Should dog groomers take deposits?
25 August 2026·2 min read
A deposit can protect a scarce grooming slot. It can't repair a vague cancellation policy or make the wrong client relationship feel right.
Use deposits by booking category, never by personal suspicion. The rule is easier to explain and the team has something firmer than a feeling at the counter.
Which bookings need commitment up front?
Choose the risk you're covering. Useful categories may include:
- every first visit, while history is still unknown
- long appointments that remove a large part of the day
- work needing special preparation or extra staff
- a new booking after a late cancellation or no-show
- a peak period where the slot is difficult to refill
“Clients who look unreliable” isn't a category. If repeat behaviour changes the rule for that client, record the behaviour and the condition for returning to normal terms.
Set the amount from the slot
Start with what would be difficult to recover if the booking disappeared. A flat amount is simple. A percentage follows the service value. Full prepayment carries the most commitment and the most correction work when the final groom can change.
Use this worksheet rather than copying a competitor:
- Bookings covered:
- Typical reserved time:
- Amount or percentage:
- Applied to final bill: yes/no
- Transfer allowed with how much notice:
- What happens if the grooming business cancels:
- Who can approve an exception:
The amount should be large enough to matter and proportionate to the booking it protects. A tiny deposit becomes payment admin with no behavioural effect.
Show the terms before payment
State whether the deposit goes toward the final bill, when it can move to another appointment, when it may be retained and when it will be returned. Cover illness, emergencies and a change made by the grooming business.
The ACCC's contract guidance explains that terms and conditions form part of the agreement and that standard-form consumer contracts can be subject to unfair-contract-term law. A “non-refundable in every circumstance” label doesn't settle whether a term is fair or lawful. Keep the consequence connected to the booking and obtain advice for your actual terms where needed.
Make exceptions visible to the team
Give one role authority to waive, transfer or return a deposit. Record the reason. Kindness becomes randomness when familiar clients receive quiet exceptions and everyone else meets the written rule.
Review after a few months: deposits taken, late cancellations, transfers, refunds, disputes and admin time. Narrow the policy if it creates more work than the missed bookings it prevents.
Seglo note: Keep booking payments connected to the appointment and client who made them.