Bootcamp deposits are usually non-refundable because they work as a seat reservation and an advance on the fee, so the program keeps them if you leave. A fully refundable deposit looks different on paper: it is not part of any fee, it comes back on a fixed date, it depends on participation rather than results, the reasons it can be kept are listed exactly, and kept money is accounted for publicly.
Why are bootcamp deposits non-refundable?
Most programs that take a deposit are selling something. The deposit is the first slice of the price, and it reserves your seat. When the program says "non-refundable", it means: if you change your mind, we keep this part.
From the program's side, the reasons are real:
- Seats are limited. A cohort has a fixed size. If you drop out a week before the start, your seat is usually empty, and someone else didn't get it.
- Costs come early. Staff time, scheduling and materials are committed before the first session.
- No-shows are common. People sign up for several things and turn up to one. A deposit you lose filters for people who will show up.
- Cash flow. For a business, a kept deposit is revenue, and revenue that doesn't depend on whether you finish is predictable.
The last reason is the one to watch. The first three are about commitment. The fourth is about income, and once a deposit is income, the program has a quiet incentive to make the refund hard to get.
What does Chinese law say about 定金, 订金 and 押金?
If you are a student in mainland China, the word on the payment page matters less than you think, but it's worth knowing the one word the law defines.
The Civil Code's rules on 定金 (earnest money) are in Articles 586 to 588. In short:
- 定金 is security for a contract. It can't exceed 20% of the contract's value; anything above that doesn't count as 定金.
- If the contract is performed, the 定金 is credited toward the price or returned.
- If the payer fails to perform so the contract's purpose can't be achieved, the payer can't ask for it back.
- If the receiver fails to perform in that way, the receiver must return double.
The words 订金 and 押金 don't appear in those articles. What happens to them depends on the contract you sign. So a page that says "押金" can still describe money you will never see again, and a page that says "定金" carries obligations for the program too. This is general information, not legal advice. If real money is at stake, read the actual clause and ask someone qualified.
Non-refundable vs fully refundable: what's the difference on paper?
Here is the same deposit written two ways. Use the right column as your standard.
| Question | Typical "non-refundable" deposit | Fully refundable deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Is it part of the price? | Yes, it's credited to the fee | No. There's no fee to credit it to, or it's separate from the fee |
| When does it come back? | Never, or "case by case" | A fixed date, e.g. within 14 days of the final session |
| What does the refund depend on? | Not leaving | Taking part, not your results |
| When can it be kept? | Any withdrawal | A short, exact list of reasons, written in advance |
| Is there a cooling-off period? | Rarely | Yes: leave early and get it all back |
| Illness or family emergency? | At the program's discretion | Full refund, with no proof demanded |
| Where does kept money go? | General revenue | Stated in advance and shown in a published ledger |
| When do you pay? | Sometimes before you're accepted | Only after admission |
If a program's deposit matches the left column, it's not necessarily a scam. It's just a fee with a softer name. Treat it like one.
A checklist before you pay any deposit
- Find the word "refund" in writing. A chat message from a sales rep is not a policy.
- Ask: is this deposit part of the price? If yes, it's a down payment. Ask what the full price is.
- Get the refund date. "After the program" is vague. "Within 14 days after the last session" is a rule.
- Read the list of reasons it can be kept. It should be short and specific, like "missed two weekly submissions without explanation". "Violating program rules" is too broad.
- Check whether results matter. If your deposit depends on getting an offer, a publication or income, it's a bet, not a deposit.
- Look for a cooling-off period. Can you leave in the first week and get everything back?
- Ask where kept deposits go. "Operating costs" is a start; a published ledger is better.
- Never pay before admission. A program that wants money before it has decided whether to accept you is selling, not selecting.
- Keep records. Screenshots of the policy page on the day you pay, the payment receipt and any written promises.
If you can't get clear answers to items 2 to 5, assume the deposit won't come back and decide whether you're willing to pay it as a fee.
How STARC's deposit works
STARC runs two tracks, a One-Person Company cohort and a small research track. Neither charges tuition. Each asks for a ¥1,000 (US$150) deposit, paid only after admission. The full rules are on the transparency page, and they're written to match the right-hand column above:
- OPC: the deposit comes back in full within 14 days after Demo Day. It depends on taking part honestly, not on whether your product found users.
- Kept only if: you miss two weekly build logs in a row without explanation, you quit after week 1, or you fake data or pass off someone else's work (which also ends your place).
- Always refunded if: you leave in week 0 or week 1, or you leave because of illness or a family emergency. A short explanation is enough; no proof is needed.
- Research track: the deposit comes back when you reach a milestone agreed with the mentor at the start, for example finishing the experiments and a first draft.
- Kept deposits pay only for the domain, hosting and tool subscriptions, never any person. A ledger of deposits collected, returned and kept is published after each cohort.
The first cohort hasn't run yet, so there's no ledger to show you today. When there is one, it will be on the transparency page, including the numbers that don't look good. Other questions are answered in the FAQ.
The short version
"Non-refundable" usually means the deposit is part of a price. That's a business choice, not a scandal, but call it what it is. A deposit that really comes back has a date, an exact list of reasons it can be kept, no link to your results, and a public record of where kept money goes. Ask for those four things in writing before you pay anything.
Related questions
Is a "non-refundable deposit" legal?
It depends on the contract and on your country's law, and this post isn't legal advice. In mainland China, the Civil Code's rules on 定金 (earnest money) allow it to be kept if the payer fails to perform, cap it at 20% of the contract value, and make the receiver pay back double if it fails to perform. Labels like 订金 or 押金 follow whatever the contract says, so read the clause, not the word.
What should I ask before paying any program deposit?
Ask whether the deposit is part of the price, the exact date it comes back, the exact list of reasons it can be kept, whether it depends on your results, and what happens to money that is kept. Get the answers in writing before you pay.
Why would a free program charge a deposit at all?
Free programs often lose many participants halfway, and each empty seat could have gone to another applicant. A deposit that comes back when you take part is a commitment device. It only makes sense if the refund rules are specific and the program can't quietly turn kept deposits into income.
Is a refundable deposit a sign that a program is trustworthy?
Not by itself. "Refundable" means little without exact conditions, a deadline and some public accounting. Judge the written rules, and check that the program takes no money before admission.
Build something real
OPC cohort or research track: no tuition, a refundable deposit, everything in the open.
Last updated: 2026-10-06. Written by the STARC team. Rules quoted here come from our transparency page; if they change, this post is updated.
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