How to Create Deposit Rules
How to Create and Configure Deposit Rules in TicketingHub
Deposit rules in TicketingHub enable you to collect partial upfront payments when customers book, securing their reservation and minimising last-minute cancellations. You can charge a percentage of the total booking, a fixed amount per person or a flat fee per booking.
To set up deposit rules, you must first activate the Deposits feature in your account settings — it is not enabled by default.
Step 1: Activate the Deposits Feature
The Deposits feature is disabled by default. To enable it:
- Open your TicketingHub dashboard
- Click Settings in the left sidebar
- Click Features
- Find Deposits and toggle it on
Once activated, Deposit Rules will appear in your dashboard navigation menu. If it doesn’t appear after activation, refresh the page or contact support at support@ticketinghub.com.
Step 2: Open Deposit Rules in Your Dashboard
- In your TicketingHub dashboard, navigate to Deposit Rules
- Click New Deposit Rule
Step 3: Configure Your Deposit Rule
Deposit Type
Choose how the deposit amount is calculated:
| Type | How It Works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of booking amount | A % of the total booking value | 20% of a £200 booking = £40 deposit |
| Fixed per person | A flat fee × number of guests | £10 × 4 guests = £40 deposit |
| Fixed per booking | One flat fee regardless of group size | £50 per booking |
Amount
Enter the deposit value that matches your chosen type — either a percentage (e.g. 20) or a fixed amount (e.g. 10).
Products
Use the dropdown to assign this rule to a specific product. Leave it unassigned to apply it to all products by default.
Step 4: Set Payment Options
Allow Full Payment
Controls what customers see at checkout:
- Enabled: The customer can choose to pay the deposit or the full amount upfront
- Disabled: The customer can only pay the deposit — full payment is not offered
Payment Notice
Sets the deadline by which the customer must pay the remaining balance in full, measured before the tour date.
You can set this in days or months:
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 days | Full payment due on the day of the tour |
7 days | Full payment due 1 week before the tour |
1 month | Full payment due 1 month before the tour |
Tour on 15 June with a Payment Notice of 7 days → full balance due by 8 June.
Step 5: Save and Apply
- Review your settings
- Click New Deposit Rule
Your rule is now live and will apply automatically at checkout for the assigned product(s).
Collecting a Deposit on an Existing Order
Deposit rules apply automatically at checkout. When you create the order yourself — over the phone or at a desk — you choose the split on the order:
- Open the order and find the Payment Amounts card
- Click Edit
- Choose the option that reads Pay [deposit] now and [balance] on arrival, then click Save
- Click Actions and choose how the customer is paying, for example Cash or Cheque
- The payment form now offers Full Amount or Deposit — choose Deposit and the amount changes to the deposit
- Click Create Payment
Choosing the split does not collect anything on its own, so until you take the deposit, the order balance still shows the full amount. That is what confuses most people: nothing looks as though it has happened. Taking the deposit lowers the balance by the amount collected, and the rest remains outstanding until the customer pays it.
When a Deposit Can’t Be Used
A deposit belongs to a single booking, so Payment Amounts only appears on an order with one booking. To take deposits on several products for the same customer, put each product on its own order.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| The order has more than one booking | Move the extra bookings onto their own orders |
| The order has a gift card applied | Remove the gift card first — a gift card can’t be combined with a deposit |
| The tour date is inside the Payment Notice window | Collect the full amount, since the balance would already be due |
Once a booking on an order has a deposit, you can’t add another booking to that order. Cancelling the booking that carries the deposit frees the order up again.
Tips for Tour Operators
- Multiple rules: Create one deposit rule per product, or a single default rule for all tours
- Last-minute bookings: Set a short Payment Notice (e.g. 0–1 days) to waive the balance deadline for same-day bookings
- Pair with your cancellation policy: Show customers your full payment and cancellation terms together at checkout to reduce disputes
FAQ
What is a deposit rule in TicketingHub?
A deposit rule defines how much a customer pays upfront at the time of booking. You can set it as a percentage of the total, a fixed amount per person or a flat fee per booking.
How do I activate the Deposits feature in TicketingHub?
Click Settings → Features → toggle Deposits on. Once activated, Deposit Rules will appear in your dashboard menu.
Can customers pay the full amount instead of just the deposit?
Yes — if you enable the Allow Full Payment toggle, customers can choose to pay either the deposit or the full amount at checkout. If this is disabled, only the deposit option is shown.
What is the Payment Notice field?
Payment Notice sets the deadline for the remaining balance. For example, if set to 7 days, the customer must pay the full balance 7 days before the tour date.
Can I apply different deposit rules to different products?
Yes. Use the Products dropdown when creating a rule to assign it to a specific product. If no product is selected, the rule applies to all products by default.
Why can’t I see Deposit Rules in my dashboard?
The Deposits feature must be activated first. Go to Settings → Features → Deposits. After toggling it on, refresh the page.
Why does the order balance still show the full amount when I choose a deposit?
Choosing the split only decides how much has to be collected now. Nothing is charged until you take a payment, so the balance stays at the full amount until then. Once the deposit is paid, the balance drops by that amount, and the remainder stays outstanding until the customer pays the rest.
Why is there no Payment Amounts option on an order?
Payment Amounts appears when the order has a single booking, that booking’s product has a deposit rule, and the tour date is still outside the rule’s Payment Notice window. If the order has more than one booking, split it into separate orders.
Can a customer pay a deposit with a gift card?
No. A gift card can’t be combined with a deposit on the same order. Remove the gift card before choosing a deposit, or collect the full amount instead.