Security Deposits

Rental security deposits are refundable collateral (escrow). Money movements live on the same payments ledger as order charges, tagged as collateral so they do not inflate order revenue. PrepStation still shows a security-deposit status panel for required / captured / applied / refunded amounts.

How the Required Amount Is Calculated

Each rental product can use no deposit, a fixed amount, a per-unit amount, or a percentage of the rental line total. The order's required deposit is the sum calculated from its rental lines.

To calculate or refresh it:

1. Open the sales order.
2. Select the Rentals section.
3. Find Security deposit.
4. Click Calculate deposit or Recalculate.

Confirming the sales order also calculates the deposit requirement.

Deposit Amounts

By default, outbound fulfillment is blocked until the required amount is authorized or captured. Account admins can turn this gate off under Rentals → Rental Settings (Require security deposit before dispatch) if equipment sometimes needs to leave before collateral is secured. Product deposit requirements are unchanged either way.

Authorize a Saved Card

Use an authorization when you want to place a temporary hold without collecting funds immediately.

1. Under Authorize card collateral, select a Saved card.
2. Click Authorize.
3. After the rental:
   • Click Release if the hold is no longer needed.
   • Click Capture if funds must be collected.

Card authorization requires the payments feature and a saved payment method for the sales order customer.

Record Offline Collateral

For cash, check, or another offline method:

1. Enter the Amount received under Record offline collateral.
2. Click Record offline.

This records captured collateral without running a card transaction.

Refund Captured Collateral

After equipment and charges are reconciled:

1. Find Refund collateral.
2. Enter the Refund amount.
3. Click Record refund.

Partial refunds are supported. The remaining refundable amount stays visible until it is refunded or applied.

Apply Collateral to a Rental Charge

An approved incident can create a rental adjustment invoice. To pay part or all of that invoice from captured collateral:

1. Find Apply to rental charge.
2. Choose the Adjustment invoice.
3. Enter the Amount to apply.
4. Click Apply collateral.

Applying collateral reduces the deposit's refundable balance and the invoice's balance due.

Deposit Statuses

The Collateral ledger lists each transaction with its amount, processor, status, and time.

Cancel & Refund

Cancel Order & Refund returns order revenue and also releases or refunds remaining rental collateral on that order. You do not need a separate deposit refund step when cancelling the whole order.

Recommended Settlement Checklist

Before releasing or refunding collateral on a completed rental:

1. Confirm all equipment was returned or reconciled.
2. Complete inspection.
3. Review every incident.
4. Create any approved adjustment invoices.
5. Apply collateral only where authorized.
6. Release unused card holds or refund the remaining captured amount.

Next Steps

• Rental Returns — Complete equipment reconciliation
• Incidents & Charges — Approve charges and create adjustment invoices