No deposit, no date in the diary

A handshake date that isn't backed by a deposit is just a hope. This automation makes the deposit the thing that firms up the booking: the customer picks a slot, you send a pay-by-link for a deposit (card, Apple Pay or PayID), and the calendar entry stays "held" until that payment clears. The moment it does, the slot flips to "locked in", a receipt goes out, and the balance is flagged as due on completion. It solves the problem from both sides at once. The customer gets skin in the game so they're far less likely to ghost the day-of, and your deposit covers materials before you've spent a cent on them. AU tradies on Reddit consistently land on a "10 to 20% deposit to pay for materials" and call requiring a deposit before any work starts the single biggest change for getting paid on time.

1. 1

   Trigger

   The customer picks a slot from your booking link or asks to lock in a date by text.

2. 2

   Action 1

   The slot is created in your calendar as a tentative hold, clearly marked as awaiting the deposit so it can't be double-booked or mistaken for confirmed.

3. 3

   Action 2

   A pay-by-link for the deposit goes straight to the customer's phone, taking card, Apple Pay or PayID through a secure processor like Stripe.

4. 4

   Action 3

   The deposit clears and the calendar entry automatically flips from held to locked in, with a receipt sent and the balance flagged as due on completion.

5. 5

   Outcome

   You only ever hold a date that's backed by money down, which kills no-shows on your side and covers your materials before you start.

• r/melbourne

  'As a tradie myself I'd never ask for full payment. Maybe 10-20% deposit to pay for materials.'

• r/brisbane

  'What are the usual payment terms or what do you suggest for a $15k fence job?'

• r/EntrepreneurRideAlong

  'The single biggest change for service businesses: require a deposit before starting any work.'