A good appointment cancellation policy template covers five things: how much notice clients must give, what happens with less notice, what counts as a no-show, how deposits work, and when you'll make exceptions. Keep it short, put it in every booking confirmation and apply it the same way to everyone. Three copyable templates are below.
This is general information, not legal advice. Consumer rules differ by country, state and province, so check what applies where you work before you charge fees.
The notice window. State the cutoff in hours, such as 24 or 48 hours before the appointment. Long or high-priced services are harder to refill at short notice, so they may need a longer window.
How to cancel. Text, call or a booking link. Say which one counts, so a late-night DM on another app doesn't get missed.
What a late cancellation costs. A kept deposit, a flat fee or a percentage of the service. Name the actual amount.
What counts as a no-show. For example, not arriving within 15 minutes of the start time and not sending a message.
Late arrivals. Say whether you'll shorten the service or rebook, so the next client isn't kept waiting.
Deposits. How much, whether it comes off the total, and exactly when it stops being refundable.
Exceptions. Illness, emergencies or severe weather. Say whether you'll waive the fee or offer a credit instead.
What happens if you cancel. A policy feels fairer when it works both ways. Promise a full refund of any deposit and first pick of new times.
Repeat no-shows. For example, full prepayment for future bookings after two missed appointments.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) publishes practical guidance on writing fair terms for customers. It's based on UK law, but it's a sensible standard anywhere:
A cancellation fee "must not be excessive", and it should reflect the steps you can take to reduce your losses.
Charging a client who cancels when you could reasonably reduce your losses, for example by refilling the slot, is unlikely to be fair.
Making prepayments non-refundable no matter why the client cancels is unlikely to be fair. Keeping a deposit in full is more acceptable when it's no more than a small percentage of the price, and you need to make clear when it becomes non-refundable.
Use everyday words and short sentences, skip legal jargon, and bring important terms up front instead of burying them.
In practice, that means a modest deposit, a clear cutoff and a promise to refund or credit the fee if you manage to fill the slot.
Change the bracketed parts to match what you actually do. Keep the full policy on your booking page or website, and put a one-line summary in every confirmation.
"A [$20] deposit holds your appointment and is taken off your final bill. You can cancel or move your appointment for free up to [24] hours before it starts. With less notice, the deposit covers the time I reserved for you. If you haven't arrived [15] minutes after your start time and I haven't heard from you, I'll count it as a missed appointment and keep the deposit. Running late? Message me and I'll do what I can, but I may need to shorten your service so the next client isn't kept waiting. If I fill your slot, I'll refund your deposit. Sick or dealing with an emergency? Message me as soon as you can and we'll sort it out."
"Please give at least [48] hours' notice to cancel or reschedule a clean. With less notice, we charge [25%] of the booked clean. If we arrive and can't get in, for example because nobody's home, the key isn't where we agreed or the door code doesn't work, we'll wait [15] minutes and try to reach you. After that, it counts as a lockout and we charge [50%] of the booked clean. If we have to cancel, you won't be charged and you'll get first choice of a new date. In severe weather, we'll contact you to reschedule at no cost."
"Lessons can be cancelled or moved for free with at least [24] hours' notice. With less notice, or if the student misses the lesson, [50%] of the lesson fee is charged [or: one lesson is used from your package]. If the student is sick, let me know before the lesson starts and I'll offer an online session or a make-up lesson within [two weeks] instead of a charge. If I need to cancel, you won't be charged and I'll offer a make-up time. Prepaid packages are valid for [3 months]."
"Free to cancel or reschedule up to [24] hours before. Less notice or a no-show: [deposit kept or fee]. Full policy: [link]."
A policy works best when clients see it before they need it.
Before booking: on your booking page, price list or first reply.
In the confirmation: the one-line summary plus a link to the full policy. Our appointment confirmation text templates show where it fits.
In the reminder: a reminder gives clients the chance to cancel in time. A Cochrane review of healthcare appointments found that text message reminders improved attendance compared with no reminder.
Ask for a quick reply: "Reply YES to confirm you've read the policy" makes sure they've seen it.
When you need to apply it, stay warm and brief, skip the lecture and always offer a next step:
Late cancellation, first time: "Thanks for letting me know, [name]. This is inside [24] hours, so the deposit would normally cover the slot, but I've waived it this once. Want me to find you a new time?"
Late cancellation, policy applied: "Thanks for the heads-up, [name]. As it's under [24] hours' notice, the deposit covers the reserved time, as in my booking policy. If I fill the slot, I'll refund it. Would [day and time] or [day and time] work instead?"
No-show: "Hi [name], I had you booked for [time] today and didn't see you. I hope everything's okay. Under my policy, [outcome]. Let me know if you'd like to rebook."
For more ways to cut missed appointments, see our guide on how to reduce appointment no-shows.
For short services, 24 hours is a reasonable place to start. For long or expensive services, or ones that involve travel, 48 hours gives you a fairer chance to fill the slot.
Base it on what you'd actually lose. UK guidance says fees must not be excessive and should reflect what you can do to reduce your losses, so a modest deposit or a partial fee is safer than charging the full price.
That's your call, but write it into the policy. Offering a credit or a free reschedule for illness means sick clients don't come in just to avoid a fee.
A late cancellation is when a client tells you inside your notice window. A no-show is when they don't come and don't tell you. You can set a higher charge for a no-show, because it leaves no chance to refill the slot.
BookingSolved doesn't charge fees, send messages or enforce your policy, and it never contacts clients. It turns appointment requests from pasted text, screenshots or the Share Sheet into Apple Calendar bookings, and it previews reschedules and cancellations, applying changes only after you approve. Its reply drafts come in Friendly, Professional or Concise tones and are editable, so you can add your policy line before you send the reply yourself.
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