Short answer: a tattoo deposit policy is a short written agreement that says how much the deposit is, what it covers, that it comes off the final price, and what happens when anyone reschedules, cancels or doesn't show up, including you. Show it to the client in writing before they pay, get a clear "I agree", and apply it the same way to everyone. A copy-ready template is below.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Deposit and cancellation rules depend on your state and on what your client agreed to. If you're unsure, check with a local attorney or your state's consumer protection office. It's published by Inkkore, a tool that tracks deposit requests but never handles the money.
What your policy needs to answer
Clients don't read policies; they look for answers to the questions that worry them. Make sure yours answers all of these in plain words:
- How much is the deposit, and how is it set (a flat amount, an amount by size, or a percentage of the estimate)?
- What does it cover? Usually: holding the date and your drawing time.
- Does it come off the final price? Say yes clearly, if it does. It's an advance, not a fee.
- When is it due, and how long do you hold the date before offering it to someone else?
- How can it be paid, and with what reference?
- How do rescheduling requests work? Notice required, how many times, and whether the deposit moves to the new date.
- What if the client cancels or doesn't show up?
- What if you cancel or have to move the date? This is the clause most policies forget.
- What if the design changes a lot, or the client asks for a full redraw?
- How long does the deposit stay valid if no date gets set?
The template (copy and adapt)
Replace everything in [brackets] with what you actually do, then delete the options you don't use. A policy that describes what you really do protects you better than a strict one you don't apply.
DEPOSIT & BOOKING POLICY — [Your name / studio]
1. DEPOSIT
To book a date, I ask for a deposit of [amount / $X for small pieces, $Y for larger pieces / X% of the estimate]. Your date is confirmed once I've received it. The deposit holds your date and covers my drawing time.
2. IT COMES OFF YOUR FINAL PRICE
Your deposit is not an extra charge: it's deducted from the price of your tattoo on the day [of your last session, for multi-session work].
3. PAYMENT
Accepted methods: [e.g. Venmo (business profile), PayPal (goods and services), Zelle, Cash App, cash at the shop]. Please include your reference: [your name / booking reference]. I hold your date for [48 hours] after sending deposit details; after that, I may offer it to someone else.
4. RESCHEDULING
You can move your appointment [once] with at least [72 hours'] notice. Your deposit moves to the new date. Requests with less notice, or a second reschedule, [require a new deposit / are treated as a cancellation].
5. IF YOU CANCEL OR DON'T SHOW UP
If you cancel with less than [72 hours'] notice, or don't show up, the deposit is not refunded. If you're more than [20 minutes] late without letting me know, I may need to shorten or reschedule your session.
6. IF I CANCEL OR NEED TO MOVE YOUR DATE
If I have to cancel or move your appointment (illness, emergency), you choose: move your deposit to a new date, or get it back in full within [7 days].
7. DESIGN CHANGES
Small adjustments are included. A completely new idea after I've started drawing may require [a new deposit / extra drawing time at $X].
8. VALIDITY
Your deposit stays valid for [6 months] from the date you paid it. If we can't set a date within that time [because of me, I'll refund it / because you're unavailable, it expires].
9. ON THE DAY
I don't tattoo anyone under 18, anyone who is intoxicated, or skin that is sunburned, broken or irritated in the area. [If that happens, we'll reschedule / the deposit is treated as a late cancellation].
By paying the deposit, you confirm you've read and agree to this policy. Questions? Ask me before you pay: [contact].A short version for your bio, your form or your booking page:
Deposit: [amount], deducted from your final price. Holds your date for you. Move your date once with [72 h] notice. Late cancellations and no-shows lose the deposit. If I cancel, you get it back or move it — your choice.
Full policy: [link]Choosing your numbers
- The amount. Common approaches are a flat amount by size, a percentage of the estimate, or a full-day rate for large work. Our article on charging a deposit without scaring clients away walks through the trade-offs between a light deposit and a high one.
- The notice window. Pick the time you need to realistically refill a slot from your waitlist or your followers. The studio policies we read ranged from 24 hours to two weeks, most often 48 to 72 hours.
- How long you hold a date before payment. Long enough for someone to pay on a phone after work (24 to 48 hours), short enough not to block your calendar.
- Keep it proportionate. The deposit should reflect what you actually lose: the blocked slot and your drawing time. That's both fairer and easier to defend.
"Non-refundable" doesn't mean "keep it no matter what"
Writing "non-refundable" in capital letters isn't a magic shield. Two real-world reminders:
- Consumer protection law varies by state. California, for example, treats pre-set damages in consumer service contracts more strictly than in business contracts (Civil Code § 1671): they're generally void unless actual damages would be impracticable or extremely difficult to fix. Other states have their own rules. A deposit that's reasonable compared to your real loss, and clearly agreed to in advance, is in a much stronger position than a large one buried in small print.
- A deposit is a promise on both sides. In 2018, the Minnesota Department of Health reprimanded and fined a licensed body art technician who took a $100 deposit, cancelled the appointment, stopped answering requests for a new date, and then refused a refund on the grounds that deposits were non-refundable. The department found the conduct "likely to deceive" the public under Minnesota's body art law.
The practical rule: keep the deposit when the client breaks the agreement (late cancellation, no-show), and offer a new date or a refund when you can't hold up your side.
Payment methods: what to know before you list them
Deposits paid directly to you through payment apps are common, and each app has its own rules:
- Venmo: only payments to an authorized business profile, or payments the sender tags as a purchase, can be used for goods and services. The recipient pays a fee on those (Venmo's example: a $100 purchase payment arrives as $98), and they're the payments eligible for Venmo's Purchase Protection. Untagged personal payments may not be recoverable if something goes wrong.
- PayPal: payments sent as Friends and Family are not eligible for PayPal's Purchase Protection. Goods and services payments are the ones PayPal protects.
- Zelle: banks state that neither they nor Zelle offer purchase protection, and advise sending money only to people you know and trust. Some clients will hesitate to send a deposit to an artist they've never met; offering a second method helps.
Fees and protections change, so check each app's current terms, and talk to a tax professional about how you record deposits.
How to communicate your policy
- Before payment, in writing. Send the policy (or a link to it) together with the deposit details, not after.
- Get an explicit yes. A checkbox, a signed form, or a reply like "I agree" in the conversation.
- Repeat the key points in the confirmation: date, amount received, what it comes off, and the reschedule window.
- Keep records. For each deposit: date paid, amount, method, reference, and the version of the policy the client agreed to.
- Apply it the same way to everyone. Exceptions are your call, but make them knowingly ("I'll move it this once"), not by forgetting your own rules.
Scripts for the hard conversations (asking for the deposit, a late reschedule, cancelling on a client) are in how to respond to tattoo inquiries.
Where Inkkore fits
Inkkore handles the deposit request and tracking, not the money:
- When a client accepts your quote, the deposit request goes out automatically, with the amount, your own payment methods (PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, bank transfer…) and a unique reference.
- The client pays you directly. Inkkore never touches the money: 0% commission, no fee for the client.
- The client can tell you they've paid; you confirm receipt yourself, from your deposits screen or the request, and the client gets a confirmation.
- You choose the deposit: 0%, or from 10% to 100%.
Inkkore doesn't refund, hold or enforce anything: your policy is between you and your client, and you apply it. Keep the template above in your own words and send it with your deposit details.