How to Get Paid Before, During, and After an Appointment with Acuity Scheduling

Should clients pay when they book, at the appointment, or afterward? For most service businesses, the answer isn’t one or the other. Payment terms for services set expectations about when payment is due, what you collect at each stage, and what happens if a client cancels or doesn’t show.

Payment can happen across three stages: booking, checkout, and follow-up. The right approach depends on your service, your price point, and how you run your business. Some services suit full payment upfront. Others work better with a deposit at booking and the balance collected afterward.

This guide walks through each stage, from setting your terms to collecting the final balance, so you can build a payment process that’s clear for your clients and reliable for your business. It also covers deposits, cancellation policies, invoices, and how Acuity Scheduling and Square work together to manage the flow.

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What are payment terms for services?

Payment terms for services are the agreed conditions that define when and how a client pays. They cover the amount due, the timing, accepted payment methods, and what happens if payment is late or an appointment is missed.

Payment terms typically appear in service agreements, contracts, estimates, and invoices. In a contract, they’re established before work begins. On an estimate, they signal what payment will look like if the client moves forward. On an invoice, they confirm what’s owed and when.

Payment terms are one part of a broader contract, which also covers deliverables, liability, and dispute resolution. The distinction matters because payment terms often get restated on their own — on an invoice or booking confirmation — so clients see them again at the point of payment.

How to set payment terms for your services

Before thinking about tools, decide how you want to get paid. There’s no single structure that works for every appointment-based business, so start with what fits your services.

You have four main options:

• Full payment at booking. Best for straightforward, fixed-price services where the cost won’t change, and a tip isn’t common. A standard coaching call fits this model well.
• Deposit at booking. Reserves the slot and leaves a balance to collect at checkout. This works well for higher-priced appointments, especially ones where you may have to buy materials, and you want a commitment upfront.
• Card details at booking. Lets you charge the client later according to your policy, without taking payment at the time of booking. Useful when you need a commitment but the final amount isn’t fixed.
• Payment after the service. Best when the final price depends on time, products, or add-ons you can’t confirm in advance, or for services where tipping after the service is performed is common.

You don’t have to choose one option for every service. A spa might require full payment for a sauna, a deposit for a facial, and no prepayment for a massage. Match the payment structure to the service, and the rest follows naturally.

How to collect payment before the appointment

Taking payment at booking, whether a deposit or the full amount, creates a financial commitment. It also makes the remaining balance clear before the appointment begins.

First, decide how much to collect. You can charge the full service price, a fixed deposit, or a percentage of the total. Base the decision on a few practical factors:

• The service price and how long the appointment runs
• How customized the work is
• Any materials or products you purchase in advance

A quick, lower-cost service may not need a deposit. A three-hour session with specialized prep usually does. As a general guide, a deposit of 20% to 50% of the service price creates enough commitment to reduce no-shows without making booking feel expensive.

Once you’ve decided on an amount, be clear about how the deposit works. Before a client pays, tell them whether it’s refundable, transferable to a future booking, or applied to their final balance. Stating this upfront prevents confusion and keeps things calm if plans change.

Acuity Scheduling supports full payment, fixed deposits, and percentage deposits at booking when you connect a compatible payment processor like Square. Clients select a service, pick a time, and pay as part of the booking flow. The commitment is in place before you set aside the slot.

How to collect the remaining balance at checkout

If you collected a deposit, checkout is where you complete the payment. This stage covers the outstanding balance, any changes made during the appointment, and an optional tip.

Start by applying the advance payment the client already made, then collect what remains. If the appointment changed along the way, update the total before charging:

• Add any extra services or add-ons the client chose during the visit
• Apply discounts, packages, or eligible codes
• Confirm the final amount with the client before taking payment

With Square connected to Acuity Scheduling, you can accept payment through the Acuity Scheduling mobile app using cash, a saved card, Tap to Pay, or a supported Square reader. You can check out a client from your phone or at the front desk without switching between systems.

Tips matter. For many service businesses, gratuity is a meaningful part of each provider’s income. When tipping is enabled, clients see a prompt on screen at checkout and can add a gratuity without any awkwardness on your end. You don’t have to ask, and they don’t have to wonder. Across a full month of appointments, that consistent, low-effort addition can make a real difference to your bottom line.

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How to collect payment after the appointment

Sometimes payment isn’t collected at the end of a session. Depending on your business type, you may prefer to send an invoice after the fact rather than collect payment on the spot. You have a few options for collecting what’s owed.

Choose the method that fits the situation:

• Charge an authorized card on file, when your policy allows it and the client agreed to this in advance.
• Send an itemized invoice so the client can see exactly what they owe and pay online.
• Send an individual payment link for a quick, one-off charge.

Automated follow-up emails make collecting payment easier. With Acuity Scheduling, you can include a payment link in a follow-up email so the client gets a clear prompt and a simple way to pay in the same message. It keeps the process professional and reduces the need for manual follow-up on your end.

An invoice also creates a clean record for both sides. The client gets a professional receipt, and you have a clear account of what was charged and why.

Set clear cancellation and no-show terms with Acuity Scheduling

Your payment terms should explain what happens when an appointment doesn’t go ahead. Clear cancellation and no-show policies protect the time you’ve set aside, and they keep expectations fair for everyone involved.

The key is making your policy visible before a client confirms their booking. A policy a client didn’t see is difficult to enforce without friction.

A solid policy covers these points:

• The cancellation window, and what happens to the deposit if a client cancels within it
• Any late-cancellation or no-show fee
• A request for clients to acknowledge the policy during booking
• Whether you collect card details at booking for any potential charges later

When clients agree to your terms up front, handling a late cancellation becomes a matter of applying what they already accepted. There’s less to debate, because the rules were clear from the start.

Sample payment terms for appointment-based services

You don’t need formal legal language to set clear terms. Plain language works better, because clients actually read it. Use the sample below as a starting point and adjust the details to fit your business. Remember to run the final version by a lawyer or another trusted advisor before you start using it.

Sample Payment Terms for Appointment-Based Services

At [Business Name], we strive to provide exceptional service and convenience to our clients. To ensure a smooth booking experience, we have established the following payment terms:

• All appointments must be booked and paid for in advance.
• A deposit of [insert amount] is required at the time of booking to secure

A simple set of payment terms might read:

• Amount due at booking: We require [full payment / a $25 deposit / 30% of the service total] to reserve your appointment.
• Remaining balance: Any outstanding balance is due at the end of your appointment.
• Deposit terms: Your deposit is [refundable up to 48 hours before your appointment / transferable to one future booking / applied to your final balance].
• Cancellation and rescheduling: Please give at least [24 hours’] notice to cancel or reschedule.
• No-shows: Missed appointments without notice may be charged [a $30 fee / the full service price].

Adjust the amounts and timeframes to match your business, keep the language short, and place the terms where clients see them before they confirm. A client who read your policy is far more likely to respect it.

Build one payment flow from booking to follow-up

The real benefit comes when these steps work together as one connected process rather than a series of separate tasks. A consistent payment flow means you set your terms once, and every appointment follows the same clear path.

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Here’s how to connect the pieces:

1. Set the payment requirement for each appointment type, whether that’s full payment, a deposit, or a card on file.
2. Display your payment and cancellation terms before booking is complete, so every client agrees up front.
3. Collect the remaining balance and any optional tip at checkout.
4. Use invoices

With Acuity Scheduling managing the booking flow and Square connected as your payment processor, each of these moments runs from a single setup. You configure your terms once, and payment moves with the appointment on its own.

You get paid at the right time, your cancellation policy holds up, and clients move through a process that feels professional and clear. Set it up once, and you can focus on the work instead of the admin.

Connect Square to Acuity Scheduling to set your payment terms in minutes. Create your free Square account to get started.

Not using Acuity Scheduling yet? Start your free trial and see how easy it is to manage bookings, payments, and client communication in one place.

FAQs

Can payment terms be different for different services?

Yes, on Acuity Scheduling you can choose a different payment option for each appointment type. 

When should you tell clients about your payment terms?

You can create an intake form on Acuity that lays out your cancellation policy to set client expectations. Use a checkbox question to require them to check a box acknowledging that they agree to your policy. Clients reach your form after they choose an appointment type and time, but before they finish booking. You can also customize your Acuity reminder email templates to include your policies.

What is the difference between payment terms and payment methods?

Payment terms cover when you will be paid, and payment methods cover how you will be paid. Clients can pay for appointments in several ways. You can require payment in full, require a deposit, require card details that can be charged later, or offer clients pay-what-you-want-pricing. You’ll need to clearly outline when payment is expected in your terms.