Set cancellation policies
A cancellation policy sets when a client can cancel for free, what they pay to cancel late, and what a no-show costs. You can set one for all your services, a different one for a service type (like Boarding), and one for a single service. Your phone and the web do exactly the same things.
- Open Settings, then Cancellation Policy. You see every policy you have in one list.
- Tap Edit on the one you want to change, or Customize on a type that follows your default.
- Set the free window, the late cancellation charge, and the no-show charge, then Save changes. It applies to new bookings from then on.
Which policy applies
The most specific policy wins:
- Your default applies to every service.
- A service type (Walking, Boarding, ...) with its own policy applies to every service of that type instead.
- One service with its own policy wins over both.
The list shows all three. Each row says what a client pays in one line, including the no-show charge. Your default and each type also say how many services follow them.
On your phone
- Tap the More tab, then Settings. Under Billing & Payments, tap Cancellation Policy.
- Tap Edit on Your default, on a type, or on a single service (or Customize on a type that follows your default).
- Set:
- Policy active - turn this policy on or off.
- Free to cancel - how long before the visit a client can cancel for free (hours, days or weeks).
- Late cancellation - one fee (a flat amount or a % of the booking), or fees by notice (a ladder: closer costs more).
- No-show - what the client pays, and what the team member on the visit is paid.
- Check What this means at the bottom, then tap Save changes.
To give one service its own policy, tap + Give one service its own policy at the bottom of the list and pick the service. The editor starts from what that service follows today.
On the web
- In the left sidebar, open Settings, then Cancellation Policy (under Billing & Payments).
- Click Edit on the row you want (or Customize on a type that follows your default). The editor opens on its own page.
- Set the same fields as on the phone, check What this means, and click Save changes.
To give one service its own policy, open + Give one service its own policy, choose the service (grouped by type), and click Open editor.
Other ways in
- Booking rules (Settings, then Booking rules) has a cancellation row at Your defaults, on every type and on every service. It opens the same editor.
- Every editor has a See all cancellation policies link back to the full list.
- If you leave the editor with changes you have not saved, Chester asks first.
Good to know
- Changes only apply to new bookings. Each booking keeps the policy that was active when it was made.
- Use default removes a type's or a service's own policy, so it follows the level above again.
- Who can change what. Every policy, your default, each type and each single service, needs the "Manage services & pricing" permission, like every other booking rule. Anyone on your team can view the list; a view-only seat sees what a client pays, never what a team member is paid.