Deposits and no-shows

The booking policy protects a slot with a deposit (paid up front, taken off the bill), a card on file (saved uncharged, for a later late-cancellation or no-show fee), or both from one card entry. Payments count towards any fee: a £10.00$10.00€10.00 deposit and a £15.00$15.00€15.00 late fee leave £5.00$5.00€5.00 to charge, never £25.00$25.00€25.00.

Take a deposit

To take a deposit when a client books, set the policy’s deposit to fixed, percent (rounded down) or full, and choose whether it’s refundable on a timely cancellation.

Booked…	What happens
On the booking page or widget	Shown before the client commits (Continue to pay the £10.00$10.00€10.00 deposit). The booking exists only once it’s paid. If the card is declined, the client tries another or the slot is released.
Any other way (desk, API, agent)	Confirmed at once with a `deposit_amount` due, not collected. Use `POST /v1/bookings/{id}/payments` with `kind: "deposit"`; the client pays at its `approval_url`.

The deposit comes off amount_due:

Outcome	The deposit
Client cancels in time	Refunded, if `refundable`
Client cancels late, or doesn’t come	Kept, towards the fee
You cancel	Refunded in full, even a non-refundable one

Keep a card on file

Set card_required (always, new_clients or over_amount), card_after_no_shows (1–10 no-shows), or both.

Without a deposit, a card step saves the card uncharged, and saving it makes the booking.
The card’s mandate uses the policy’s words and names its possible fees. The largest caps any one charge.
Clients with a covering card (saved under a booking policy, valid in the visit’s month) aren’t asked again.

When a client doesn’t come, or cancels late

	How	Notes
No-show	No-show on the calendar, or `POST /v1/bookings/{id}/no_show`, after the start	`auto_no_show` marks a confirmed, unchecked-in booking 2 hours after its end. Undo with `…/complete` within a day, unless the fee is charged.
Late cancel	`POST /v1/bookings/{id}/cancel` with `by: "client"` inside the free-cancellation window, or the client’s own link	Keeps the deposit; the late fee becomes due. `GET /v1/bookings/{id}/cancellation?by=client` previews `refund_amount`, `deposit_kept`, `fee_due`.

The booking’s fee shows what’s due:

{ "kind": "no_show", "amount": 2500, "deposit_applied": 0, "status": "due", "clause": "If you don't turn up, a fee of 100% (£25.00) applies." }

{ "kind": "no_show", "amount": 2500, "deposit_applied": 0, "status": "due", "clause": "If you don't turn up, a fee of 100% ($25.00) applies." }

{ "kind": "no_show", "amount": 2500, "deposit_applied": 0, "status": "due", "clause": "If you don't turn up, a fee of 100% (€25.00) applies." }

kind is no_show or late_cancel; clause is the policy sentence behind it.

Charge the fee

Dashboard: Fees groups fees by state: Due, Waiting for the client, Refused, Charged, Waived, Refunded. Charge confirms the amount, clause and mode; Waive records a reason. The app requires Face ID to charge.

API: POST /v1/bookings/{id}/charge_fee charges the card on file once, within 14 days of the appointment (then 410 fee_window_closed). Send an Idempotency-Key, and amount to charge less. It returns the payment; check its status:

Result	The fee	Event
The bank took it	`charged`; booking `payment_status` → `fee_charged`	`booking.fee_charged`
The bank wants the client to confirm	`pending_authentication`; the client gets an email link to confirm	`booking.fee_charged` once they do
The bank refused	`failed`, reason in `fee.failure`	`booking.fee_failed`

Other calls
`409 no_card_on_file`	No covering card. Send a pay link: `POST /v1/bookings/{id}/payments` with `kind: "no_show_fee"` or `"late_cancel_fee"`.
`POST /v1/bookings/{id}/waive_fee`	Waives it, with a `reason`. You can still charge it within the 14 days.
`POST /v1/refunds`	Refunds a charged fee like any payment.

Automatically: auto_charge charges a no-show fee 2 hours after marking and a late-cancel fee at once, the same way and once. Refusals, bank authentication and missing cards are left to you. A booking you moved after the client’s window closed is never charged.

Disputes: evidence is drafted from the booking: the accepted policy (words, version, when and where), the card mandate, who marked the no-show, the receipt and every message. You review and submit it.

Try it in test mode

Mark a no-show, try to charge without a card, then waive the fee. POST /v1/test_helpers/bookings/{id}/force_no_show skips the wait. The SDKs’ request covers endpoints without a method.

api() {  # GET a path, or POST it with a body, using your key and a fresh Idempotency-Key
  if [ $# -eq 1 ]; then
    curl -sS "https://api.tuppence.ai$1" -H "Authorization: Bearer $TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY"
  else
    curl -sS "https://api.tuppence.ai$1" -H "Authorization: Bearer $TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY" \
      -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "$2"
  fi
}
# Not turning up costs the whole price.
api /v1/booking_policy '{"no_show_fee": {"type": "percent", "value": 100}}' > /dev/null

# A service, someone who does it, and tomorrow's first free time with them.
location=$(api /v1/locations | jq -r '.data[0].id')
service=$(api /v1/services '{"name": "Coaching session", "duration_minutes": 30, "amount": 2500}' | jq -r .id)
kai=$(api /v1/staff "{\"name\": \"Kai\", \"locations\": [\"$location\"]}" | jq -r .id)
d='[["09:00", "17:00"]]'
api "/v1/staff/$kai/schedules" "{\"location\": \"$location\", \"effective_from\": \"$(date +%F)\",
  \"pattern\": [{\"1\": $d, \"2\": $d, \"3\": $d, \"4\": $d, \"5\": $d, \"6\": $d, \"7\": $d}]}" > /dev/null
tomorrow=$(date -v+1d +%F 2>/dev/null || date -d "+1 day" +%F)
starts_at=$(api "/v1/availability?service=$service&location=$location&staff_member=$kai&from=$tomorrow&to=$tomorrow" \
  | jq -r '.slots[0].starts_at')
booking=$(api /v1/bookings "{\"location\": \"$location\", \"items\": [{\"service\": \"$service\"}],
  \"staff_member\": \"$kai\", \"starts_at\": \"$starts_at\",
  \"client\": {\"name\": \"Sam Patel\", \"email\": \"sam@example.test\"}}" | jq -r .id)

# The client doesn't come.
api "/v1/test_helpers/bookings/$booking/force_no_show" '{}' \
  | jq -r '"\(.status) \(.fee.amount) \(.fee.status)"'                  # no_show 2500 due

# No card was kept, so there is nothing to charge: a pay link is the way.
api "/v1/bookings/$booking/charge_fee" '{}' | jq -r .error.code         # no_card_on_file

# Or let it go.
api "/v1/bookings/$booking/waive_fee" '{"reason": "Their first visit"}' | jq -r .fee.status  # waived

import { Tuppence } from "@tuppence/node";

const tuppence = new Tuppence(process.env.TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY);
const day = (offset) => new Date(Date.now() + offset * 86_400_000).toISOString().slice(0, 10);

// Not turning up costs the whole price.
await tuppence.bookingPolicy.update({ no_show_fee: { type: "percent", value: 100 } });

// A service, someone who does it, and tomorrow's first free time with them.
const [location] = (await tuppence.locations.list()).data;
const session = await tuppence.services.create({ name: "Coaching session", duration_minutes: 30, amount: 2500 });
const kai = await tuppence.staff.create({ name: "Kai", locations: [location.id] });
await tuppence.staff.createSchedule(kai.id, {
  location: location.id,
  pattern: [Object.fromEntries(["1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7"].map((d) => [d, [["09:00", "17:00"]]]))],
  effective_from: day(0),
});
const { slots } = await tuppence.availability.query({
  service: session.id,
  location: location.id,
  staff_member: kai.id,
  from: day(1),
  to: day(1),
});
const booking = await tuppence.bookings.create({
  location: location.id,
  items: [{ service: session.id }],
  staff_member: kai.id,
  starts_at: slots[0].starts_at,
  client: { name: "Sam Patel", email: "sam@example.test" },
});

// The client doesn't come.
const missed = await tuppence.request("POST", `/v1/test_helpers/bookings/${booking.id}/force_no_show`, { body: {} });
console.log(missed.status, missed.fee.amount, missed.fee.status); // no_show 2500 due

// No card was kept, so there is nothing to charge: a pay link is the way.
try {
  await tuppence.request("POST", `/v1/bookings/${booking.id}/charge_fee`, { body: {} });
} catch (error) {
  console.log(error.code); // no_card_on_file
}

// Or let it go.
const waived = await tuppence.request("POST", `/v1/bookings/${booking.id}/waive_fee`, {
  body: { reason: "Their first visit" },
});
console.log(waived.fee.status); // waived

import os
from datetime import date, timedelta
from tuppence import InvalidRequestError, Tuppence

tuppence = Tuppence(os.environ["TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY"])

# Not turning up costs the whole price.
tuppence.booking_policy.update(no_show_fee={"type": "percent", "value": 100})

# A service, someone who does it, and tomorrow's first free time with them.
location = tuppence.locations.list().data[0]
session = tuppence.services.create(name="Coaching session", duration_minutes=30, amount=2500)
kai = tuppence.staff.create(name="Kai", locations=[location.id])
tuppence.staff.create_schedule(
    kai.id,
    location=location.id,
    pattern=[{str(day): [["09:00", "17:00"]] for day in range(1, 8)}],
    effective_from=date.today().isoformat(),
)
tomorrow = (date.today() + timedelta(days=1)).isoformat()
slot = tuppence.availability.query(
    service=session.id, location=location.id, staff_member=kai.id, from_=tomorrow, to=tomorrow
).slots[0]
booking = tuppence.bookings.create(
    location=location.id,
    items=[{"service": session.id}],
    staff_member=kai.id,
    starts_at=slot.starts_at,
    client={"name": "Sam Patel", "email": "sam@example.test"},
)

# The client doesn't come.
missed = tuppence.request("POST", f"/v1/test_helpers/bookings/{booking.id}/force_no_show")
print(missed["status"], missed["fee"]["amount"], missed["fee"]["status"])  # no_show 2500 due

# No card was kept, so there is nothing to charge: a pay link is the way.
try:
    tuppence.request("POST", f"/v1/bookings/{booking.id}/charge_fee", body={})
except InvalidRequestError as error:
    print(error.code)  # no_card_on_file

# Or let it go.
waived = tuppence.request(
    "POST", f"/v1/bookings/{booking.id}/waive_fee", body={"reason": "Their first visit"}
)
print(waived["fee"]["status"])  # waived

Bookings reference: money for a booking: pay links, desk payments, tips, and the balance charged after the visit.
Booking policies: every field.

Deposits and no-shows

Take a deposit

Keep a card on file

When a client doesn’t come, or cancels late

Charge the fee

Try it in test mode

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