Cancellation & No-Show Fee Rules

No-shows and late cancellations are the quiet revenue killer. Twenty covers on a Saturday night, six of them don't turn up — that's 30% empty on the night you can't refill. Most venues know it's a problem and do nothing because there's no way to actually charge anyone after the fact.

Cancellation & No-Show Fee Rules solve that. For any slot, day, or time-band you choose, define a fee — a fixed amount or a per-cover amount — and a grace window. The guest cancels inside the free window, nothing happens. After it, the card on file gets charged automatically. If they never show, the no-show fee fires at the end of the slot.

The guest knows the rule up front: the booking form shows the fee amount and the grace window before they confirm, and the confirmation email repeats it. Later disputes are rare because expectations are set at booking. When disputes do happen, the activity log shows exactly what the guest agreed to, when, and under which rule.

Rules are per-venue and per-slot, so Friday night can have a €50 no-show fee while Tuesday lunch has none. Right-size the policy to the shift — don't punish casual lunch guests for dinner-only risk.