Deposits and cancellation policies

A deposit holds the date and the crew for the customer, and turns a "maybe" into a booking. A clear cancellation policy says what happens to it if plans change. Here is common practice — your own state's rules and your terms decide.

Common deposit practice

• Local hourly moves — a flat amount (often $50–$300) or the price of one or two labor hours.
• Flat-rate moves — a percentage of the price, often 10–25%.
• Long distance — a larger share, often 10–50% of the estimate, because the truck space is held for days.
• Last-minute bookings — many companies ask for more, or the full price, when the move is only a few days away.
• Per truck or per day — larger moves with several trucks or days often pay a deposit for each.

On interstate moves, federal rules don't fix a deposit, but your estimate must say which forms of payment you accept, and the deposit should follow your tariff.

Common cancellation terms

• Full refund when cancelled well ahead (for example 7 days or more before the move).
• Deposit kept (or part of it) when cancelled within a few days of the move.
• Rescheduling — free once, or for a fee, when done in time.
• Weather and emergencies — whether a move can be postponed without loss.
• Long distance — what happens if the customer cancels after pickup, or the shipment waits in storage.

Write it in plain words, show it before the customer pays, and have them agree to it when they sign. A policy the customer never saw is hard to enforce.

In MoveBoard

• Set your deposit rules once per move type on Settings › Pricing & calculator › Reservation & deposits — hours or dollars for hourly moves, a percent or dollars for flat-rate and long-distance moves, per truck or per day, and the raise close to the move date. See How the deposit amount is set.
• Write your cancellation policy and terms on Settings › Customer experience › Policies; the customer agrees to them when they book. See Policies.
• Refunds are taken from the order's payments — see Refund or void a payment.