Understanding Booking Deposits and Applying Them at Check-In
This guide explains how booking deposits work in Tee On, how deposits are recorded, and how to apply them during check-in.
How Booking Deposits Work
When a customer books a tee time online and pays a deposit, the golf course receives those funds immediately at the time of booking.
The deposit is recorded as a completed transaction and will:
- Appear in your Bookings Deposit list
- Be included with your other card transactions for that day
- Be deposited into your bank account through your normal payment processing
This means the funds have already been successfully received by the course.
Understanding the “Pending” Deposit Status
The Pending status does not mean the payment has not been received.
Instead, a pending deposit simply means the deposit has not yet been applied to the customer’s check-in order for that tee time.
The deposit remains linked to the booking until it is used during check-in.
Applying Deposits During Check-In
Follow these steps to apply a customer’s prepaid deposit during check-in.
Step 1: Start Check-In
From the tee sheet, click on the player’s name to begin check-in.
Customers with a prepaid booking or deposit will display a credit card icon on the tee sheet.
Step 2: Add Green Fees or Power Carts
Select the applicable green fees and/or power carts for the player(s).
Use the + icons to move the selected items to the right-hand side.
Step 3: Confirm Deposit Availability
In the right panel, you will see a deposit notification confirming that a deposit is available for this tee time.
Step 4: Continue to Payment
Click Continue to Payment at the bottom of the screen.
Step 5: Apply the Deposit
In the deposit notification section, click Apply.
You will then be prompted to confirm the amount to apply toward the check-in.
By default, the full deposit amount is selected, but you can adjust the amount if your process requires splitting the deposit across multiple check-ins.
Step 6: Complete the Transaction
Once applied, the deposit will appear as a transaction on the check-in order.
Complete the order to finalize the transaction and provide the customer with their receipt.
Why Deposits Are Applied Separately at Check-In
The deposit and check-in process are intentionally separated for accounting purposes.
At the Time of Booking
When the customer pays their deposit online:
- The funds are received immediately
- The payment is recorded in your Deposit / Unearned Revenue account
This ensures the payment is recognized before the customer has actually played.
At the Time of Check-In
When the deposit is applied during check-in:
- The funds are moved from the Deposit / Unearned Revenue account
- The revenue is then applied to the appropriate Green Fee and/or Power Cart general ledger accounts
This process ensures revenue is recorded on the correct business date and keeps reporting accurate for accounting and year-over-year comparisons.