# How to Take Deposits for Appointments and Sell Session Packs

> Set up a booking deposit (part now, balance before the meeting) and sell session packs booked with a code. Step by step in Vonza, with policy wording.

By Uyi Abraham (Founder and CEO, Vonza). Published 2026-11-14, updated 2026-11-14. Category: Business and creator economy. 7 min read.
Canonical: https://vonza.com/blog/deposits-and-session-packs

Two kinds of payment solve two different problems for a service business. A **deposit** protects a single appointment: the client pays part of the price when they book, and the rest before the meeting, so an empty slot is never free to abandon. A **session pack** sells a block of appointments at once, so a client who needs six sessions pays once, commits once, and comes back five more times without a checkout in the way. Both are price types in the new [Vonza Scheduling](https://vonza.com/appointment-scheduling), and this guide sets each one up and covers the questions that come up in practice.

## Before you start: the new Scheduling

Deposits and packs are part of the new Scheduling, so you need it open. In your dashboard sidebar, click the Scheduling row with the **New** pill. Your existing meetings and prices appear there. For bookers to see the new booking page, the platform owner also turns on **New booking pages** in Booking settings; until then, booking links show the classic page. Read [what's new in Vonza Scheduling](https://vonza.com/blog/whats-new-in-vonza-scheduling) for the full picture.

You will also need a payment gateway connected: Stripe, PayPal or Paystack. As the payments screen puts it, bookers can't pay for priced lengths until one of them is connected. Because a deposit charges the balance later, deposits are card payments; PayPal and the wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna) are for prices paid in one go.

## Part 1: deposits

### Setting up a deposit

1. Open the meeting and go to its lengths. Each length (30 minutes, 60 minutes and so on, up to 12 per meeting) carries its own price.
2. Choose the price type **Deposit**. The label reads "Part now, the balance charged before the meeting."
3. Enter the full price and the **Deposit (%)**.
4. Set **Balance due (days before the meeting)**. The default is 1.
5. Publish.

That is the whole setup. From the booker's side, the booking page shows the deposit at checkout, they pay it, and the booking is confirmed. The balance is charged automatically the set number of days before the meeting.

### Three rules to know

**Short-notice bookings are paid in full.** A meeting tomorrow or sooner is paid in full at booking, because there is no time left to charge a balance. If most of your bookings are made the day before, a deposit behaves like a one-time price for those clients.

**A cancelled booking stops the balance.** If the booking is cancelled before the balance date, the balance is never charged. The deposit itself is not refunded automatically; that is your call, made from the Sales page (Owner, OP and Admin roles can refund).

**Deposit prices need an eligible plan.** Deposit, instalment and flexible prices share a plan gate. If the option is not available on your account, see [pricing](https://vonza.com/pricing).

### Choosing the percentage

There is no right number, but there are two sensible anchors. A deposit that covers your preparation time or materials means a cancellation does not cost you money. A deposit of roughly half signals that the booking is real without asking for everything up front. For a first consultation, people often use a smaller share; for a long session with set-up, a larger one.

### When the balance is due

The default of one day before works for most appointments. Move it earlier if you need time to replace a cancelled slot: with the balance due three days before, a client who is not going to attend tends to cancel or move the booking before that date rather than pay. Pair it with the cancel-and-reschedule deadline on the meeting (any time, or 1 hour, 4 hours, 1 day or 2 days before) so the two dates make sense together.

### The automation for a balance

Scheduling automations include a **Deposit balance due** trigger. A useful recipe is a short email the day before the balance is charged: "A reminder that the balance for your session on Thursday will be charged tomorrow. Need to move it? Use the reschedule link below." It is courteous, and it reduces surprised card declines. There is also a **Payment failed** trigger for the cases where the charge does not go through, which can email you and the client.

### Policy wording

Put the deposit terms in your cancellation policy note, which appears in the confirmation and reminder emails. A three-line version:

> A deposit of X% is paid at booking and the balance is charged automatically one day before your appointment. Cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before and the balance is not charged. Deposits are refundable if you cancel more than 48 hours ahead.

Adjust the numbers to your own choices. "Write with AI" will draft a policy from a few words if you prefer (it uses AI credits).

## Part 2: session packs

### Setting up a pack

1. On the length you want to sell as a block, choose the price type **Pack**. The label reads "Sell several sessions at once, booked with a code."
2. Enter the price of the pack and **Sessions in the pack**.
3. Optionally set **Use within (days)**: the number of days from purchase in which the sessions must be used. Leave it empty and the pack does not expire.
4. Publish.

### How a client uses it

The booking the client pays for is session one. Vonza gives them a pack code in the form `PK-XXXXX-XXXXX`. For each later session they open the booking page, pick a time, and enter the code with the same email they bought with. No second checkout. If a pack booking is cancelled, the credit goes back on the pack, so a cancelled session is not a lost session.

### Expiry, or not

An expiry date encourages clients to book regularly and keeps your forward commitments bounded. No expiry is simpler and friendlier for clients who travel or book irregularly. If you set one, say it in the pack's description so it is clear before purchase. Scheduling automations have a **Session pack running low** trigger and a **Session pack expired** trigger, so you can send "You have one session left, book it here" and "Your pack has ended, here is the link to buy another" without lifting a finger.

### Packs beside single sessions

Keep a one-time price on the same length so a new client can try one session before committing to six. On the booking page the client simply picks the price they want. A pack sits well next to a subscription too: the subscription price type charges every week, month or year until cancelled, which suits ongoing clients, while a pack suits a defined programme with an end.

## Which one when

| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| High-value single appointment, you prepare in advance | Deposit |
| First appointment with a new client | Deposit, or approve each booking |
| A programme of a set number of sessions | Pack |
| Ongoing weekly sessions with no end date | Subscription |
| Short free discovery call | Free length, reminders only |

For the no-show side of the decision, our guide on [how to reduce no-shows](https://vonza.com/blog/reduce-no-shows) puts deposits in context with reminders and lead time.

## Checkout extras that work with both

Up to five **add-ons** can sit at checkout: a workbook, an extended session, a recording. An add-on can add minutes to the meeting. Platform coupons apply, or you can hide the coupon box on a meeting. An "All sales are final" note can be shown when that is your policy.

Bookers pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Klarna through Stripe, by PayPal for prices paid once, or by Paystack in Nigerian naira. The Sales page in Scheduling lists every payment with "Payment n of N" on later charges, receipts and refunds, and a test mode lets you run a booking through a test card before you go live.

## Who it is for

Coaches running six-week programmes, tutors selling a term of lessons, therapists and consultants who want a first session paid before it starts, personal trainers and music teachers selling ten-packs. The [scheduling for coaches](https://vonza.com/scheduling-for-coaches), [scheduling for consultants](https://vonza.com/scheduling-for-consultants) and [scheduling for tutors](https://vonza.com/scheduling-for-tutors) pages show how each of those sets up their booking pages, and the [paid appointments](https://vonza.com/paid-appointments) page lists all nine price types side by side.

Scheduling is included in every Vonza plan, with a 14-day free trial. Open Scheduling · New in your dashboard, add a deposit or a pack to one length, and run a test-mode booking to see the checkout your clients will see.

## Frequently asked questions

### How does a booking deposit work in Vonza?

You set a deposit percentage and the number of days before the meeting the balance is due (the default is one day). The booker pays the deposit when they book and the balance is charged automatically before the meeting. A meeting booked for tomorrow or sooner is paid in full at booking. If the booking is cancelled, the balance is not charged.

### What happens to the deposit if a client cancels?

The balance charge stops, but the deposit is not refunded automatically. Whether you refund it is your policy; you can issue a refund from the Sales page in Scheduling. Say what happens in your cancellation policy so the booker reads it before paying.

### How does a client use a session pack?

The booking they pay for is session one. Vonza gives them a pack code in the form PK-XXXXX-XXXXX. For each later session they open your booking page, pick a time and enter the code with the same email address they bought with. If one of those bookings is cancelled, the session credit goes back on the pack.

### Do I need a particular plan for deposits or packs?

Session packs are open on every plan that includes Scheduling. Deposit prices, like instalment and flexible prices, need an eligible plan; see the pricing page for which plans include them.