Cancellation and No-Show Policy Generator
Choose your notice period, deposit and fees. The generator writes a full policy for your website, a short version for your booking page and a line to add to reminder messages. Nothing is stored and there is no sign-up.
Your terms
Sets the wording, and adds a clause where your trade needs one.
Enter 0 if you do not take one.
Charged when a customer cancels inside the notice period. Enter 0 for no fee.
Charged when a customer does not turn up. 100 means the full price.
Enter 0 to leave this clause out.
An email address, a phone number, or leave blank for the link in the confirmation email.
Your policy
Full policy
We set aside time for every appointment, and a late cancellation usually means that time cannot be offered to anyone else. This policy explains what happens when plans change. Deposit. A deposit of 25% is taken when you book and comes off the final price. It is refunded in full if you cancel with at least 24 hours of notice. Cancelling or rescheduling. You can cancel or move your appointment free of charge up to 24 hours before it starts. To do so, use the link in your confirmation email. Late cancellations. If you cancel with less than 24 hours of notice, your deposit is not refunded. Missed appointments. If you do not attend and have not been in touch, a fee of the full price of the appointment applies, and your deposit is put towards it. Running late. Please let us know if you are running late. After 15 minutes we may need to shorten the appointment or treat it as missed, so that the next customer is not kept waiting. If we cancel. If we ever have to cancel, you can choose a new time or a full refund of anything you have paid, including your deposit. Emergencies. Illness and genuine emergencies happen. Get in touch and we will be reasonable about waiving a fee.
Short version for your booking page
Free cancellation or rescheduling up to 24 hours before your appointment. After that, your deposit is not refunded. Missed appointments are charged the full price of the appointment. Your 25% deposit comes off the final price.
Line for reminder messages
Need to change your appointment? Let us know at least 24 hours before to avoid a charge.
A starting draft, not legal advice. Check it against consumer law where you trade before you rely on it.
Have the policy enforce itself
BookingMachine takes the deposit at booking and applies your cancellation window and no-show fee, so you are not left chasing anyone.
What a cancellation policy needs to say
A policy people can follow answers four questions. How much notice do I need to give? What happens to my deposit? What am I charged if I cancel late? What am I charged if I do not turn up? The generator writes one short clause for each, in plain words.
It also adds two clauses that make a policy easier to enforce: what happens if you are the one who cancels, and how you treat genuine emergencies. Customers accept a fee more readily when the policy is fair in both directions.
Where to put it
A policy only protects you if the customer saw it before they booked. Put the short version on your booking page or checkout, next to the pay button. Link the full version from your website footer and your confirmation email. Add the reminder line to the message you send the day before.
Check the wording against consumer law where you trade before you rely on it. Rules on deposits, cooling-off periods and cancellation fees differ between countries and sometimes between states. This tool gives you a starting draft, not legal advice.
Questions
How much notice should I ask for?
Ask for as long as you would need to fill the slot with someone else. For most appointment businesses that is 24 or 48 hours. For work that blocks out a full day or needs materials ordered, three days to a week is common.
Can I charge a no-show fee?
In most places you can, provided the customer agreed to it before booking and the amount is a reasonable reflection of what you lost. Check your local consumer law, and keep a record that the policy was shown at checkout.
Should the no-show fee be the full price?
Charging the full price is common for short appointments where the slot cannot be resold. If you usually manage to rebook, a lower fee is easier to defend and less likely to be disputed.
What is the difference between a late cancellation and a no-show?
A late cancellation is when the customer tells you inside your notice period. A no-show is when they do not turn up and do not get in touch. Many businesses charge less for a late cancellation, since some warning is better than none.
Do I need a different policy for each service?
Usually not. One policy with a single notice period is easier for customers to remember. The exception is work that carries real up-front cost, such as an event or a job with special-order materials, which can justify a longer notice period.
Keep reading
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Have the policy enforce itself
BookingMachine takes the deposit at booking and applies your cancellation window and no-show fee, so you are not left chasing anyone.