Your client missed their appointment. Can you charge them?

TL;DR

• Charge an agreed fee through your booking tool, if local rules allow it
• Use your booking tool's supported card, deposit or prepayment flow
• Card declined? Check its status, then arrange another payment method
• Clinic? Pause collection while you check the payer
• Fee already charged or deposit kept? Start with that payment

Your client didn't come, and you've lost the slot. If the terms they accepted cover it and local rules allow it, you can charge that fee. Collect it through the flow your booking tool supports: a card held at booking, a deposit or prepayment. Check the fee's terms and permission first. VENDOR Square booking policies, deposits.

For a clinic, start with patient and insurance checks. Card declined? Go straight to the recorded payment.

Which situation are you in?

What's happened	Your next step
The haircut, tattoo or training visit happened	Check the tip, or invoice for work delivered
You already charged a no-show fee; the client's upset or disputed it	Open the charged fee and any case
You've kept a deposit; the client wants it back	Match the request to the deposit
You're planning a charge for a future booking	Choose the booking payment
A hotel, B&B or vacation-rental guarantee	Stop at the lodging boundary
The client disputed a kept deposit or part-used package	Gather the agreement and work record

Find your booking platform

Here's where each platform puts its booking-payment controls, from its own help pages. On a phone, scroll the table sideways for deposits and setup.

Platform	Card held for a no-show fee	Deposit or prepayment	Where to set it
Square Appointments (US) VENDOR	Card collected for that appointment. You choose whether to charge for a no-show or late cancellation. If it declines, contact the client for another payment method.	Full prepayment for fixed-price services, or partial deposits for online bookings.	Dashboard: Appointments > Settings > Payments & cancellations > Payments. Choose the card, prepayment or deposit policy. No-show protection: Appointments Plus/Premium, or Square Plus/Premium with advanced bookings. Deposits: Appointments Free/Plus/Premium. Owner or staff with the relevant appointments permissions.
Vagaro VENDOR	Capture a card at online booking. With fees set up, online late cancellations charge automatically; for no-shows, mark the appointment and charge the fee.	Fixed or percentage deposits. A prepaid appointment or deposit blocks an extra no-show fee.	Desktop: Settings > Online Shopping Cart > Require Deposit or Capture Credit Card at the time of Booking Services. Choose Capture Credit Card or Deposits. Requires Credit Card Processing and Online Shopping Cart, using Vagaro Merchant Services. Enable customer cancellation in Online Appointment Rules for automatic online cancellation fees.
Booksy VENDOR	Card collected at booking. Charge or waive the fee. Automatic no-show charging runs at day's end after you mark No-Show; the mobile app can't turn automatic fees off.	Part or all of the service price at booking.	Business Settings > Payments & Checkout > No-Show Protection > Deposits or Cancellation Fees. Mobile starts at Profile > Settings. Enable Mobile Payments first.
Fresha VENDOR	Capture card details, then choose the fee when marking No-show or Cancel. Mark No-show after the appointment starts and before that day ends. If declined, save unpaid or change the payment method. A failed no-show fee can leave a draft to cancel before marking the no-show.	Fixed or percentage deposits; optional full prepayment at online booking.	Desktop: Settings > Payments > Policy on all bookings > Edit. Choose Require a deposit upfront or Capture card details. The full-payment toggle sits in Settings > Payments. Requires Fresha Payments.
Acuity Scheduling VENDOR	Save card details at booking with Stripe or Square as the sole processor. After a no-show, you trigger payment: open the appointment > Make Payment > select card > enter amount > Pay.	Fixed or percentage deposits, or full payment at booking.	Payments > Payment at Booking > Collect and save card details, or Collect deposits or full payment. Connect a payment processor first. PayPal, alone or alongside another processor, can't use the card-capture option. Later card charges need Stripe or Square.
Mindbody VENDOR	US Reserve with Credit Card collects details for pay-later bookings in the Mindbody app/web and branded web cart v2. You select clients and click Charge Fees; autopays run the next day. Decline recovery depends on your autopay settings.	Upfront payment through a pricing option at booking. The same help describes deposits charged manually after reservation.	Fees: Settings > Clients > No-Show/Late Cancel Fees. Pay upfront or later: Settings > Services > Appointment Options > Appointment System Policies > Require Client Payment for Booked Appointments. Card capture needs this off, plus a no-show fee or a late-cancel fee and cancellation window above zero. Reserve with Credit Card requires Mindbody Payments or MB Payouts; fee-screen access needs Accelerate 2.0 or above and Apply No Show/Late Cancel Fees permission.
Boulevard VENDOR	Online booking requires a card on file. You choose whether to charge for Client Late Canceled or Client Did Not Show Up, then complete checkout.	Percentage deposits at self-booking, credited toward checkout.	Fee and deadline: Manage Business settings > Client Experience > Cancellation Fee / Cancellation Deadline. Deposit: location-level Manage > Services > select service > Staff > Customize > Custom Deposit for Online Booking > Update Service.
GlossGenius VENDOR	Require a card at booking. You choose Mark as No-Show (Collect Fee) on the appointment date or later. If the charge fails, contact support with the client name and appointment details.	Service deposits at booking. Full service prepayment needs a workaround. High-value deposits need Trust Verification.	Web card rule: Settings > Business > Booking Controls > Require card on file. Policy: Settings > Business > Booking Controls > Online Booking Settings > Cancellations. Deposit: Services > select service > Require Deposit. All plans; team deposit setup needs Manage Services permission.

Plans and menus change. Check your own account before you rely on a row.

The saved card declined

Open the booking and payment record together, with the appointment date and cancellation time. Find the terms the client accepted, then check the amount, status and exact decline response.

Square says to contact the client for another payment method. VENDOR Square's cancellation guidance.

If you're using another provider, ask which collection step supports that recorded status. If it supports a payment link for this fee, send that link. Confirm what's already paid before asking for the balance.

Check	Keep beside the booking
Agreed fee	Accepted term, amount and charging permission
Deposit paid	Receipt, amount and current status
Remaining request	Calculation showing any agreed deposit credit
Last attempt	Payment ID, status and exact response

Once you've checked the fee, send this:

Your appointment was on [date]. The cancellation fee we agreed is [amount]. Your card payment didn't go through. We've credited [deposit amount], leaving [balance]. Please use [supported payment link] or contact us for another way to pay.

Remove the deposit line if none was paid. Use the link only after your provider confirms that flow.

If the status isn't clear, ask support before making another attempt:

This is booking [reference], payment [ID]. It shows [status], with response [exact text]. Has any payment completed? Which supported collection step applies to this fee?

The capture-operations guide covers general payment troubleshooting. Ask your provider about this fee's next attempt. A general retry schedule won't answer that question.

Can I charge this fee?

Find the terms accepted for this particular booking. Check the fee, cancellation condition and permission to charge. A saved card alone doesn't answer all three. Square requires written, signed permission to save a card. VENDOR Square Card on File.

Check enforceability and deposit refund rules for your location once, when you set the policy. Get local advice on the actual terms, and keep the answer with that policy version. A booking setting can't decide the law for you.

Here's what to send:

We plan to charge [amount] after [cancellation condition]. Here's what the client sees and accepts. Are these terms enforceable for our business and location? How must we treat a deposit already paid?

If you can't find those terms or permission, pause collection and ask your provider which supported route fits. For a patient, use the payer checks too.

You already charged the fee

For a fee you've already charged, find its receipt, the accepted policy and cancellation record. Keep the client's message with them.

If they're asking you directly, explain the charge plainly:

We charged [amount] for the missed appointment on [date]. Here's the policy accepted at booking and the cancellation record. You've asked for [requested resolution]. I'll check the payment and reply by [date].

If there's a chargeback notice, open the case and save its response deadline. Square's US path is Dashboard > Orders & payments > Disputes. VENDOR Square dispute instructions.

Use your first chargeback to organize an open response. Already lost? Check the decision and any remaining step. Before moving money, check the payment's refund or dispute state and your provider's case instructions.

A client wants the kept deposit back

Paid through Venmo, Cash App, PayPal or Zelle? Check the account, original payment and refund route.

Open the booking, original payment and refund request, then match the requested amount to the receipt. Find what the deposit covered and the accepted terms. Check whether you've already refunded it or there's a dispute.

For a salon or tattoo booking, separate the reserved slot, materials and work delivered. Write down which items this deposit covered, with any agreed credit beside that calculation. For a patient, keep the payer hold in place.

Use the refund-state guide before you refund or charge anything. Ask your provider about the recorded payment:

This is booking [reference], payment [ID]. The client requests [amount] back. The payment shows [status], and a refund or case is [state]. Which supported step applies without duplicating a credit?

The client disputed a kept deposit or part-used package

Put the agreement beside the actual claim, then check what the deposit bought. How much of the package did they use? Record dates, work you've delivered, unused services and posted credits separately.

Match each record to what the client disputes. Permission to charge, missing work and a missing credit need different records. Stripe's evidence guidance separates those claims. VENDOR Stripe dispute categories.

Use service-business evidence to organize the agreement and work records. If the case is lost, go to the kept-deposit and part-used-package checks. Keep the submitted response and decision with the booking.

Which booking payment fits?

For future bookings, choose a request you can explain when the client asks. What happens if they attend, cancel late or miss it? Write that beside the payment terms before switching anything on.

Square's online booking choices show the difference:

Arrangement	What happens at booking
Partial deposit	Part of the service price is paid
Card for a possible no-show fee	A card is held for that appointment; future storage is separate
Full prepayment	The fixed-price service is paid in full

VENDOR Square booking policies, appointment deposits.

For another platform, start with its supported flow. Ask:

I want [a deposit / a card for this booking / full prepayment]. What does the client accept, and where's that record? What happens when they cancel or the payment fails?

Patient and insurance checks

For a patient booking, pause collection while you check the payer, provider agreement and care setting. Keep the answer with the booking before resuming collection.

One bounded US Medicare example: CMS allows physicians and suppliers to charge for missed appointments when the policy and amount apply equally to Medicare and non-Medicare patients. Medicare doesn't pay these fees. They shouldn't be billed to Medicare. CMS also bars a hospital outpatient department from charging this fee when a hospital inpatient misses its appointment. CMS Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 1, section 30.3.13.

That example doesn't decide another payer's rules, so check Medicaid, private plans and workers' compensation separately. Ask the payer:

This was a missed appointment, not a treatment visit. Under this plan and our provider agreement, may we charge the patient? What disclosure is required? Please point us to the applicable provision.

Keep its answer before resuming the billing decision. You won't find a treatment code for a missed visit in this example.

There's an unpaid balance

First, name what the balance covers. Work you've delivered goes to the invoicing workflow. A missed appointment goes through the fee checks.

Building your own Stripe integration? Setup Intents can save payment details without charging. Future payments without the client present need permission covering initiation, frequency and how the amount's set. This is developer guidance, not a booking-app menu. VENDOR Stripe Setup Intents.

Set up the Square booking flow

These paths use Square's US help; elsewhere, open your country's guidance before setup. Check your account's plan and staff permissions too.

Card for a no-show or full prepayment

Square lists Appointments Plus or Premium, or Square Plus or Premium with advanced bookings added. You'll need appointment-setting permission.

In Dashboard, open Appointments (or Payments > Appointments). Choose Settings > Payments & cancellations. Select your payment policy under Payments. Choose Next, configure it, then Save. VENDOR Square booking setup.

Partial deposit paid while booking online

Deposits support Square Appointments Free and paid subscriptions. You'll need calendar-viewing and appointment-setting permissions. This flow collects a deposit when the client books online. It excludes bookings you make on their behalf.

Open Appointments > Settings > Payments & cancellations in Dashboard. Under Payments, open your current policy. Choose Require a deposit. Set its amount, services and customer-facing policy.

Square excludes Invoices as checkout for appointments with deposits. Keep that appointment in its supported checkout flow. VENDOR Square deposit setup and exclusions.

The client wants to enter their own card

For a real invoice, Square offers customer-entered saved methods. You'll need invoice permissions.

Open Orders & payments > Invoices > Overview in Dashboard. Square also lists Invoices & Payments or Payments as navigation variants. Choose Send an invoice and select the customer. Enable Customer actions > Save payment methods. Complete and send the invoice. The client can choose to save while paying. VENDOR Square Invoices saved methods.

If there's nothing due on an already-booked appointment, ask Square for that specific flow:

This client has already booked, and no payment's due. What supported flow lets them enter their own card and authorize its intended use? Please send the current help page and account requirements.

Wait for that answer before giving staff a path. You don't need a token invoice or card details in ordinary messages.

The service happened, but the tip won't settle

The haircut happened, so you're checking a completed visit. Find the original payment and signed receipt, then compare the approval, tip and requested total. For split tender, keep each payment beside its receipt.

For an unsettled Square POS payment in standard mode, open Transactions. Find the payment marked with a clock icon. Open it and enter the receipt's tip. Tap Add, then Settle $ Total. Settlement happens in the app; Dashboard shows unsettled payments. Check the help page's current settlement cutoff before using this path. VENDOR Square tip settlement.

Already settled, or still showing an error? Ask support about that payment's current state:

Payment [ID] shows [status]. I'm using [device and mode], and the error says [exact text]. The receipt shows [tip and total]. Which supported step applies now?

For Toast or Clover, request that product's documented path while support checks the original payment. A replacement charge isn't a fix for an unexplained error.

Already disputing the amount? Use the code on the notice. The references cover Visa incorrect amount and Mastercard point-of-interaction errors. The symptom alone won't identify your case.

A hotel, B&B or vacation-rental guarantee

Stop here for a lodging no-show. Guaranteed reservations have separate card rules. Visa's public FAQ names lodging among the eligible merchant types and sends merchants to their acquirer for details. Ask your processor which rules cover your property and reservation. Visa's guaranteed-reservation FAQ.

This is a [hotel / B&B / vacation rental] reservation. Which guaranteed-reservation or deposit rules apply to this booking? Please confirm the permitted collection flow and required records.

Keep one booking record

Keep the terms and acceptance beside the booking, along with dates, receipts, attempts and client messages. Keep deposit credits, refunds and case references together. You'll have one record to check before the next request.

Scale Callout

How you work	Next check
You handle bookings yourself	Trace one booking from agreement to payment
Staff take bookings	Give everyone the same policy and support script
Locations or apps share the work	Name who owns terms, payments and client replies

Where This Breaks

Your booking app and processor may hold different records. Ask who keeps the acceptance and payment status. If you're still waiting on the payer, keep collection paused. If a dispute exists, open its instructions before moving money.

Test to Run

Using your provider's approved test flow or sample records, walk one missed appointment through terms, payment and cancellation. Add a declined card, a deposit request and a clinic hold.

Can you find what the client accepted? Can you show what's paid and still requested? Can you name the supported next step? Pass when each answer points to its record. Fix a missing handoff before using the flow with clients.

Sources

Source	Supports	Opened
Square booking policies	VENDOR US card-hold and prepayment choices, setup audience, Dashboard path and declined-fee next step	21 October 2026
Square appointment deposits	VENDOR US online deposits, permissions, setup and booking/Invoices exclusions	21 October 2026
Square Card on File	VENDOR Written and signed card-storage authorization	21 October 2026
Square Invoices saved methods	VENDOR Customer save option while paying an invoice, invoice permission and Dashboard navigation	21 October 2026
Square tip settlement	VENDOR Standard-mode unsettled-payment path and app/Dashboard distinction	21 October 2026
Square dispute instructions	VENDOR US dispute view and case workflow	21 October 2026
Stripe Setup Intents	VENDOR Developer API saving without a charge and future off-session permission	21 October 2026
Stripe dispute categories	VENDOR Claim-specific evidence for permission, service and credit disputes	21 October 2026
CMS Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 1, section 30.3.13	Regulator. Bounded Medicare policy, equal amounts, no Medicare payment or billing, hospital-inpatient exception	21 October 2026
Booking-platform help pages for Vagaro, Booksy, Fresha, Acuity Scheduling, Mindbody, Boulevard and GlossGenius, linked in the platform table	VENDOR Each row's card, deposit, setting and decline cells	21 October 2026
Visa Rules and Policy, merchant FAQ	Network. Guaranteed-reservation scope and referral to the acquirer	21 October 2026