Take deposits online without chasing cash or bank details. How UK trades set the amount, send the link, cover the rules and match it to the job.

Hand-drawn payment symbols frame the title

The simplest way to take a deposit online is to send the customer a payment link for the deposit amount by text, email or WhatsApp, straight after they confirm the booking. They tap, pay by card or phone wallet, and you see the money land. The rest is getting the details right: how much to ask for, what your terms say, what it costs you in fees and how you record it against the job.

This guide walks through each step for UK trades and service businesses, from plumbers and electricians to cleaners and installers.

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TL;DR

  • Send a payment link for the deposit the moment the customer says yes. That is when they expect to pay.
  • Many trades ask for around 10% to 20% on general booked work and 20% to 30% where materials are a big part of the cost.
  • Put the deposit amount, what it covers and the refund position in writing before the customer pays.
  • Card processing fees for payment links typically run from about 1% to 2.5% per payment, with no mandatory monthly fee from mainstream providers.
  • Tie every deposit to the job and the final invoice, so the balance is clear to you, the customer and your bookkeeper.

Table of Contents

Why take deposits online at all

A deposit does two jobs. It covers your early costs, such as materials, a reserved slot or setup time. It also filters out the customers who were never going to turn up.

Taking it online fixes the usual problems with the old way. You don’t wait for a bank transfer that “will go through tonight”. You don’t hand over bank details in a group chat. You don’t forget who has paid and who hasn’t.

If you’ve ever lost a day to a no-show, or bought materials for a job that vanished, you already know what this is worth. It is money walking out the door, and a deposit stops it.

For more on the principle, see our piece on getting paid before you’ve even started the job.

The ways you can take a deposit online

There are four main methods, according to Wise’s UK guide to taking payments online: payment links, invoices with an online payment method switched on, Direct Debit and bank transfer.

For most trades, the choice looks like this:

Method How it works Best for
Payment link You send a URL. The customer pays on a hosted page Quick deposits on quotes and bookings
Invoice with a pay button The customer pays from the invoice itself Jobs where you want one clean record
Bank transfer The customer sends money to your account Larger sums, commercial clients
Pay-by-bank link The customer approves in their own banking app Bigger deposits where card fees add up
Direct Debit Collected under a mandate Recurring work, such as regular cleans

Payment links can accept card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, among others, according to MerchantHQ’s UK comparison. Direct Debit suits subscriptions and recurring bills rather than a one-off boiler install.

The best method is the one your customers will actually use and you can keep track of. Think about how your customers behave before you think about fees. A homeowner on their phone will pay by card or wallet in seconds. A letting agent may prefer a bank payment.

Payment links: the fastest route

A payment link is the quickest and most reliable way to collect a deposit. You create it for the deposit amount, add a description, and send it by text, email or WhatsApp. The customer taps it, enters their card details and pays.

A good description matters. Something like “Deposit: bathroom refit, 24 Maple Drive” tells the customer exactly what they are paying for and gives you a clean trail later.

The same guide says the best moment to ask is straight after you confirm the booking, while the customer is engaged and expecting to pay. Leave it for a few days and you’re chasing.

What you need in place, per Wise:

  • A provider that supports payment links
  • The customer’s details, the amount, the currency and a description
  • A way to send the link
  • A way to track which links are paid, unpaid, failed or expired
  • A way to match each payment to the job or invoice

That last point is where most small businesses trip up, and we cover it below. For a deeper look, we’ve written about job-linked payment links for trades and freelancers.

Ask at the point of booking

The smoothest deposits are the ones the customer pays as part of booking, not after a second conversation. If customers book or approve a quote through your website, the deposit request can go out automatically at that step. Good cleaning website design with automated booking is one way to make that handover happen without you touching your phone.

If you’d rather let customers pick their own slot, our guide to self-service booking for UK trades shows how to set it up.

Invoice or payment link?

Both work. The question is which gives you one clear record.

CardMachineProviders.co.uk makes a useful point for service businesses: the invoice is often the better starting point. The customer can see the amount, the work it covers and the due date, then pay without a separate conversation. It also warns against creating a second invoice just to add a payment button, because two versions of the same bill can produce duplicate reminders and confused customers.

A simple rule:

  • Deposit before the job is quoted in detail: a payment link with a clear description.
  • Deposit as part of a formal quote or staged job: a deposit invoice, paid online, that later rolls into the final invoice.

Whichever you pick, use one system so the deposit and the balance sit on the same job. Our guide to same-day invoicing for UK small businesses covers what every invoice should contain, and online invoicing is where deposits and balances meet.

How much deposit should you ask for?

There is no legal figure. It’s a commercial decision based on your risk.

How much deposit should you ask for?

According to Simply Link’s guide for tradespeople, many trades use a modest fixed booking amount, around 10% to 20% for general booked work, or 20% to 30% where materials are a bigger part of the risk. TradeStack HQ, cited in the same research, puts 25% to 50% upfront as normal for smaller jobs, and suggests staged payments for larger projects.

Here’s how that plays out:

Job type What the deposit covers Sensible approach
Boiler swap with a ordered unit Materials you’ve ordered Percentage that covers the unit, then balance on completion
Regular home clean Reserved slot Small fixed booking amount
Bathroom refit Materials and scheduling Deposit, then stage payments as work progresses
Installation with a survey first Survey and slot Fixed booking fee, credited against the final price

A deposit can cover initial time, materials, a booking slot or project setup, as Enterprise Nation notes. Decide which one it is, and say so.

A worked example

You quote £400 for a job and ask for a £100 deposit. The customer should get a confirmation that names the job, the £100 received and the £300 still to pay. Your own records should say the same. When the balance is paid, link it to the original job, not a generic second payment. That is the approach CardMachineProviders.co.uk recommends.

Write your deposit terms down first

This is the part people skip, and it is where disputes start. Before a customer pays, they should know:

  1. How much the deposit is and when it is due
  2. What it covers
  3. What happens if you cancel
  4. What happens if they cancel
  5. Whether any part is refundable

Sprintlaw UK advises explaining all of this up front. Its guide, published in August 2025, also makes the point that calling a deposit “non-refundable” does not automatically make it enforceable. For consumer customers, the term still needs to be fair, clear and proportionate under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

To keep a non-refundable deposit, the same guide says:

  • The term is clearly stated in a written contract or booking terms
  • The deposit reflects a genuine pre-estimate of the loss or cost you’d incur, such as materials ordered, time reserved or a lost booking
  • The customer agrees to it before paying

In practice: don’t set a deposit far above your real exposure, and don’t bury the terms. Put them in the quote, the booking confirmation and the message that carries the payment link. If a dispute looks likely, speak to Citizens Advice or a solicitor about your specific terms.

The same fairness principle applies to the end of the job. Our job checklists with customer sign-off help you stop payment disputes over the balance.

What it costs: fees on online deposits

The good news: MerchantHQ’s 2026 UK comparison found no mainstream provider charging a mandatory monthly fee for payment links. You pay per transaction. Its figures include:

  • Stripe: 1.5% + 20p
  • Other major card providers: from 1.4% + 25p up to 2.5% per payment
  • Bank-rail payments: 1% + 20p, capped at £4

On a £200 deposit at 1.5% + 20p, the fee is £3.20. On a £1,000 deposit it’s £15.20. A pay-by-bank option can work out cheaper on bigger sums, because the percentage fee doesn’t climb with the amount.

Two habits keep fees from becoming a headache:

  • Check whether the invoice marks itself as paid, whether the fee is recorded separately, and whether your bookkeeper can match the full invoice to the smaller payout. CardMachineProviders.co.uk flags all three.
  • Don’t add a surcharge for paying by card. Sprintlaw’s overview of the Payment Services Regulations says the rules ban charging customers extra for certain card types. Build the cost into your prices instead.

Fees change, so check your provider’s current schedule before you set up.

Rules and security to know about

You don’t need to become a compliance expert. You need to choose a sensible provider and handle data carefully.

Pick a provider that handles the hard parts. Xero’s UK guide says to choose one that is PCI DSS compliant and supports strong customer authentication, which asks customers to verify their identity with two or more factors. It also advises reviewing transactions regularly for unusual activity.

Know your chargeback exposure. GOV.UK’s guidance on taking payment notes that card-not-present transactions carry higher chargeback risks, with claims possible up to 120 days after the debit or when the goods or services were due. Clear terms and a job-linked record are your best defence.

Keep card details out of your notes. If you take a deposit over the phone, Wise’s guidance says never to store card details in notes, spreadsheets or messaging apps. Use a payment link and let the customer type their own details on the secure page.

Mind personal data. The UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 require you to collect only what you need and store it securely, as Business.gov.uk explains. A customer record with name, address and job details counts.

GOV.UK also notes some businesses may need FCA authorisation in particular circumstances, such as taking money from customers every time they use a service. For a normal trade taking deposits for its own work, it’s worth confirming your position with your accountant or the FCA if you’re unsure.

Rules and security to know about

Set it up step by step

Wise’s five-step process is a good frame. Here it is for a trade business:

  1. Choose how customers pay. For most, a payment link plus an invoice pay button covers it.
  2. Choose a provider. Look at fees, payout speed and whether it connects to your accounts and job software.
  3. Set your rules. Deposit percentage, due time, refund terms.
  4. Test before a customer sees it. Send a small link to yourself, pay it and check where it lands. Small setup errors can lose sales or create admin, as Wise warns.
  5. Track and reconcile. Record each deposit against the job.

If you use Stripe, our Stripe setup guide for UK businesses walks through connecting it, with or without code, and testing before launch.

Record and reconcile every deposit

A deposit that isn’t tied to a job becomes a mystery line on your bank statement three months later.

Wise recommends recording the sale, fee, payout, refund and any dispute against the same customer or order reference. Keep the transaction fee, payment date and status, payout date and amount, and any refund or chargeback record.

For each job, your record should show:

  • Customer and job reference
  • Deposit amount, date and method
  • Fee deducted and net payout
  • Balance remaining
  • The final invoice the deposit rolls into

You also need to keep these records. Holloway Davies explains that sole traders generally keep records for five years after the 31 January filing deadline, limited companies for six years from the end of the financial year, and VAT-registered businesses must keep digital records under Making Tax Digital for VAT.

Then chase the balance promptly. Our three-day invoice reminder routine keeps it gentle, and our guide to late payment fees in the UK covers what you can charge if it drags.

Our perspective

Most trades we speak to don’t have a deposit problem. They have a scattered-information problem. The enquiry is in WhatsApp, the quote is in a spreadsheet, the deposit is a bank transfer someone half remembers, and the invoice is a separate document again.

That’s why we built Pipeline to keep the enquiry, quote, booking, job, invoice and payment on one customer record. When a deposit lives next to the job it belongs to, you know what’s been paid, what’s owed and what’s coming, without digging through three apps.

We also think software shouldn’t punish you for growing. Our pricing is flat per month with no per-user fees, so adding an engineer or office help doesn’t change your bill. Connecting Stripe means card payments can sit alongside your invoicing, and the mobile app means the person on site sees the same picture as the person in the office.

Our advice is simple: ask early, say what it covers in writing, and keep the money attached to the job.

Chris

Keep deposits, jobs and invoices in one place

Pipeline is lead and job management software built for UK trades and service businesses. It brings enquiries, quotes, bookings, job tasks, invoicing and payments into one platform, with a customer portal, a mobile app for your team and integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, Stripe, Google Calendar and Twilio SMS.

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Plans are published at flat monthly prices: Solo at £12 per month, Starter at £38 per month and Professional at £63 per month, with an Enterprise option too. No per-user fees. See the full pricing or look at how online invoicing works. If you run a building firm, our page on job management software for builders shows how it fits your jobs.

FAQ

Can I take a deposit without a website?

Yes. A payment link is a secure URL you send by text, email or WhatsApp, and the customer pays on a hosted page. Payments World describes it as one of the easiest ways to take deposits without a site, with the payment confirmed instantly. You only need an account with a payment provider.

Is a deposit the same as a booking fee?

Not necessarily. A deposit is usually part of the final price and comes off the balance. A booking fee can be a fixed charge to reserve a slot. Whichever you use, say in writing what it covers and whether it is credited against the final bill, as Enterprise Nation advises.

Can I keep the deposit if the customer cancels?

Only if your terms allow it and are fair. Sprintlaw UK says the term must be clearly written, agreed before payment and reflect a genuine pre-estimate of your loss. For consumers, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 fairness test applies, so get advice if you’re unsure.

How quickly do I get the money?

It depends on your provider. Payouts commonly arrive within one to two working days, and some providers pay out the next working day. Check your provider’s current payout terms before promising a customer or a supplier a date.

How much should I ask for on a small job?

Many trades ask for 10% to 20% on general booked work and 20% to 30% where materials are a bigger part of the risk, according to Simply Link. Match the figure to what you’d genuinely lose if the job fell through.

Sources

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