If your marina collects a security deposit at the start of a contract — one that should not be used to pay invoices during the season — this guide walks you through the full setup from start to finish.
What makes a security deposit different?
A standard deposit offsets the customer's balance. A security deposit is held completely separate — it won't touch any invoice until you decide what to do with it at the end of the contract. This is a specific setting you need to turn on.
Before You Start — What You'll Need
You'll need access to Marina Settings. If you can't see Marina → Settings → Policies, ask your system administrator to check your user role permissions.
You'll also want to know:
The deposit amount (e.g. $500 flat, or a percentage of the total contract value)
Which Deposit Product to use — this is the line item that appears on the customer's deposit invoice.
Step 1 — Open Marina Policies
In the left navigation, click Marina.
Click Settings.
Click Policies. You'll see a list of any existing policies. You can edit an existing policy or create a new one.
Step 2 — Create or Edit a Policy
To create a new policy, click Add New in the top-right corner. To edit an existing one, click on its name in the list.
Give the policy a clear Name that describes its purpose — for example: "Security Deposit – Long-Term Slips". A descriptive name makes it easy for staff to pick the right policy when creating reservations.
Step 3 — Configure the Deposit Amount
Set the Deposit Type:
Choose Fixed Amount if you collect a set dollar amount (e.g. $500).
Choose Percentage if the deposit is a percentage of the total contract value.
Enter the Deposit Amount — the dollar value or percentage.
Step 4 — Turn On the Security Deposit Flag
Scroll down to find the Security Deposit toggle and turn it on.
Don't skip this step. The Security Deposit toggle is what tells Sharper to hold this deposit separately from all invoices. If it's off, the deposit will still be collected — but it won't be protected from being used against open balances.
Step 5 — Assign a Deposit Product
Select a Deposit Product from the dropdown. This is the product that appears as the line item on the customer's deposit invoice.
Step 6 — Save the Policy
Click Save. Your security deposit policy is now ready to assign to products.
Step 7 — Assign the Policy to Your Slip Products
The policy won't take effect until it's attached to the specific slip products you want it to apply to.
Go to Marina → Products and open the slip product.
Click the Booking Setup tab.
In the Deposit Policy field, select the security deposit policy you just created.
Click Save.
Repeat for each slip product that should use the security deposit. Each product can only have one policy assigned at a time.
What Happens During the Contract
Once set up correctly, here's what you can expect:
When a new reservation is created with this policy, the customer will be prompted to pay the security deposit at booking.
The deposit will not appear as a credit on any invoice during the contract.
It will not be applied automatically to any open balances.
Staff will see the deposit in the Deposit Details panel on the reservation, but cannot apply it mid-contract.
What to Do at the End of the Contract (Checkout)
When you check out the reservation, the security deposit becomes available for action. You'll see the following options in the Deposit Details panel:
Option | When to use it |
Refund | The contract ended cleanly — return the deposit to the customer. |
Retain | The marina is keeping the deposit — for damages, unpaid charges, or per contract terms. |
Apply to Invoice | The customer has an outstanding balance and you want to apply the deposit toward it. |
Issue Credit | Convert the deposit into a house account credit the customer can use in the future. |
Nothing happens automatically at checkout. You must choose one of the options above — the deposit will not be applied, refunded, or retained on its own.
Quick Reference
Question | Answer |
Will the deposit auto-apply to invoices during the contract? | No — never, as long as the Security Deposit toggle is on. |
What setup is required? | Enable the Security Deposit toggle on the Policy, then assign the policy to your slip products. |
Can staff accidentally apply it mid-contract? | No — applying requires a deliberate action and only becomes available at checkout. |
What are the options at contract end? | Refund, Retain, Apply to Invoice, or Issue Credit. |
What if I forget to action the deposit at checkout? | It will remain unresolved on the account. You can return to the checked-out reservation to complete it. |