Booking fee
A booking fee is a charge to open the order, kept apart from the freight the carrier earns. It may be smaller than people mean when they say deposit. Ask whether it is refundable, and whether that answer changes once a truck is assigned.
A booking fee is what some brokers charge to put your order in their system. It is not the balance, and it is not automatically the carrier's pay. The contract should say the amount, when it is charged, and when it comes back. If it does not say, ask in writing before you pay.
What to compare
Put the fee next to the freight quote so you see the total. A low freight number plus a nonrefundable fee can cost more than a higher quote with no fee, once you are stuck. A fee of this kind is still not a scam by itself. An [upfront deposit scam](/glossary/upfront-deposit-scam/) is a larger payment to a company you cannot find on the federal record, followed by silence.
How it differs from the balance
The balance is the rest of the money, often paid at delivery or when the carrier is assigned. The booking fee is the small early charge. RideShipper does not charge either one. The company on the order confirmation does, and only on the terms written there.