Deposits
Log a cash or bank deposit, or take a refundable card hold on your own Stripe, then release or claim it.
You take the deposit your own way. KeyProof records it against the booking so your proof and your deposit sit together. If you want, you can also take a refundable card hold through your own Stripe account.
KeyProof never touches the money
This is the important part. No money moves through KeyProof, and KeyProof takes no cut. When you take a card hold, it runs on your own Stripe account, so the money is between you, the renter, and your bank. KeyProof only records what happened.
Logging a cash or bank deposit
If you take the deposit in cash or by bank transfer, just record it on the booking. When the hire ends you set the outcome:
- Returned in full: you gave it all back.
- Partially withheld: you kept some, for example for a scratch or excess mileage.
- Withheld in full: you kept all of it.
That outcome is logged to the booking alongside the rest of the record.
Taking a refundable card hold
A card hold places a temporary hold on the renter's card. No money is taken; the amount is simply reserved, so it is there if you need it. To use card holds:
- Go to Settings and find Deposits via your Stripe.
- Choose Connect your Stripe and follow the steps. If you have started but not finished, you will see Finish connecting.
- Once connected, a deposit on a booking can be placed as a hold on the renter's card during their check-in.
You can disconnect Stripe again at any time.
What the renter sees
During check-in, the renter is told a temporary hold is being placed on their card and that no money is taken now. They are told your firm releases or claims it after the hire.
Releasing or claiming a hold
When a card hold is in place, the booking shows the hold as placed, and gives you two actions:
- Hand back deposit: releases the hold. Nothing is charged and the reserved amount is freed on the renter's card.
- Claim deposit: charges the amount you enter, up to the held amount, for example the cost of damage. You will be asked for the amount.
A hold does not sit there forever. Card holds expire automatically after about seven days if you have not released or claimed them, so deal with each hire's deposit promptly.
The hold's state is always visible on the booking: held, released, claimed, partly claimed, or expired.
Which to use
Card holds are cleaner because there is no cash to hand back and the amount is guaranteed to be reachable. Cash still works perfectly well; you just record the outcome yourself. Either way, the deposit is logged against the booking and shows up in your money totals (see Records and money).