I was on a WGs twitter there for shits n giggles. Noticed a tweet re defending her request for deposits via wiring. The amount of feckless White Knighting in the comments section;
"I don't mind paying a deposit, because I know i'm going to defo meet her."
The common sense counter-argument: "How can you be sure? What if you pay the money and she doesn't show up?"
Cracker of a response: "Would never happen, in fact, I doubt it's ever happened to any client." 
But the worst WK-cuntery; "Let's call no-shows what they are; thieves!! They book and don't show robbing SWs of money they would have made!!!" 
It's service provision and I have the same attitude to sexwork as any other service. No Service=No Money, Service=Money.
I don't walk into a Barbers and pay them to cut my hair a few days from now, or pay a taxi or a bus for a trip into town a week later.
WGs taking deposits is no new thing. How many times has it been brought up here now?
As for it being like a haircut, I think you'll find the more and more shops take a deposit now. I paid a 50% deposit for a back, sack n crack wax. Never seen a barber do it, but they might. I go to a unisex place. I just paid my builders half upfront with the final invoice to be sent on completion of the work. Same with the new front door I just got fitted. Half was paid in advance. But they don't suck dick for cash (at least not as far as I know).
TWs are the Self-employed persons nightmare, and they try and avoid having their time wasted and I don't blame them. Prozzies are no different to any other SEmployed person in that respect. If you're serious about wanting a service, then it should be no issue to pay a deposit and the balance on arrival. But there's a definite trust imbalance with SPs, over other SE workers, and for obvious reasons. How many SP's would you genuinely trust to do that with? They need to realise we don't view them like the local tiling company.
I see some talk about blacklisting people on their AW profiles and some are changing to same-day bookings, and I can't help wonder if comments on here that have paid a part in that. They definitely read the site; we know they do. Can't remember who it was, but someone a month or so back mentioned this and pre-booking them to secure a space with a trusted SP, then admitted when the day comes, he mostly cancels as he no longer has the horn. Seeing us write stuff like that does little to dim down their concerns that we are TWs.
As has been mentioned, it's a cloak n dagger business for both parties, so can't see many punters being ok with a deposit method that reveals their name. I've seen some request deposits via AW credits, which presumably they redeem somehow. Possibly an alternative.
If I cancelled on an SP say twice in a row, I'd take it as a given she was going to label me a TW. If I really wanted to see her, and she didn't block me, I'd consider going to meet her to pay half upfront first in cash, if she was well respected. Another option if youv'e cancelled too many times would be to change your punting phone number to get around the existing one being labelled a TW. Sneaky, but effective, unless they know your voice; then you're fucked.
Deposits and the do's and don'ts of paying them have been discussed on here umpteen times. Little changes in terms of replies, and it boils down to personal choice. Either do it or don't and stick with what suits you. But if you are a known TW to the prozzie, then you'll likely find it harder to get a booking with them. It's basic bloody common sense. Waste their time = pissing them off. We experience the same feeling in return when they do it to us, and we leave them negative feedback here. Like much else in this game, it's a two-way street. We review their unreliability, they punish ours. Again, can't remember who but someone mentioned last week that he has been blacklisted not just by an SP who's time he wasted, but by her pals too; so some are sharing our details.
My dentist has started charging upfront for your scale n polish (I had to pay for 3 the other day before they'd let me book) and Iv'e noticed i'm taking my debit card out more and more for pre-payments, and in a variety of businesses, so stands to reason there would be an increase in this business also. Maybe just a sign of the times. But i'd be helluva more hesitant to do it with an SP.
