Booking Rules & Policies

Configure how customers book, cancel, and reschedule appointments, including booking confirmation mode, cancellation notice windows, deposit rules, and online availability optimisation.

TL;DR

• Booking Rules control how customers book, cancel, and reschedule appointments online
• Review first mode (manual approval) and tiered deposit refunds require PRO; basic deposit rules are FREE
• Most common mistake: assuming the notice window also blocks staff from cancelling, it only restricts customer self-service
• Owners and Managers can always cancel from the calendar regardless of the notice window

Overview

Booking rules let you:

• Choose between instant confirmation and manual approval for online bookings
• Set a minimum notice period for cancellations and reschedules
• Write cancellation terms that customers see before cancelling
• Control whether customers can switch staff when rescheduling
• Choose how available time slots are presented to online customers
• Send automatic reconfirmation messages before appointments
• Create deposit rules with refund tiers to reduce no-shows

Accessing Booking Rules

On web: Go to Settings in the sidebar, then Booking Rules (or Deposit Rules).

On mobile: Open the More tab, then Booking Rules.

The settings page is divided into sections. Each section saves independently.

Booking Mode (PRO)

Control how online bookings are confirmed.

Option	Description
Instant confirmation	Bookings are confirmed immediately when a customer books online. This is the default.
Review first	Online bookings are held as requests until you approve, decline, or suggest an alternative time. Walk-in and phone bookings are still instant.

Approval Window

When using Review first mode, set how long you have to respond before the request expires automatically:

Option	Meaning
4 hours	Request expires in 4 hours
6 hours	Request expires in 6 hours
8 hours	Request expires in 8 hours
12 hours (default)	Request expires in 12 hours
24 hours	Request expires in 24 hours

If you do not respond within the approval window, the request expires and any deposit is refunded to the customer.

Changing Booking Mode

1. Go to Settings → Booking Rules
2. Under Booking Mode, select Instant confirmation or Review first
3. If you select Review first, choose an Approval window from the dropdown
4. The setting saves automatically

A toast confirms: "Booking mode updated".

Reconfirmation Messages (PRO)

Automatically check in with customers before their appointment to reduce no-shows.

Setting	Options	Default
Send "Can you still make it?" messages	On / Off	Off
Send reconfirmation	12, 24, 48, or 72 hours before	48 hours before

When enabled, customers receive an automatic message before their appointment asking them to confirm they can still attend.

Enabling Reconfirmation

1. Go to Settings → Booking Rules
2. Under Reconfirmation, toggle on Send "Can you still make it?" messages
3. Select the timing from the Send reconfirmation dropdown
4. The setting saves automatically

A toast confirms: "Reconfirmation settings updated".

Cancellation & Rescheduling

Define when customers can self-serve reschedule or cancel their bookings online.

Minimum Notice Period

Set how far in advance customers must make changes:

Option	Effect
Anytime (Last Minute)	Customers can cancel or reschedule at any time
1 Hour Before	Changes must be made at least 1 hour before the appointment
2 Hours Before	Changes must be made at least 2 hours before
4 Hours Before	Changes must be made at least 4 hours before
24 Hours (Standard) (default)	Changes must be made at least 24 hours before
48 Hours Before	Changes must be made at least 48 hours before
72 Hours Before	Changes must be made at least 72 hours before

When a customer is inside the notice window, the self-serve reschedule flow shows: "Self-serve rescheduling is closed inside [X] hours." They can still browse times but must call the venue to confirm.

Cancellation Terms

Write the terms that appear when a customer attempts to cancel. The text field accepts free-form text.

On web, two AI writing buttons appear:

• Write with AI: generates cancellation terms from scratch (shown when the field is empty)
• Rewrite: rewrites your existing terms with AI polish

Allow Alternate-Staff Self-Serve Reschedule

Setting	Default	Effect
Allow alternate-staff self-serve	Off	When on, customers can switch to another qualified staff member when rescheduling online. When off, customers can only reschedule with their current staff member.

Saving Cancellation Settings

1. Set the Minimum Notice Period
2. Optionally write Cancellation Terms
3. Toggle Allow alternate-staff self-serve if desired
4. Click Save Policy

A toast confirms: "Policy saved successfully".

Online Booking Availability

Choose how available time slots are presented to customers booking online.

Mode	Description
Show all available times (default, recommended)	Shows every valid online booking time. Best for keeping the storefront generous and easy to book from.
Prioritise gap-friendly times	Prefers times beside existing bookings, blocked time, and shift edges while keeping enough choice for clients. Helps keep the schedule compact.

Changing the Mode

1. Go to Booking Rules
2. Under Online booking availability, select the mode
3. Click Save changes

A toast confirms: "Online booking availability saved".

If your storefront is not yet published, a notice appears: "Online booking is not live yet. This setting will apply once your storefront is published."

Deposit Rules

Require a deposit when customers book to reduce no-shows. Each deposit rule defines the amount, when to charge, and what happens on cancellation.

Creating a Deposit Rule

1. Go to Booking Rules and scroll to Deposit Rules
2. Click + Add Rule (or Create your first rule if no rules exist)
3. Fill in the rule details (see fields below)
4. Click Create Rule
5. Choose which services the rule applies to, then click Apply to [N] service(s) (or Skip for now)

A toast confirms: "Rule created".

Deposit Rule Fields

Deposit Amount

Setting	Options	Default
Rule name	Free text (e.g., "Standard 50% Deposit")	-
Deposit amount	Number + type toggle: % (percentage) or $ (fixed amount)	50%

For percentage rules, the deposit is calculated as a percentage of the service price. For fixed rules, the amount is a flat fee in your venue's currency.

When to Charge

Option	Description	Tier
Charge immediately when they book	The deposit is captured at the time of booking	FREE
Hold their card, charge at checkout	A card hold is placed; the deposit is charged when you complete the booking	PRO

Apply To (Client Condition)

Option	Description	Tier
All clients	Every booking requires a deposit	FREE
New clients only	Only first-time customers at your venue	PRO
Returning clients only	Only customers who have visited before	PRO
High-risk clients (prior no-show)	Only customers who have a previous no-show on record	PRO

When you have rules targeting specific client types, those rules take priority over the All clients rule.

Cancellation & Refund Settings

Each deposit rule has its own cancellation and refund policy.

Simple Window (FREE)

Set what happens when a customer cancels inside the notice window:

• Cancellation window: Number of hours (default: 24)
• Action inside window:

Action	What Happens
Keep the deposit (no refund)	The deposit is captured and not returned
Full refund	The deposit is refunded to the customer's card
Store credit	The deposit is converted to venue credit (valid for 365 days)

Cancellations outside the window always receive a full refund.

Tiered Cancellation Policy (PRO)

For more granular control, enable Tiered cancellation policy to define different refund percentages based on how far in advance the customer cancels.

Example Tier	Hours Before Appointment	Refund Percentage
Tier 1	48 hours	100% (full refund)
Tier 2	24 hours	50% (partial refund)
Tier 3	0 hours	0% (forfeit)

Tiers are evaluated from largest to smallest. The first matching tier determines the refund percentage.

Click + Add tier to add more tiers. Each tier needs a hours before value and a refund % value.

Client Agreement (Optional)

Write agreement text that customers see before paying their deposit. This is shown on the checkout page.

Placeholder: "By proceeding, I agree to the cancellation policy for this booking."

Assigning Services

After creating a rule, you choose which services it applies to. Deposits only apply to services you assign.

• Select all / Deselect all to quickly toggle all services
• If a service already has a different deposit rule with the same client condition, a conflict notice appears: "Replaces [other rule name]"
• Click Apply to [N] service(s) to save, or Skip for now to assign later

Editing and Deleting Rules

Existing rules appear in a table showing the rule name, requirement, type, cancellation policy, and which services use the rule.

• Click a rule to edit it
• Click the delete icon to remove a rule

Platform Differences

Feature	Web	Mobile
Booking Mode	Yes	No
Reconfirmation	Yes	No
Cancellation & Rescheduling	Yes	Yes
AI cancellation terms writing	Yes	No
Online Booking Availability	Yes	Yes
Deposit Rules (create/edit/delete)	Yes (dialog)	Yes (full screen)
Deposit tiered refund policy	Yes (PRO)	Yes (PRO)
Service assignment	Dialog step	Separate screen

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Customers can still cancel inside my notice window	The notice window only blocks self-serve cancellation. Staff with Owner or Manager roles can always cancel from the calendar.
Deposit not charged on a booking	Check that the deposit rule is assigned to the correct service. Go to Deposit Rules, click the rule, and verify the service assignment.
"Review first" mode is greyed out	Review first requires a PRO subscription. Your venue is on the FREE plan.
Customers are switching to a different stylist when rescheduling	The Allow alternate-staff self-serve toggle is on. Turn it off to restrict self-serve reschedules to the original staff member only.
AI writing buttons not appearing for cancellation terms	AI cancellation terms writing is only available on web, not mobile. Open the settings page on your computer.
Tiered refund policy toggle is disabled	Tiered cancellation policies require a PRO subscription. On the FREE plan, use the simple cancellation window instead.
Online booking availability setting has no effect	This setting only applies to your public storefront. If your storefront is not published, the setting is saved but not active.

FAQ

How do I require manual approval for online bookings?

Go to Settings → Booking Rules and switch Booking Mode to Review first. This requires a PRO subscription. Set an Approval window (4 to 24 hours) to control how long you have to respond before the request expires.

How do I stop customers cancelling at the last minute?

Set a Minimum Notice Period in Settings → Booking Rules → Cancellation & Rescheduling. The default is 24 hours, increase it to 48 or 72 hours to require more advance notice. Customers inside the window see a message directing them to call you.

Why is 'Review first' booking mode greyed out?

Review first mode requires a PRO subscription. If your venue is on the FREE plan, the option is visible but cannot be selected. Upgrade to PRO in your billing settings to enable manual booking approval.

How do deposit rules work?

Create deposit rules in Settings → Booking Rules → Deposit Rules. Each rule sets the deposit amount (percentage or fixed), when to charge (immediately or card hold), which clients it applies to, and what happens on cancellation (refund, store credit, or forfeit).

Related Articles

• Rescheduling & Cancelling Bookings
• Deposits
• Creating a Booking
• Using the Calendar