Travel deposit and payment schedule calculator

How much deposit should a travel agent take?

There is no single right number, but most independent agents land between 20% and 30% for trips with flexible suppliers, and 50% or more when the trip includes non-refundable flights, rail passes or tickets that were bought for the client.

A useful rule: take at least as much as you will have paid to suppliers, and could not recover, in the first thirty days. The deposit is what makes a booking real. It is also what stops a proposal from being a free option on your time.

When should the balance be due?

Tie the balance to the earliest supplier deadline, not to a round number. Many hotels and tour operators want final payment 30 to 60 days before arrival. Set the client's balance a week or two ahead of that, so a late payment does not push you into paying suppliers from your own pocket.

For long-haul or peak-season trips, a three-step plan is common: a deposit at booking, a second payment around 60 days out, and the final payment around 30 days out.

What to do with a late booking

If a client books inside your balance window, the plan collapses: the deposit and the balance are due on the same day. The calculator tells you when this happens. The usual answer is to ask for full payment at booking, and to say so plainly in the proposal.

Put it in writing

Whatever you choose, put the schedule in the proposal and in your terms, so the client agrees to it before paying anything. Story of a Trip turns a schedule like this into instalments the client can pay online, each with its own payment link you can send by WhatsApp or email.