Slotward / Square Appointments
Checked November 1, 2026
Deposits and no-shows: Slotward and Square Appointments
Both products can take money when a client books. The difference is who refunds it, and whether a missed visit is a deposit you already collected or a fee you charge later. Slotward is not affiliated with Square.
No card to start. The trial is 7 days, then $39 a month or $390 a year.
Competitor sentences below are limited to what those public pages said on November 1, 2026. If a page did not state a fact, it is left out. Prices and rules change. Recheck the sources before you rely on them.
What the US pricing page listed
On November 1, 2026, Square's US Appointments pricing page showed three columns for Square Free, Square Plus, and Square Premium. In that column order, the location row reads $0, $49, and $149 per month per location. The page says the monthly fee for Plus and Premium applies to each location, and that Square Free has no monthly subscription cost. You pay processing fees when you take a payment. Plus and Premium each include a free 30-day trial.
Online card rate, not a separate deposit rate
That pricing page lists online card payments, described as card payments made online or through an invoice, at 3.3% + 30¢, 2.9% + 30¢, and 2.9% + 30¢ in the same three columns. A deposit paid on a booking page is an online card payment. The page does not publish a separate deposit rate.
Deposits are documented on the free plan
Square's deposit help article says it is for Square Appointments Free, Plus, and Premium, and that deposits require a Free plan or a paid subscription. A deposit is a partial payment when the client books online. You can use a fixed amount or a percentage, on all services or on specific services. The article says Square does not currently take a deposit when you book on the client's behalf. Several services are charged as one deposit. The policy you write, including whether you say the deposit is refundable, is shown at checkout.
A deposited Square visit is not cancelled by the client
That article says that after a deposit is paid, the customer cannot cancel the appointment on their own. The seller cancels it. The client can reschedule before the cut-off you set. If the appointment has not been checked out, you cancel or mark a no-show and Square gives you the option to refund. A refund can also be issued later from the payment. Slotward lets the client cancel from the manage link. Outside the saved window, that refund runs on its own.
The no-show card hold is a different article
Square's cancellation and prepayment article addresses Plus and Premium subscribers, Square Plus and Square Premium subscribers with advanced bookings, and sellers using bookings mode on the Square Point of Sale app. It does not list the Free plan. It describes three choices at booking: no requirement, full prepayment of a fixed-price service, or holding a card in case of a no-show. The cut-off can be from one hour to two weeks, or none. The fee can be a flat amount per appointment, a flat amount per service, or a percentage of each service price. The card is charged when you choose to enforce the policy, up to 14 days after the appointment. The article says the card is held for that appointment and is not saved for later charges unless the client chooses to save it.
What Slotward does
Trial, price, and who is paid
Slotward is $39 a month or $390 a year after a 7-day trial. The trial starts when the shop is created, and no card is required to start. The client pays the deposit on your booking page. That charge is on your Stripe account. Slotward does not add a fee on top of the deposit.
The window runs itself
You write the cancellation wording and the hour count. Clients read that before they pay, and they get a manage link after they pay. Cancel outside the window and the deposit refunds. Cancel inside the window and you keep it. A no-show is kept, and you mark that after the visit was supposed to start. If you cancel the appointment, the deposit is refunded even inside the window. The window in force at booking is stored on the appointment, so a later edit does not rewrite it.
What this version does not do
- One shop and one weekly calendar. A second person needs a second shop. There is no staff roster and no waitlist.
- Every bookable service has a deposit. You cannot list a service on the booking page with the deposit turned off. The deposit is a flat amount or a percent of that service.
- The deposit is collected at booking. This version does not store a card to charge a second fee after a no-show, and it does not send reminder texts.
- No point of sale and no in-person register. Slotward books the time and takes the deposit.
Questions
Does Square Appointments take a deposit on the free plan?
Square's deposit help article, checked November 1, 2026, says deposits are available on the Free plan and on paid subscriptions. The separate article about holding a card and charging a cancellation fee does not list the Free plan in its audience.
Does a Square deposit refund itself when the client cancels in time?
Square's deposit article says the customer cannot cancel a deposited appointment on their own. You cancel or mark the no-show, and you are given the option to refund. Slotward refunds on its own when the client cancels outside the window saved on the appointment.
Does Slotward replace Square's register and staff calendars?
No. Slotward is one booking link, one weekly calendar, and a deposit. It does not take in-person card payments, run a staff roster, or keep a waitlist.
Sources checked November 1, 2026
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