Take deposits on the call

What happens on a call

When a booking needs a deposit, your receptionist says the amount, says the booking is held once it is paid, and asks whether the caller would like the secure link texted now. If they say yes, a text arrives on their phone with a Stripe payment page. Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay all work, and the link lasts 30 minutes.

Nobody reads a card number down the phone, ever. The money goes straight into your own Stripe account, not through SiVoice.

You see whether it was paid on the call in Conversations, and in the email you get after the call.

Step 1: connect your Stripe account (once)

1. Go to Integrations in the left menu and press Connect Stripe on the Stripe card.
2. Stripe opens. If you already use Stripe, log in. If not, create an account: it asks for your business details and where to pay the money. It takes a few minutes.
3. When Stripe sends you back to SiVoice, the card says Connected. If it says Finish setting up, Stripe still needs something from you; press it and complete the missing details.

Deposits are part of the Team and Scale plans. On Solo the card shows you where to upgrade.

Step 2: tell your receptionist the amount

1. Open Assistants, choose your receptionist, and open the Take deposits ability.
2. Type the deposit amount and what it secures, for example 50 and "a table booking", or 500 and "your surgery date".
3. Tick how a human on your side is told when it's paid: a text to the alert mobile, an email to the team address, or both.
4. Switch Take deposits on and press Save changes.

From the next call, the receptionist offers the deposit whenever a booking needs one.

How you know it's paid

The moment the caller pays, Stripe tells SiVoice. Within seconds:

• The caller gets a text saying the deposit is paid and the booking is confirmed, with the receipt.
• A human on your side is told the way you chose under Take deposits: a text to the alert mobile, an email to the team address, or both, with the amount, who paid, when, and the Stripe receipt as proof.
• The caller is added to Contacts, or matched if already there, with a Deposit paid badge and the receipt.
• The call in Conversations shows Paid with a Receipt link, and the Overview page lists every deposit with its status.
• If nobody pays, the link runs out after 30 minutes and the call shows 'link expired, not paid'.

Good to know

• Refunds, receipts and payouts are all done in your Stripe account, exactly as for any other Stripe payment.
• If a caller does not want to pay on the call, the receptionist still takes their details and tells you the deposit is outstanding.
• Disconnecting Stripe in Integrations switches deposits off on every assistant.