Challenge
Missed appointments meant lost revenue — and refunding a full deposit later still burned card fees on money that came back. Organizers chased confirmations by hand, had no reliable way to prove who showed up, and settled payouts case by case. Settlement needed to return unused amounts the smart way, pause when arrival is contested, allow organizers to waive charges, and stay fair when nobody shows.
Solution
We built an appointment insurance platform: schedule with clear deposits, invite by text, check in at the place, and settle through Stripe so unused deposit money comes back without wasting card fees — then pay the person who showed when someone ghosts.
Outcome
Organizers protect calendars with clear commitment rules and far less manual chasing. Showing up returns unused deposit money without taxing the full amount; no-shows fund who waited instead of becoming pure loss. On a simple $10,000 example where $9,000 returns, card fees stay near ~$29 instead of ~$290 — about $261 saved versus charging everything then refunding.