Overview
On SquadTrip, deposits are configured per package, not per trip. This means each package can have a different deposit amount. Understanding this is important -- if you set a $500 deposit on one package but a different package costs $800, travelers may see a different deposit amount than you expected depending on which package they select.
How Deposits Work
When a traveler selects a package with an installment plan at checkout, they pay a deposit upfront and the remaining balance is split into monthly installments. Key rules:
Deposits are set per package in the Payment Plans editor
The minimum deposit is $35, and each monthly installment must stay above $35
Travelers can choose to pay more than the minimum deposit at checkout, which reduces their monthly installment amounts
If a package is priced at $99 or below, it can only accept pay-in-full (no installment plans or deposits) — the price must be above $99. The plan editor marks such packages Pay in Full only
Setting Up Deposits
Open the trip with Edit Trip, go to the Payments step and scroll to Payment Plans
Click "Edit Payment Plans"
Select the package you want to configure
In the Deposit Amount section, enter the minimum deposit for that package
Repeat for each package if you want different deposits
Use "Apply to Packages" to copy the whole plan -- payment type, deposit, schedule dates and installment fee -- to other packages at once (a deposit higher than a package's price is capped at that price)
Click "Save Changes"
Why Travelers May See Different Deposit Amounts
Since deposits are per-package, a traveler's deposit depends on which package they select:
Package | Price | Deposit Set | Traveler Pays at Checkout |
Standard Room | $1,200 | $300 | $300 deposit + installments |
Deluxe Room | $1,800 | $500 | $500 deposit + installments |
VIP Suite | $2,500 | $500 | $500 deposit + installments |
If you set a $500 deposit but a traveler selects the Standard Room package (which has a $300 deposit), they'll see $300 -- not $500. This is the most common source of confusion.
How to Set Consistent Deposits
If you want all travelers to see the same deposit regardless of package:
In the Payments step, click Edit Payment Plans
Configure the deposit amount on your first package
In the "Apply to Packages" section, check all other packages
Click "Save Changes" -- all selected packages now share the same plan (deposit, dates and installment fee)
Tip: Set the deposit as a dollar amount (e.g., $300) rather than thinking of it as a percentage. This makes it clear and consistent across packages of different prices.
What Travelers See at Checkout
When a traveler reaches checkout with an installment plan:
They see the package price and the minimum deposit amount
Under Adjust Initial Deposit they see the current deposit with a "Min [amount] • Max [amount]" hint and an Edit link (the Payment Schedule pop-up adds "Minimum deposit is [amount]. Increase to reduce monthly payments.")
They can raise the deposit by clicking Edit under Adjust Initial Deposit, typing an amount and clicking Update -- anywhere from the minimum up to the full amount they'd pay
Paying a higher deposit reduces each monthly installment
The remaining balance, installment schedule, and due dates are displayed before they confirm
Important Notes
Deposits are set in the Payment Plans editor, not on the package itself
The $35 minimum deposit applies to all packages
Travelers booking after some installment dates have passed get their balance redistributed across remaining installments -- they may have higher monthly payments
Changing a deposit amount only affects future bookings -- travelers who already booked keep their original deposit
If you use the "Apply to Packages" feature, it overwrites the whole payment plan on the selected packages -- payment type, deposit (capped at each package's price), schedule dates and installment fee -- not just the deposit
Troubleshooting
Problem | Solution |
Traveler sees a different deposit than expected | Check which package they selected. Each package has its own deposit. Go to Payment Plans to verify the deposit for that specific package. |
Deposit not showing at checkout | The package may be set to "Pay in Full only." Edit the payment plan and enable "Pay in Installments" to show the deposit option. |
Want to change the deposit after travelers have booked | You can change the deposit for future bookings in Payment Plans. Existing bookings keep their original deposit. To adjust a specific traveler, open the trip from your Dashboard, find them under Travelers, open their account details and click Edit Order. |
Deposit amount seems too low for the trip price | Review your payment plan settings. The deposit is a fixed dollar amount you set, not a percentage of the trip price. Increase it in Payment Plans if needed. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the deposit a percentage of the trip price or a fixed dollar amount? A: It's a fixed dollar amount that you set per package. You enter the exact amount (e.g., $300) in the Payment Plans editor. It does not change if you adjust the package price later -- you'd need to update the deposit separately.
Q: Can a traveler pay more than the minimum deposit? A: Yes. At checkout, travelers can enter a custom deposit amount higher than the minimum. Paying more upfront reduces their monthly installment amounts. The deposit can be raised all the way up to the full amount due, so a traveler can even pay everything up front.
Q: Why did my traveler say the deposit was $300 when I set it to $500? A: The traveler likely selected a different package than you expected. Deposits are per-package -- if you set $500 on the Deluxe package but the traveler chose the Standard package (which has a $300 deposit), they'll see $300. Use "Apply to Packages" to set the same deposit across all packages.
Q: Does the deposit include the processing fee? A: If you chose "traveler pays the fee," the checkout shows the deposit plus the 6% processing fee as separate line items. The traveler pays both at checkout. If you absorb the fee, only the deposit amount is shown.
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