Booking Setup and Policies

The web Booking Settings page combines Online booking for confirmation and availability with Appointment handling for the team workflow and update timing. Booking policies remains a separate page for customer terms. AI authority stays in AI & automation, operational AI review stays in Inbox, and money rules stay under Manage > Deposits.

TL;DR

• The web Booking page contains Online booking and Appointment handling in one editor
• Booking policies is a separate Settings destination for cancellation, rescheduling, and customer-facing terms
• 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

The related settings let you:

• Choose between instant confirmation and manual approval for online bookings
• Delay team-triggered customer updates for a short review window
• Set a minimum notice period for cancellations and reschedules
• Write customer-facing booking policies that appear before confirmation, on manage-booking, and in confirmations
• Use AI to draft or rewrite booking policy sections in clear British English
• Control whether customers can switch staff when rescheduling
• Choose how available time slots are presented to online customers
• Send attendance check prompts before appointments
• Create booking protection rules with upfront deposits or no-show card protection to reduce no-shows
• Choose whether appointment actions prioritise fast checkout or tracked service stages

Finding each setting

On web: Go to Settings and open Booking. The Online booking and Appointment handling groups are on that page. Booking policies and AI & automation remain separate Settings destinations. For money rules, go to Manage > Deposits > Deposit rules.

On mobile: Open Settings, then Booking. Choose Online booking or Appointment handling. Booking policies is a separate Settings row. Deposit rules remain under Deposits.

Each group or destination owns its controls and saves independently.

Appointment Workflow

Owners can choose the action sequence used by the team on web and mobile. Go to Settings > Booking > Appointment handling.

Option	Team workflow
Fast checkout	Default for every existing and new venue. At the appointment start time, Check out is primary when money is due, or Complete if paid.
Track service stages	Uses Arrived > Start service > Check out (or Complete if paid) as the primary sequence.

In Fast checkout, Arrived and Start service remain available when the team needs to record the service stages. Only the venue owner can change the setting; Managers and Staff can see the selected workflow but cannot edit it.

Checkout always runs the same server checks regardless of the selected workflow. Required consent and age/ID checks must pass, price-on-application services need a final price before completion, and an interrupted checkout reopens the existing order instead of creating another one.

Booking Mode (PRO)

Control how online bookings are confirmed from Settings > Booking > Online booking on web.

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 the venue response deadline for pending online booking requests:

Option	Meaning
4 hours	Response deadline is 4 hours
6 hours	Response deadline is 6 hours
8 hours	Response deadline is 8 hours
12 hours (default)	Response deadline is 12 hours
24 hours	Response deadline is 24 hours

OpenChair sends operator nudges as the deadline approaches. Overdue pending requests remain visible so the venue can still accept, offer other times, or decline from the diary.

Bookings starting within 24 hours are confirmed instantly, even when Review first is on. Walk-in and phone bookings are also instant.

Changing Booking Mode

1. Go to Settings.
2. Open Booking > Online booking.
3. Under Online booking confirmation, select Instant confirmation or Review first.
4. If you select Review first, choose an Approval window from the dropdown.
5. The setting saves automatically.

For the detailed request workflow, see Booking Approval Mode.

Customer Update Timing

Customer update timing controls whether team-triggered booking confirmations, reschedule notices, and cancellation notices send immediately or wait for a short review window.

Setting	Options	Default
Team-triggered customer updates	Send immediately, Delay 1 minute, Delay 2 minutes, Delay 5 minutes, Delay 10 minutes, Delay 15 minutes	Send immediately

This setting does not change the booking status. The booking appears on the calendar immediately; only the customer SMS or email waits. Customer online bookings, customer self-service changes, magic links, and receipts still send immediately.

For the full workflow, see Delayed Booking Confirmations.

Attendance Check Requests (PRO)

Attendance check requests ask customers if they are still coming before their appointment.

Setting	Options	Default
Appointment reminder > Send	1 hour before, 2 hours before, 4 hours before, 12 hours before, 24 hours before, 48 hours before	24 hours before
Attendance check	On / Off	Off

When Attendance check is on, reminders ask clients to confirm, reschedule, or cancel. Calendar and booking-detail surfaces show attendance states such as Scheduled, Awaiting reply, Client is coming, Replied by SMS, and Marked as coming.

Enabling Attendance Checks

1. Open Automations.
2. Open Client messages.
3. Choose the reminder timing from Send before appointment.
4. Turn on Email, SMS, or both for Attendance check.

To edit the reminder wording or see its preview, return to Automations and select Configure on Appointment reminder.

For the full workflow, see Attendance Check Requests.

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.

Customer-facing booking policies

The Booking policies card lets owners write the policies customers see before they confirm a booking. The editor uses fixed sections instead of one long legal text box:

Section	Use it for
Cancellation	Notice expectations and what customers should do if they need to cancel
Rescheduling	When and how customers can move a booking
No-show	What happens if a customer does not attend
Late arrival	Grace periods, shortened appointments, or contact instructions
Deposit refund	Plain-English explanation of the deposit or card-protection outcome
Before visit	Patch tests, preparation notes, parking, accessibility, or arrival details
Custom	Any venue-specific policy that does not fit the standard sections

Each section has:

• Visible: shows the section to customers when it has text.
• Requires acknowledgement: includes the section in the single booking-policy agreement checkbox.
• Body: the exact text shown to customers.

Visible policy sections are shown at the booking review step, on the customer manage-booking page, and in booking confirmations. If at least one visible section requires acknowledgement, the booking review step asks the customer to tick "I've read and agree to the booking policies." Deposit or saved-card consent remains separate.

AI policy drafting

Owners can use AI on web and mobile:

• Draft with AI: drafts all empty visible sections from the venue settings, deposit rules, no-show card protection, brand voice, and Business Memory facts.
• Rewrite: rewrites one section while preserving the original meaning.

AI is a writing assistant only. The notice window, deposit handling, no-show card protection, and refund actions still come from deterministic OpenChair settings and rules.

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. Add or edit any visible booking policy sections
3. Toggle Allow alternate-staff self-serve if desired
4. Click Save Policy

A toast confirms: "Policy saved successfully".

Online Booking Availability

Online booking availability controls 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.

The same setting also includes Maximum wait between services, with No wait, Up to 5 minutes, Up to 10 minutes, and Up to 15 minutes options for multi-service bookings.

Changing the mode

1. Go to Settings.
2. Open Booking > Online booking.
3. Under Online booking availability, select the mode.
4. Select Maximum wait between services if needed.

On mobile, open Settings > Booking > Online booking, change the settings, then tap Save.

If your storefront is not yet published, web shows These options activate once online booking is published. Mobile shows Online booking is not live yet. This setting will apply once your storefront is published.

See Online Booking Availability for the full setting behaviour, role access, and troubleshooting.

For multi-service bookings, Split-provider online booking can also offer team-based options when qualified team members have adjacent gaps. See Split-Provider Online Booking.

Deposit rules

Require booking protection when customers book to reduce no-shows. Each rule defines the amount, product type, client condition, and cancellation policy.

Creating a Deposit Rule

1. Go to Manage > Deposits and open 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 from the discounted eligible service total or discounted whole-booking total. For fixed rules, the amount is a flat fee in your venue's currency and never exceeds the remaining discounted balance.

Protection Type

Option	Description	Tier
Deposit Upfront	The deposit is charged at booking and reduces the balance due	FREE
No-show Card Protection	A card is saved with consent, no payment is taken today, and staff can charge the agreed fee if needed	FREE

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 a deposit or saving a card for no-show protection. This is shown on the checkout page.

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

At checkout, visible booking policies and legal terms must load before the customer can continue. Required policy and legal acknowledgements use separate checkboxes. If the content cannot load, the customer sees Reload terms and cannot confirm until it succeeds.

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 owner destination	Native owner destination
Online booking confirmation	Booking > Online booking	Not currently exposed
Customer update timing	Booking > Appointment handling	Not currently exposed
Appointment workflow	Booking > Appointment handling	Booking > Appointment handling
Booking policies	Booking policies	Booking policies
AI booking policy drafting	Booking policies	Booking policies
Online booking availability	Booking > Online booking	Booking > Online booking
Deposit rules (create/edit/delete)	Manage > Deposits	Deposits Settings destination
Deposit tiered refund policy	Manage > Deposits (PRO)	Deposits Settings destination
Service assignment	Manage > Deposits dialog	Deposits service-assignment 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 Manage > Deposits > Deposit rules, click the rule, and verify the service assignment.
Percentage deposit is higher than expected	Check the final appointment total after offers or discounts. Percentage deposits use the discounted total shown at review and payment.
"Review first" mode is greyed out	Review first requires a PRO subscription. Your venue is on the FREE plan.
Customer update timing is not on mobile	Configure Customer update timing from web Booking > Appointment handling. Mobile does not expose the setting yet.
Online booking confirmed instantly even in Review first mode	Bookings starting within 24 hours are confirmed instantly. Walk-in and phone bookings are also instant.
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.
Booking policies not appearing during checkout	Check that the section is Visible and has body text. Hidden or empty sections are not shown to customers.
Customer can book without ticking a policy checkbox	Turn on Requires acknowledgement for at least one visible policy section. If no visible section requires acknowledgement, no extra checkbox appears.
AI writing buttons not appearing for booking policies	Booking policies and AI writing are Owner-only Settings controls. Confirm the active venue role is Owner.
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 > Online booking and switch Online booking confirmation to Review first. This requires a PRO subscription. Set an Approval window of 4, 6, 8, 12, or 24 hours.

How do I stop customers cancelling at the last minute?

Set a Minimum notice period in Settings > Booking policies. 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.

Where do I write the policies customers agree to before booking?

Go to Settings > Booking policies. Add text to the visible sections you need and turn on Requires acknowledgement for any sections customers must explicitly agree to before confirming.

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 booking protection rules work?

Create rules in Manage > Deposits > Deposit rules. Each rule sets the amount (percentage or fixed), whether to charge a Deposit Upfront or save a card for No-show Card Protection, which clients it applies to, and what happens on cancellation.

Related Articles

• Rescheduling & Cancelling Bookings
• Deposits
• Creating a Booking
• Using the Calendar
• Booking Approval Mode
• Delayed Booking Confirmations
• Attendance Check Requests
• Online Booking Availability
• Split-Provider Online Booking