Cancellation policies
Cancellation policies define when and how guests can cancel a booking and what penalties may apply. Setting up clear rules helps protect your revenue while offering flexibility to your customers. Instead of manually inputting the cancellation cut-off on a per-rate basis, you can map rates to customizable cancellation policies.
Cancellation policies also allow you to set multiple cut-off times, implement penalties for late cancellations and allow for seasonal changes to the policy. You can also set whether cancellations need to be manually processed or auto approved.
This helpful video will outline how to create a cancellation policy.
Create a cancellation policy
Follow the steps below to create a cancellation policy.
Click the Booking Engine tab.
On the left navigation panel Hover over Site Configuration.
Click Cancellation Policies.
Click Create cancellation policy.
Fill in the text box provided:
Enter a code to identify your cancellation policy.
Name:
Use a name that describes the cancellation policy for example 14 day cancellation policy.
Description: Add details about when cancellations are allowed and any penalties.
Tick the box Default Policy to set this cancellation policy as the primary cancellation policy.
Click + add rule.
Define the cancellation policy by completing the general rule.
Cutoff day: How many days before arrival are cancellations are allowed.
Cutoff time: The last time of day guests can cancel.
Under the header action select the cancel or disallow cancellation.
If cancel is selected you can apply a penalty:
No penalty.
Value of first night (pre-discount).
Percentage of booking total.
Fixed amount.
Tick the box auto-approval:
If enabled, guest cancellations are automatically approved.
If not enabled, cancellation requests will require manual review.
Click + add rule to apply multiple rules to a single policy.
An example of a cancellation policy with multiple rules could include:
Allow cancellations with a €50 penalty up to 14 days before arrival.
Disallow cancellations within 7 days of arrival.
Add a seasonal rule if applicable.
Click Save changes.
Easily reassign rates by dragging and dropping them to a different policy on the cancellation policies screen.
Cancellation information presented to the customer
Below will outline how the cancellation policy will be presented to the customer.
Before submitting a cancellation request, guests will see any penalties that may apply.
The guest will see the policy rules in the booking confirmation email, cancellation email and modify booking screen.
When processing a cancellation, the system will show which policy applies, along with any potential penalties.
⚠️ Important: Penalties are not charged automatically, you will need to handle these manually if applicable.