Deposits, full payment, or pay at the venue
Which payment setting to use for which service, and how deposits work when a customer cancels.
Each service and product has its own payment method, so you can be strict where no-shows hurt and relaxed where they do not.
Pay Online
The customer pays the full price when they book. Best for anything with a high no-show cost (long appointments, products you prepare in advance, tickets) and for services where the customer is new to you.
Pay at Venue
No payment until they arrive. Best for regulars, low-cost services, and businesses whose customers prefer to pay in person. Also the automatic fallback while payouts are not connected.
Customer's Choice
The Secretary offers both and the customer picks. A good default for most services: people who want to prepay can, and nobody is put off.
Deposits
Ordina does not split one booking into a deposit now and a balance later. If you want a deposit-style hold, two options work well:
- Prepay in full with Pay Online. The cleanest: the slot is secured, no balance to chase.
- Price the service as the deposit. Set the service price to the amount you want up front (say $20), choose Pay Online, and say in the description and your knowledge base that the balance is paid at the venue. The Secretary quotes it exactly that way, and the confirmation shows the balance due on arrival.
Either way, write the cancellation policy in your knowledge base in plain words:
DEPOSITS
Your payment secures the booking. Cancel or move more than 24 hours before and it is refunded in full. Inside 24 hours it is kept.
The Secretary tells customers this before they cancel. The refund itself is always your click, from the appointment.
Free items
Mark a service or product Free and it is shown as such and never charged, with no payment step at all. Useful for consultations, taster sessions and lead magnets.