Momentum answers
Should you charge a deposit for consultations?
It can reduce no-shows, but it also raises the barrier to booking in the first place — some prospects who would have shown up with a good reminder sequence will decline to book at all if a deposit is required. Most businesses get a better result improving reminders and reschedule friction before adding a deposit.
Deposits make the most sense when consultations are genuinely expensive to deliver (a technician driving out, blocked specialist time) and when the audience is already committed enough that the deposit won't scare off real prospects — that's a judgment call specific to your business, not a universal rule.