Glossary

Deposit (reservation)

What is a reservation deposit?

A reservation deposit is money charged at booking and applied to the final bill when the party dines. Unlike a card hold, the guest pays upfront, which makes deposits the tool for high-stakes bookings: tasting menus, large parties, holidays, buyouts. Operators report per-head deposits from $10 in casual rooms to $25-50 for fine dining, and note that even tiny deposits deter no-shows because commitment does the work. Good deposit hygiene: auto-apply to the bill, refund outside the cancellation window, transfer when guests reschedule. Platform economics matter here: Tock takes 2-3% of prepaid volume and OpenTable applies a 2% service fee to deposits.