# Deposits

Collect a partial payment at booking time, with the remainder due at or after the appointment.

## How Deposits Work with Sesami

Sesami uses Shopify's payment system, so deposits are handled through Shopify's order and payment flow.

### Recommended: Downpay

[Downpay](https://apps.shopify.com/downpay) is a Shopify app that works well with Sesami and offers:

* **Deposit collection** — charge a partial amount at checkout
* **Card on file** — store the card for the remaining balance
* **Capture later** — collect the rest from the order page or POS

### Alternative: Variant-Based Deposits

You can use product variants to define payment options:

1. Create variants like "Deposit — $25" and "Full Payment — $100"
2. The customer selects their payment option when booking
3. Collect the remaining balance separately via Shopify invoice or in-person payment

See this approach in action on the [demo store](https://demo.sesami.co).

## Common Deposit Setups

* **Fixed amount** — $25 deposit on a $100 service
* **Percentage** — 20% deposit, balance due at appointment
* **Pay later** — no deposit; collect full payment at the appointment

{% hint style="info" %}
Clearly communicate your deposit and cancellation policy in the service's "Appointment Details" section so customers know what to expect.
{% endhint %}

## Related

* [Credit Card on File](/payments/credit-card-on-file.md) — store payment methods for future charges
* [Tips](/payments/tips.md) — add tipping to checkout


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