No deposit, no slot
The average tattoo studio loses $126,000 a year to missed calls (a vendor estimate), and 14% of booked appointments end as no-shows in vendor-reported estimates. Deposit protection is the fix: clients pay before they get a calendar time, and the money goes straight to your account.
Key facts
- How it works
- The client pays a deposit directly to the artist before a calendar slot is confirmed.
- Commission
- 0% — Deposink never holds the money; deposits go to the artist's own Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal account.
- No-show benchmark
- Vendor-reported estimates put the average tattoo no-show rate near 14% and report that deposits cut cancellations from about 22% to 8%.
- Two-way record
- Client no-shows and artist refunds are both recorded; artists who honor refunds earn a public badge.
How it works
- Client finds your booking link (Instagram bio, your website, wherever you share it).
- They describe their idea, upload reference images, and pick a preferred time.
- You review the request and quote a price — AI drafts the reply for you.
- Client accepts and pays the deposit directly to your Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal.
- You confirm the payment. The slot is locked. Done.
Why deposits work
Vendor-reported benchmarks show cancellation rates drop from ~22% to ~8% once a deposit is required. That's a 64% relative reduction — not because clients become better people, but because they have skin in the game. A $100 deposit makes the appointment real.
And it works in both directions: if you cancel, Deposink tracks the refund publicly on your booking page. Clients see the record before they pay, which builds the trust that makes them willing to pay a deposit in the first place.
0% commission, always
Venue's free tier charges clients a 10% booking fee; its paid plans reduce it to 5%. Deposink takes 0% and charges a flat $19/mo. The deposit goes straight from your client to your Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal — we never touch it. Our only revenue is the subscription after the free beta.
Frequently asked questions
How does deposit protection work?+
Every booking request requires a deposit before it touches your calendar. The client picks a time, you quote a price, they pay — the slot only locks once the deposit clears. No payment, no appointment.
What payment methods do clients use?+
Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal — whatever you already use. The money goes straight to your account. Deposink never holds it and takes 0% commission.
What happens on a no-show?+
One tap marks the no-show. The deposit is recorded as forfeited (yours to keep), and the client's trust record remembers — they'll face a higher deposit next time, on any Deposink artist's page.
Can I set different deposit amounts?+
Yes — flat ($50, $100, whatever you choose) or a percentage of the quote (30% is common). Clients with a no-show history automatically pay more.
Stop chasing deposits
Set up your booking page in about ten minutes. Free while in beta.