Booking Rules & Policies
Configure how customers book, cancel, and reschedule appointments — including booking confirmation mode, cancellation notice windows, deposit rules, and online availability optimisation.
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. |
Note
Review first mode requires a PRO subscription.
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
- Go to Settings → Booking Rules
- Under Booking Mode, select Instant confirmation or Review first
- If you select Review first, choose an Approval window from the dropdown
- 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
- Go to Settings → Booking Rules
- Under Reconfirmation, toggle on Send "Can you still make it?" messages
- Select the timing from the Send reconfirmation dropdown
- 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
- Set the Minimum Notice Period
- Optionally write Cancellation Terms
- Toggle Allow alternate-staff self-serve if desired
- 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
- Go to Booking Rules
- Under Online booking availability, select the mode
- 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."
Tip
Start with Show all available times to maximise bookings. Switch to Prioritise gap-friendly times if you find too many small gaps appearing between appointments.
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
- Go to Booking Rules and scroll to Deposit Rules
- Click + Add Rule (or Create your first rule if no rules exist)
- Fill in the rule details (see fields below)
- Click Create Rule
- 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. |
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Last updated: March 2026