A clinic should ask for a deposit only at a point you have decided in advance, through a link in the clinic's own name, and for cosmetic surgery only after the steps that come before it are done. The timing is the part that needs care. The amount and the terms are for you and your adviser.
I built the deposit step for a cosmetic surgery group, so I have a view on the order of steps, and I am clear about where my view stops. I do not set clinical or legal policy, and I will not tell you what deposit is right for your clinic.
What is a deposit for?
A deposit holds a booking and shows that the patient intends to attend. For a clinic it reduces the empty appointment that follows a no-show. For a patient it is a visible commitment, which is why the timing and the wording around it matter.
That is also why a deposit sits at the end of a sequence, not the start. A person who has only sent a first message has not yet been assessed, advised or given the information to decide.
There is a second reason I care about the order. A deposit request is the point where a clinic's message stops being a conversation and starts being a transaction, and that is the message most likely to attract pressure wording. Keeping it late and plain protects the patient and the clinic.
When should you ask for one?
After the steps that make the commitment informed. For a consultation, that can be as simple as the health questions and consent being done and a time agreed. For cosmetic surgery, the order in the system I built is: enquiry, GP referral noted, two consultations, a 7-day gap, then the deposit.
Our surgery page puts it in one line: the deposit link goes out only after two consultations, signed consent and the 7-day cooling-off period. How that timing is gated is configured for your practice during setup, because the rules are yours.
Why gate the timing in the system, not in someone's memory?
Because people forget and rules are easy to bend on a busy day. If the deposit link cannot go out before the earlier steps are done, a sequence you decided on calmly stays in force when the clinic is busy. The seven day gap is visible on the patient's file, so anyone on the team can see where a patient is.
This is a design choice, not a clinical claim. Your practice may sequence things differently, and you should. I would only argue that whatever order you pick should be written down and enforced the same way for every patient.
What does a deposit link need?
- Your clinic's name, so the patient knows who is asking
- A clear statement of what it is for, in plain words
- Your terms, as approved by your adviser, including what happens if the patient cancels
- No pressure, meaning no deadline and no offer attached
- A way to ask a question before paying
The no-pressure point is the one that links to advertising rules. Offers and time-limited deals count as inducements to have a procedure, so a message that says 'pay today to lock in a deal' is a wording problem on top of a commercial one. See offers and deadlines.
How much should a deposit be?
I do not know, and I will not give a figure. It depends on the treatment, your cancellation costs and your adviser's view of what is reasonable. The example screens on our site show a sample deposit of A$100 on a consultation, and those screens show sample data, not a recommendation.
A useful way to think about it: write down what a no-show costs you in staff and room time, and what cancellation terms you can explain in two sentences. Then ask your adviser to review both before you publish them.
What about refunds and cancellations?
Put them in writing before the patient pays, and make them easy to find, in plain words rather than a wall of small print. Whatever terms you choose, the patient should see them at the point of payment, not afterwards. The rules on consumer refunds are a legal matter, so take that part to your adviser.
From my side, the practical rule is that the person who takes the money should be able to explain the terms in one breath. If the terms need a paragraph of qualifications, the patient will not read them and the front desk will not remember them.
How does this connect to the rest of the enquiry flow?
The deposit is the last step of a sequence that starts with a fast first reply, the health questions, consent and private photo upload. In Conduit, the Grow plan includes the health form, photos, booking and deposit link, so one record follows the patient through those steps. Your team takes over from a booked consultation.
- 1Decide the order of steps with your practitioners.
- 2Write the deposit terms and have them approved.
- 3Make sure the link goes out in your clinic's name.
- 4Check the deposit message against the wording rules.
- 5Review the first month of bookings and cancellations before you change anything.
For the safe handling of what comes before the deposit, read how to collect health answers and photos safely. To see the flow on your clinic, book a 20-minute demo.