Payments & Refunds

Last updated: 7 September 2026

This is the plain-language version of how money works on TattLink — what you pay, when, where it sits, and exactly when you get it back. The binding version is in the Terms of Use; if the two ever disagree, the Terms win.

TattLink is run by ATORIE PTY LTD (ACN 696 018 890, ABN 51 696 018 890).

The short version

You pay a deposit when you request a booking. We hold it — the artist does not get it yet. If the booking does not go ahead, you almost always get it back.

Once an appointment is confirmed, the same notice windows apply whoever cancels: 48 hours or more before the start and the deposit is refunded in full; 24 to 48 hours and a client cancel is split half and half (an artist cancel is still refunded in full); under 24 hours or a no-show, a client cancel or no-show leaves the deposit with the artist (an artist cancel is still refunded in full).

The deposit

Your artist sets the amount, somewhere between $10 and $200 USD equivalent. You see the exact figure before you pay anything.

It counts towards the price of your tattoo. It is not an extra fee — if your tattoo is $400 and you paid a $100 deposit, you owe $300 on the day.

You pay it when you send the request, not when the artist accepts. That is deliberate: it means artists know a request is serious, so you are far more likely to get a reply.

We hold it, not the artist. It sits with us from the moment you pay until 24 hours after your session. That way, if something goes wrong before you are tattooed, the money is still somewhere it can be returned from.

What TattLink charges you

Nothing. Using TattLink is free for clients.

We take a flat fee of $1 USD out of each deposit when we release it to the artist. It comes out of the artist's share, not yours, and it does not change what you pay.

What happens after you pay

The artist has 14 days to respond. They send you an offer with a date, time, duration and price, or they decline. If they do nothing at all for 14 days, the request expires and your deposit is refunded in full.

You then have 14 days to respond. You can accept, ask them to reconsider with a different date or price, or walk away.

If you accept, the appointment is confirmed and the cancellation rules below take over.

If you walk away, the booking ends and your deposit is refunded in full.

If you do nothing for 14 days, the unanswered offer expires and the deposit goes to the artist. We warn you about this while the offer is open.

After your session, the artist marks it complete. Your deposit is released to them 24 hours later.

Getting your deposit back

Once an appointment is confirmed, the same notice windows apply whoever cancels.

48 hours or more before the start. The deposit is refunded in full, whoever cancels.

24 to 48 hours before the start. If the client cancels, the artist keeps half and half is refunded. If the artist cancels, the client is refunded in full.

Under 24 hours, or a no-show. If the client cancels or does not turn up, the artist keeps the deposit. If the artist cancels or does not turn up, the client is refunded in full.

Cancelling inside 48 hours is recorded against whoever cancelled. For artists, that affects the job success figure shown on their profile.

If the booking never reaches a confirmed time, the deposit is refunded in full when you cancel before the artist responds, when they decline, when they do not respond within 14 days, or when you walk away from an offer. If you let an offer sit unanswered for 14 days, it expires and the deposit goes to the artist. Once you accept, the offer cannot expire — the cancellation rules above apply. If we cancel the booking — including because we suspend or ban an account — you are refunded in full. Those cancellations do not use the 48-hour / 24-hour windows. Money the artist has already earned for completed work is still paid out unless that booking is under investigation, in which case it is held (still owed) until we release or refund it.

Why the notice windows exist

When you book, your artist blocks out a chunk of their day — often several hours — and turns other work away. Forty-eight hours out they can often still fill the gap, so the deposit is refunded in full whoever cancels. Between 24 and 48 hours there is less time, so a client cancel splits the deposit; if the artist cancels, you still get it all back. Inside 24 hours they usually cannot fill that gap, so if the client cancels or does not turn up the time is simply lost and the artist keeps the deposit; if the artist cancels, you are refunded in full.

The deposit is an up-front estimate of what that costs them. It is not a fine, and we show you both the amount and this rule before you pay a cent.

If something serious happens — you are ill, there is an emergency, someone has died — email support@tatt.link. We would rather sort it out than hold you to a rule.

Moving your appointment

Either you or your artist can propose a new date on a confirmed booking. If the other agrees, the appointment moves and your deposit moves with it. Nothing is lost and nothing is charged again.

Rescheduling is almost always better than cancelling. If you cannot make your appointment, propose a new date rather than cancelling and rebooking.

Paying the rest

After your session, whatever is left of the price is due.

In the app. Pay by card in the booking screen. Same as the deposit.

In cash, directly to the artist, if that is what you have agreed between you. The artist records it in TattLink so your booking closes properly, but the money never passes through us — which means we cannot refund cash. If there is a problem with a cash payment, you need to sort it out with the artist.

How refunds actually work

Refunds go back to the card you paid with. We cannot send them anywhere else.

Timing: we process refunds immediately when they are due. Your bank then takes its own time, usually 5 to 10 business days. If it has been longer than that, check with your bank first, then email us.

Amounts: when the whole deposit is refunded, you get the full amount back. If you cancel 24 to 48 hours before the appointment, you get half back. If the artist cancels, you get the full amount back. We do not deduct our fee from a refund.

Currency: if your card is in a different currency to the artist's, your bank converts at its rate on the day. A refund is converted back at the rate on the refund date, so the amount that lands may be slightly different from what left. That difference is your bank's exchange rate moving, not a deduction by us.

If something goes wrong

Your artist didn't turn up. Report it in the booking screen. We look into it, and if they did not show, you get your deposit back.

You're unhappy with the tattoo. Talk to your artist first — many will offer a touch-up, and most problems are best solved with the person who did the work. If that does not get you anywhere, email support@tatt.link. Bear in mind the tattoo is supplied by the artist, not by us, so your rights about the work itself are against them — but tell us anyway, because we need to know.

You think you have been charged wrongly. Email support@tatt.link with your booking number and we will check.

Please talk to us before contacting your bank. A chargeback freezes all payments on that booking while your bank investigates, which usually takes weeks and makes it slower for everyone — including you. We can normally fix things faster directly.

Your rights

Nothing on this page takes away your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, which cannot be excluded. Our booking service comes with a guarantee that it will be provided with due care and skill. The tattooing is supplied by your artist, and your consumer rights about the tattoo itself are against them.

If you are not sure who is responsible for what, email us and we will help you work it out.

Contact

Payments, refunds and booking problems: support@tatt.link Safety and conduct: report@tatt.link

Have your booking number ready — it starts with TL- and is on your booking screen.

ATORIE PTY LTD (ACN 696 018 890, ABN 51 696 018 890) trading as TattLink