Meaning & use
non-refundable deposit
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Meaning
nouncountablebusinessfinance
A sum of money paid in advance that will not be returned if the buyer cancels or changes their mind.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a non-refundable deposit' or 'two non-refundable deposits'.
Patterns
- pay a non-refundable deposit
- a non-refundable deposit on something
- require a non-refundable deposit
The hotel asked for a non-refundable deposit of $100 to hold the room.
We had to cancel the trip, so we lost our non-refundable deposit.
Always check whether a deposit is refundable or non-refundable before you pay.
Word forms
| plural | non-refundable deposits |
|---|
Common combinations
- pay a non-refundable deposit
- You must pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your booking.
- require a non-refundable deposit
- The landlord requires a non-refundable deposit for pets.
- lose a non-refundable deposit
- If you cancel within 48 hours, you will lose your non-refundable deposit.
- a non-refundable deposit of $50
- The tour company charges a non-refundable deposit of $50.
Synonyms and how they differ
- non-returnable deposit
- Used especially for goods; it means the same but is less common in financial contracts.
Opposites
Word family
- refund noun
- Money returned to a customer.
- refundable adjective
- Able to be paid back.
Commonly confused: non-refundable deposit or advance payment?
non-refundable deposit vs advance payment
An advance payment may be refundable or non-refundable; a non-refundable deposit is specifically one you cannot get back.
Practice
What does 'non-refundable deposit' mean?
Choose one answer.
The correct answer is B because 'non-refundable' means the money will not be returned. Option An is the opposite (refundable). Option C is wrong because the deposit is paid in advance, not after cancellation. Option D describes a discount, not a deposit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-refundable deposit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.