> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kordless.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deposits and scheduling

> How a homeowner pays a deposit and picks their slot from the bid link.

When a bid goes out, the homeowner receives a price range and a link to commit. They pick a time slot and pay the deposit in one flow — that payment is the moment an inquiry becomes a booked project. The deposit amount comes from your published rate card, and the money lands in your Stripe account.

## How the homeowner commits

When the agent sends a bid, it includes a scheduling link: `yourcompany.kordless.ai/quote/{id}/schedule`. The homeowner opens it and sees your available time slots, the quoted price range, and the deposit amount.

<Steps>
  <Step title="The homeowner opens the scheduling link">
    The page shows your business name, the property, the quoted price range, and the deposit amount. The homeowner's name and contact are pre-filled — they don't re-enter what the bid already knows.
  </Step>

  <Step title="They pick a time slot">
    Available slots from your Service calendar are shown. The homeowner selects one that works.
  </Step>

  <Step title="They pay the deposit">
    Stripe Checkout opens with the deposit amount. The homeowner enters their card and pays. On success, the booking is confirmed and the slot is theirs.
  </Step>
</Steps>

When the deposit lands, the bid moves to **Deposited & booked** in the pipeline, the appointment appears on your Service calendar, and the property gets a record in your Properties. The agent confirms the booking with the homeowner automatically.

## Re-share the scheduling link

Sometimes a homeowner gets a bid but doesn't schedule right away. If they paid a deposit but haven't picked a slot, the bid shows in **Deposited — needs scheduling** with a scheduling link you can re-share.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the bid">
    Find the bid in the *Deposited — needs scheduling* lane and click it to open the detail page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the scheduling link">
    The scheduling link appears in a copyable field. Click **Copy** and paste it into a text or email to the homeowner.
  </Step>
</Steps>

If the homeowner already paid a deposit, the scheduling page lets them pick a time without paying again — the deposit is already on file.

You can also re-share the scheduling link for a bid in *Quoted, waiting on homeowner* to nudge a homeowner who hasn't committed yet.

## Create a deposit link

In some cases you may want to collect the deposit first, before scheduling — for example, to hold a build slot without locking in a specific date yet.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a quoted bid">
    Find the bid in the *Quoted, waiting on homeowner* lane and click it to open the detail page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the deposit link">
    Click **Create deposit link**. Kordless generates a Stripe Checkout link for the deposit amount from your rate card.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send the link to the homeowner">
    Copy the link and send it to the homeowner. When they pay, the bid moves to *Deposited — needs scheduling* — they'll still need to pick a slot from the scheduling link.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The deposit link is valid for 24 hours. After that, create a new one.

## Deposits by service type

Different services carry different deposit amounts, set in your [rate card](/pool-spa/bidding/rate-card):

| Service                        | Deposit | Why                                                                |
| ------------------------------ | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Pool construction**          | \$2,500 | Large projects — the deposit reserves the build slot.              |
| **Pool remodel**               | \$1,000 | Significant scope — the deposit commits the homeowner.             |
| **Equipment repair**           | \$149   | Service call — the deposit secures the appointment.                |
| **Weekly maintenance**         | \$0     | No deposit — the contract activates on the first recurring charge. |
| **Seasonal opening / closing** | \$199   | Seasonal service — the deposit holds the seasonal slot.            |

## Before deposits can work

You need a Stripe Connect account set up. Deposits are charged directly to your connected Stripe account — the money lands in your bank, minus Stripe's processing fee and the platform's per-booked-job fee.

If Stripe isn't connected yet, deposit links won't generate and the scheduling page will let the homeowner book a slot without paying. Connect Stripe from **Settings → Plan & billing** to enable deposits.

<Warning>
  If a homeowner books a slot but no deposit is collected (because Stripe isn't connected or the service has no deposit policy), the bid stays in the *Quoted* state. The slot is held on your Service calendar, but the job isn't financially committed until a deposit is taken.
</Warning>

## What happens when a bid expires

Every bid has a validity window — 14 days by default, configurable in your [rate card](/pool-spa/bidding/rate-card). Some services override this: pool construction bids are valid for 10 days, weekly maintenance for 30. If the homeowner doesn't commit before the window closes:

* The bid moves to **Closed** with an *Expired* tag.
* The scheduling link shows a message that the bid has expired and directs the homeowner to reach out for a fresh one.
* A paid deposit is never expired — if the homeowner already paid, they can still schedule.

You can create a new bid for the same homeowner from the Bid Desk by clicking **New bid**.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Balance and final payment" icon="credit-card" href="/pool-spa/bidding/balance-and-final-payment">
    Collecting the remaining balance when the project is done.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Service calendar" icon="calendar" href="/pool-spa/day/service-calendar">
    Your schedule: service visits, holds, and booked projects.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>