Security Deposits: Holds, Charges, and Refunds

Security Deposits: Holds, Charges, and Refunds

A security deposit protects you against damage, late returns, and missing equipment. TrailerBase gives you three ways to collect it, so you can match the approach to your risk tolerance and your renter's expectations.

Setting the deposit amount per trailer

Deposits live on the trailer, not on the account, so you can charge more for a 40-foot gooseneck than for a utility trailer.

1. Open the trailer from Trailers > (your trailer) > Overview.
2. Scroll to Pricing & Deposit.
3. Enter a dollar amount in Security Deposit.

If you leave the field blank, that trailer rents with no deposit. You can also set a fleet-wide default in Settings > Policies and override per trailer.

The three holding options

On each trailer you pick a Deposit Handling mode:

LIABILITY — The deposit amount is shown to the renter on the quote and contract as their potential liability for damage, but no money is charged or held. This is the lightest-touch approach and works well for repeat renters or when you trust the renter and do not want to friction the booking.

CHARGE_REFUND — The full deposit is charged to the renter's card when the reservation confirms. On return, you click Refund Deposit and the entire amount goes back. If there is damage, you can apply any portion to a claim (see below) and refund the rest. This is the most common setup because the money actually moves, which tends to make renters handle equipment more carefully.

PREAUTH — Stripe places an authorization hold on the renter's card — funds are reserved but not captured. The hold expires automatically after 7 days on most cards. If you need the money, you capture it; if not, you release it and the renter's bank removes the pending charge. This reduces refund fees but only works for reservations that start within the hold window.

Partial applications to damage

If a rental ends with damage, open the reservation and click Apply Deposit to Damage. You will see:

• The amount currently held or charged.
• A line for each damage item you have logged.
• A running total of what remains.

Apply any portion you want. The unused remainder refunds automatically with one click. TrailerBase keeps a complete audit log so you can show the renter exactly how their deposit was used if they ask.

Practical tips

• Communicate up front. Your quote and contract templates both show the deposit amount and handling mode. Do not surprise the renter at pickup.
• CHARGE_REFUND and ACH. If a renter pays by ACH bank transfer, refunds take a few business days to post — factor that into your return day workflow.
• Preauths on debit cards. Some debit card issuers release holds slowly (up to 30 days). For higher deposits, CHARGE_REFUND on a credit card is kinder to the renter's balance.

Between these three modes you can protect your fleet without scaring away renters.