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Best practices for online payments, deposits and refunds with subba

Deposits paid to your own Stripe, fewer no-shows, and refunds handled cleanly. Here is how to set payments up so they protect your day without costing you bookings.

6 min read

Payments go to your Stripe, not ours

subba connects to your own Stripe account, so deposits and payments land with you directly and pay out on Stripe's normal schedule. subba never sits between you and your money. You connect it once under Settings, Payments in the dashboard.

When to take a deposit

A deposit is worth taking whenever a no-show costs you a slot you could have sold: longer appointments, first-time customers, or peak times. For quick, low-value visits you may prefer to keep booking frictionless and skip it. subba lets you decide per service.

How much to charge

  • A fixed deposit (say ten pounds) is simple and predictable for customers.
  • A percentage suits a wide price range, so a long treatment protects more of the slot than a trim.
  • Full payment up front works well for classes and fixed-price sessions.

The goal is enough that a customer thinks twice before ghosting, not so much that they do not book at all.

Cancellations and refunds, set once

Set a cancellation policy in the dashboard: a cutoff (for example, 24 hours before), and what happens on either side of it. subba shows the policy at booking and applies it automatically, so cancellations before the cutoff can be refunded or credited and late ones are handled by your rule, without an awkward conversation.

Refund cleanly and keep goodwill

When a refund is due, process it back to the original card through Stripe so it is traceable and fast. subba can also issue store credit instead of a cash refund where that suits you, keeping the customer and the value in your business. Whatever you choose, being consistent is what protects both your revenue and your reputation.

Test it before you go live

subba has a test mode so you can run a full booking and payment with a test card, see the confirmation and the payout flow, and check your policy reads well, all without moving real money. Turn it off and you are live.

Frequently asked

Does subba hold my customers’ payments?

No. Payments go straight to your own connected Stripe account and pay out to you on Stripe’s normal schedule.

Can I refund as store credit instead of cash?

Yes. subba can issue store credit as an alternative to a card refund, keeping the value with your business while still resolving the cancellation fairly.

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