A security deposit is money a guest can't see but definitely notices. It appears on their card as a pending amount, it is meant to disappear after check-out, and in between, things happen to it that nobody explains. You have always been able to follow every step of a deposit. Your guests haven't, and silence about money is what turns into "where is my deposit?" messages and, sometimes, disputes.
So rather than add one more deposit feature, we rebuilt the deposits module stage by stage, around a simple standard: a deposit should never surprise anyone, not your guest and not you.
Before arrival: answers from your rules
Guests ask about deposits long before they start online check-in, often minutes after booking. Since August, the Virtual Concierge reads your property's active deposit rule, so it can quote the amount, the release conditions and the expected timeframe at any hour, instead of telling the guest to wait for a human. The rest of this release follows the deposit from there.
2. Holding: one hold for the whole stay
Most deposits are taken as a hold: the amount is reserved on the guest's card rather than charged. A standard card hold only lasts 7 days, so a deposit taken at online check-in a few days before arrival can run out before a week-long stay ends. UpMarket renews it automatically, but every renewal is a new authorisation the guest's bank has to approve.
Stripe now supports extended holds on UpMarket accounts. On an eligible account, a deposit hold can last up to about 30 days. For most stays, one hold placed at check-in covers everything through check-out: no renewal, no second pending amount, and no mid-stay hold left to fail.
It's automatic. When your account qualifies, UpMarket starts requesting the longer hold. There is nothing to switch on
It never over-promises. UpMarket only asks for the longer hold once Stripe has confirmed your account can have it, and the "up to about 30 days" notice uses the same check
It follows Stripe's own clock. Renewal and release use the exact expiry date Stripe gives each hold, not an estimate
Whether your account qualifies is Stripe's decision: Stripe offers extended holds to accommodation businesses, depending on the account's pricing plan, and only on cards that support them. Where a longer hold isn't available, UpMarket keeps renewing the standard hold automatically, and the next stage makes sure your guest understands what they see.
3. Renewing and closing: guests told what happened
Until now, the deposit lifecycle was fully visible to you and completely silent for your guest. From now on, guests get a short message whenever something happens to their deposit that they didn't see happen. If they watched it on screen, like a payment going through or a card being declined, there's no need. If it happened in the background, they hear about it.
Message | When it is sent | What it tells the guest |
No amount charged | The hold is released after check-out, you waive the deposit, or a stored card expires unused | Nothing was charged, and any pending amount should disappear within the next few days |
Deposit refunded | A deposit charged at check-in is refunded | How much was refunded, and that it usually appears within 5–10 days |
Two holds on the statement | A hold is renewed before it expires | They have not been charged twice, and the older hold will drop off within a few days |
Deposit hold ended early | A hold could not be renewed mid-stay | The deposit couldn't be kept in place, and you will be in touch if a new one is needed |
Messages about money have to be right every time, so these follow stricter rules than your other automated messages:
No toggle, no pause. They go out even when you've paused automated guest messages. Like a door code, a receipt about the guest's own money isn't marketing
Fresh news only. After any interruption, sending resumes with events from the last 48 hours, never a burst of old history
On your channels, with a fallback. WhatsApp, the OTA chat or email, as you've set them up, moving to the next one if a message can't be delivered
Honest about timing. "Released" never promises instant money: each message says banks take a few days
Some things are deliberately left to you. There's no message when you charge a deposit for damage, or refund part of it afterwards: a damage claim is a conversation between you and your guest, not a template. Nor are there "action needed" prompts for declined cards, which the guest already saw on screen.
What it means for your team
Each stage removes a reason for a guest to contact you, or to doubt you:
Fewer "where is my deposit?" messages, because the release and refund now explain themselves
Less dispute risk, because an unexplained hold appearing or vanishing is exactly what guests dispute
No cold calls about lapsed holds, because the guest already knows before you get in touch
Your time kept for what needs a person: damage claims, and the rare deposit that needs replacing
What to check in your settings
Keep your deposit rules active and current. The concierge quotes them, so an outdated rule becomes an outdated answer
Keep email among your delivery channels, so a deposit message still lands when WhatsApp can't deliver it
Look for the "up to about 30 days" notice. It appears once Stripe has granted extended holds to your account
Tell your team about the four messages, so nobody is surprised when a guest replies to one
Handle damage claims personally. No automated message goes out when you charge a deposit
Common questions
Do I need to switch anything on?
No. Extended holds are used automatically once Stripe grants them to your account, and the guest messages are on for everyone.
Can I turn the guest messages off?
No. They are receipts about the guest's own money, so there is no switch, and they still send when automated messages are paused.
Does every guest get a 30-day hold?
No. It depends on your Stripe account and the guest's card. Where a longer hold isn't available, UpMarket renews the standard hold automatically and the guest gets the "two holds" message.
Will my guest be told if I charge the deposit for damage?
No. That conversation is yours, and neither the charge nor any refund after it triggers a message.
Could a guest get the same message twice?
No. Each message is sent at most once per deposit, even if the system processes the same event again.
See it in action
If you are already using UpMarket, every stage is live in your account and needs nothing from you. If you don't collect deposits through UpMarket yet, automating deposits in your online check-in is the place to start.
If you are evaluating guest management tools, ask each vendor what a guest sees when their deposit hold is renewed mid-stay.
Contact us to book a demo to see how UpMarket answers it.