. It does not answer the phone and it does not run the AI deposit conversation. Pricing lists no-show / AI deposit on the AI Receptionist side for that reason.
If the leak is “they found us on Maps and could not book,” start with Calendar and read Google Reserve for nail salons. If the leak is “they booked and did not come,” the deposit rule still has to be said out loud on the calls you cannot take.
On the phone, AIVA asks and then texts
A guest who calls about a full set should hear the deposit in the same conversation as the time. AIVA states the rule you trained, books against a real opening, and sends SMS with the link so they can pay from the phone in their hand. Card handling on the live site is Stripe. You do not put the phone on speaker over a client’s hands.
That behavior is the $200 one-time phone layer: no monthly plan fee, no free trial. Included usage on the AI Receptionist card is 100 voice minutes and 1,500 SMS, then $0.35/min and $0.035 per SMS. The step-by-step of the ask is AI receptionist that takes deposits. Staff who also want the salon line on their own phone should read Bukkii Phone.
Keep checkout where it already is
A deposit at booking is not a new point of sale. SimplePOS, Limited POS, Salon Solutions, Mac USA, Go POS, or another register can still close the ticket. See keep your nail salon POS. We do not claim native two-way sync into those systems. The inbound line that sets the chair around that stack is the AI appointment setter.
Related guides
- Google Reserve for nail salons
- Online booking calendar for nail salons
- Bukkii Phone and the AI receptionist
- AI receptionist that takes deposits
- AI appointment setter (inbound shop line)
- Keep your nail salon POS
- Prevent salon no-shows
- Answering service cost
- Virtual receptionist cost
- AI appointment booking for solo nail techs
- Pricing — Calendar is free for up to 3 staff. $20/month unlocks unlimited staff and customers, plus Reserve with Google. AIVA is $200
Two offers: AIVA on the phone, Calendar on Google
The deposit rule is yours. The voice that says it on a missed call is AIVA. The public book and the Google button are Calendar.
AIVA — the phone layer — $200 one-time
AIVA is the AI receptionist for inbound calls. She answers the shop number, books the service, and texts the appointment. $200 one-time. No monthly plan fee. No free trial. Get AIVA — $200. Hear her at (215) 791-6766.
Calendar — the booking layer
Calendar is free for up to 3 staff. $20/month unlocks unlimited staff and customers, plus Reserve with Google. It does not answer the phone. Start Calendar free. Both cards are on pricing.
FAQ
Should a nail salon take a deposit to book?
Yes, when the appointment is long enough that a no-show wastes the hour — typically a full set, acrylic, or a long fill. You set the amount and you state that it applies to the ticket before the time is final. There is no universal dollar amount on this page.
Who asks for the deposit on the phone?
AIVA, the AI receptionist, asks on the inbound call and texts the payment link. AIVA is $200 one-time. No monthly plan fee. No free trial. Calendar does not answer the phone, so it does not ask.
Does Calendar take deposits by phone?
No. Free includes the booking website. Unlimited staff, unlimited customers, and Reserve with Google are on the $20 plan. It does not answer calls and it does not run the AI deposit conversation.
Does the deposit replace my POS?
No. The deposit holds the chair. The register you already use can still close the ticket. We do not claim native two-way sync into a third-party POS.
What if they book from Google instead of calling?
Google Reserve is the Book Online button. Calendar is free for up to 3 staff. $20/month unlocks unlimited staff and customers, plus Reserve with Google. The deposit rule should match what the phone says. Calendar still does not answer the phone.
How much does AIVA cost if I want deposits asked on calls?
AIVA is $200 one-time. No monthly plan fee. No free trial. The payment includes a dedicated number, training, calendar setup, forwarding, 100 voice minutes, and 1,500 SMS. Extra usage is $0.35 per minute and $0.035 per SMS.
