Template · 2026

Cancellation and no-show policy templates for appointment businesses

By the Calybee team · Updated 24 October 2026 · 5 min read

A cancellation policy exists to protect one thing: an hour you kept free that nobody paid for. The best ones are short, friendly, shown before the client pays, and applied by your booking system so you never have to have the awkward conversation.

The short answer

Ask for 24 hours' notice (48 for sessions over two hours or over about $150).
Take a deposit when they book. A policy without money attached is a polite request.
Keep the deposit for late cancellations and no-shows; refund it with enough notice.
Let people move for free with notice. Most "cancellations" are really reschedules.
Show it before they pay, in plain words, and copy one of the templates below.

What a good policy covers

Part	Common choice	Why
Notice to cancel or move	24 hours	Enough time to offer the slot to someone else
Deposit	20 to 50% of the price, or a fixed amount	Turns the policy into something that holds
Late cancellation	Deposit kept	Fair to both sides, no chasing
No-show	Deposit kept, or full price	The slot is lost entirely
Late arrival	Session ends on time; after 15 minutes counts as a no-show	Protects the next client
Your own cancellations	Full refund, always	Clients trust a policy that binds you too
Emergencies	At your discretion	Keeps the human touch

Template: any appointment business

Copy and edit the bracketed partsCancellation policy We keep your appointment time just for you, so we ask for [24] hours' notice if you need to cancel or move it. Moving or cancelling: You can move or cancel for free up to [24] hours before your appointment, using the link in your confirmation email. Deposits: A deposit of [$20 / 30% of the price] is taken when you book and comes off the final price. If you cancel with at least [24] hours' notice, it is refunded in full. Late cancellations and no-shows: If you cancel with less than [24] hours' notice or do not come, the deposit is kept. Running late: Your appointment will still end at the booked time. If you are more than [15] minutes late, we may need to treat it as a missed appointment. If we cancel: If we ever need to cancel, you get a full refund straight away. Emergencies happen. If something serious comes up, get in touch and we will do what we can.

Template: salons, barbers, nails and lashes

Salon cancellation policyYour chair is booked just for you. • Please give us [24] hours' notice to cancel or reschedule. You can do it yourself from your confirmation email. • A [$15] deposit secures every booking and comes off your service price. • Cancel or move with less than [24] hours' notice and the deposit is kept. • No-shows are charged [the deposit / 50% of the service]. • Arriving more than [15] minutes late may mean a shorter service or rebooking, so the next client is not kept waiting. • Colour corrections and appointments over [3] hours need [48] hours' notice.

Template: coaches, consultants and tutors

Session cancellation policySessions can be moved or cancelled free of charge up to [24] hours before the start time, using the link in your booking email. Sessions cancelled with less notice, or missed, count as used. For session packs, the session is taken from your pack. If I need to move a session, I will offer a new time first and refund it in full if none suits you. Each session starts and ends at the booked time, so joining late shortens it.

Template: yoga, pilates and fitness classes

Class cancellation policyClasses are small, and a place you do not use is a place someone on the waitlist could have had. • Cancel up to [12] hours before class and your class credit or payment is returned. • Late cancellations and no-shows use the class credit, or the drop-in fee is kept. • When you cancel in time, your place goes to the first person on the waitlist automatically. • Doors close [5] minutes after the start for everyone's practice.

Making the policy hold without awkward conversations

A policy on a page is a wish. A policy in your booking system is a rule. In Calybee each part maps to a setting:

Deposits: take a deposit or the full price at booking, paid into your own Stripe or PayPal. Calybee takes no commission.
The notice window: clients move or cancel themselves from the link in their emails until a cutoff you choose (1, 2, 6, 12, 24 or 48 hours, 3 days or a week before). Inside it, they are asked to contact you.
Refunds that follow your rule: choose "I refund by hand", "When I cancel", or "Always, unless the client cancels late" with the notice in hours. Calybee then refunds automatically, so the rule is applied the same way every time.
The policy itself: written once in Calybee's Policies screen and shown on your site, so clients can read it before they book.
Reminders a day before cut no-shows more than any policy. Our reminder templates are ready to copy.

These templates are a starting point and not legal advice. Consumer rules on deposits and cancellations differ between countries and states, so check what applies where you work.

Questions people ask

What is a fair cancellation policy for appointments?

Most appointment businesses ask for 24 hours' notice, take a deposit when the client books, keep the deposit for late cancellations and no-shows, and let clients move a booking for free with notice. Long or expensive sessions often ask for 48 hours.

How do I enforce a cancellation policy?

Take a deposit or full payment at booking, show the policy before the client pays, and let your booking system apply it: refunds only when the client cancels with enough notice, and online changes closed inside the notice window. Calybee does all three on both its plans.

Should I charge for no-shows?

Charging the full price for a no-show is common for short, high-demand services like haircuts and massages. Keeping a deposit is gentler and easier to collect, because the money is already paid.

Do I need a separate no-show policy?

No. Put cancellations, late changes, late arrivals and no-shows in one short policy. Clients read one page; they skip three.

Is this cancellation policy legally binding?

A policy the client agreed to before paying is usually enforceable, but consumer law differs by country and state. These templates are a starting point, not legal advice; check the rules where you work.

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