Appointment cancellation policy: templates for coaches, consultants and photographers

By SoloWOS teamPublished October 19, 2026

IN SHORT

An appointment cancellation policy states how much notice a client must give (usually 24 or 48 hours), what a late cancellation or no-show costs, and how to reschedule. Show it on the booking page before the client pays and repeat it in the confirmation, because card issuers look for proof that the client saw and accepted it.

Prices and limits as of October 26, 2026.

Key takeaways

A policy has four parts: the notice period, the fee for late cancellations and no-shows, the reschedule rule, and what happens when you cancel.
Stripe advises showing refund and cancellation terms in full at checkout, not only as a link, and asking the customer to agree.
Stripe keeps its processing fee when you refund, so a fully refunded $200 session paid by US card costs you $6.10.
A fee that matches what you actually lose is easier to defend than one that reads as a penalty.

Clients rarely argue with a policy they saw before booking. They argue with one they learn about after missing a session. This post is part of the scheduling hub; if you haven't set up paid bookings yet, start with the guide to taking payment when clients book.

Notice periods and fees by profession

Starting points for a cancellation policy (our suggestions, adjust to your market)
Profession	Notice	Late cancellation or no-show	Reschedule	Why
Coach (60-minute sessions)	24 hours	Session counts as used, or 50% fee	Free with 24 hours' notice	A slot freed a day ahead can still be rebooked
Consultant (paid strategy session)	48 hours	Full fee kept	One free move with 48 hours' notice	You prepare before the session; the prep is spent either way
Photographer (portrait session)	72 hours	Retainer kept	Once for free, weather moves free	Travel, location and assistant are booked days ahead
Free intro call	None	No fee	Any time	Charging for a free call makes no sense; a second no-show can lose the slot

The fee math, including what refunds cost you

Card processors keep their fee when you refund. Stripe states that its processing fees from the original payment are not returned on a refund (Stripe Support), and its standard US card rate is 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe pricing). That shapes how generous your refund rule can be.

WORKED EXAMPLE

A $200 session, three outcomes

The client pays $200 by card at booking; Stripe's fee is $6.10. Cancels 3 days ahead with a full refund: you return $200 and are out $6.10. Cancels 6 hours ahead under a 50% late fee: you refund $100 and keep $93.90 after the fee. No-show with the full fee kept: you keep $193.90. If refunds are frequent, take a 50% deposit instead of the full price: the fee on $100 is $3.20, so each refunded deposit costs half as much.

Run your own session price through the payment fee calculator before you decide between full price and a deposit.

Keep the fee close to what a late cancellation really costs you: the hour, the prep and the slot you can't refill. Courts in the US generally enforce a pre-agreed amount that was a reasonable estimate of the loss and refuse one that is grossly out of proportion, which they treat as a penalty (Nolo).

This is general information, not legal advice. Consumer protection rules differ by state and country, and some professions have their own rules on fees; check them before you charge clients for missed sessions.

Three cancellation policy templates

Coach: 24-hour policy

Cancellation policy

You can cancel or reschedule for free up to 24 hours before your session, using the link in your confirmation email.

Cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice and missed sessions count as a used session (or, for single sessions, the [50%] deposit is kept).

If you're more than 15 minutes late, we'll use the time left and end on schedule.

If I need to cancel, you get a full refund or a new time, your choice.

Consultant: 48-hour policy for paid sessions

Cancellation and rescheduling

The strategy session fee is paid when you book. You can move the session once for free with at least 48 hours' notice.

Cancellations made at least 48 hours before the session are refunded in full. With less notice, or if you miss the session, the fee is kept, because preparation starts as soon as you book.

If you hire me for the project within 30 days, the session fee is credited to the first invoice.

If I cancel, the full fee is refunded.

Photographer: retainer and weather policy

Booking, cancellation and weather

A [$100] retainer reserves your date and is applied to your session fee.

You can reschedule once for free with at least 72 hours' notice. The retainer is not refunded for cancellations with less than 72 hours' notice or missed sessions.

For outdoor sessions, if the forecast makes shooting impossible, we'll move the session at no cost. I'll contact you the day before to decide.

If I have to cancel, the retainer is refunded in full.

Where to show the policy

Stripe's dispute guidance says to put refund and cancellation terms in your terms of service, show the full text at checkout rather than only a link, and require agreement before the order goes through; card issuers can be strict about how the policy was presented (Stripe Docs). For a dispute about a canceled service, Stripe asks for your cancellation terms and proof the customer accepted them (Stripe Docs). The FTC's disclosure guidance points the same way: put the condition as close as possible to the price it qualifies (FTC).

In the meeting type's description, under the price, so it shows on the booking page before payment.
As a required booking question ("Type YES to confirm you've read the cancellation policy"), which records the answer with the booking.
In the confirmation email. For paid bookings, SoloWOS adds the exact refund deadline ("Cancel before … for a full refund") on its own.
In your contract or package terms, for clients who buy several sessions.
On your invoice or receipt notes, for sessions billed after the fact.

Turn the policy into SoloWOS settings

Policy rule and the matching setting in Scheduling
Policy rule	Setting
Notice period for a refund	"Refund if the client cancels in time" with the hours before the meeting (24 by default, up to 30 days)
Deposit or full price at booking	Charge to book: Free to book, Full price or Deposit
Non-refundable retainer	Turn off "Refund if the client cancels in time"
You cancel, client is refunded	"Refund the client when I cancel" (on by default)
No same-day bookings	Minimum notice, for example 12 hours or 1 day
Record that the client accepted	A required question on the booking form

Apply the policy fairly

Write down your exceptions once, so you apply them the same way to every client: a first late cancellation waived, real emergencies, your own illness. When you waive a fee, say so in writing, so the client knows the rule still stands. And when you cancel, refund in full or offer a new time with no strings; nothing undoes trust in a policy faster than a provider who exempts themselves. For missed sessions, the no-show playbook has follow-up messages, and the coaches page and photographers page show the booking setup for each.

In SoloWOS, a client cancels or moves a booking from the link in every confirmation and reminder, and you get an email as soon as they do. Refunds inside your window go back through your own Stripe account automatically. Scheduling is in every plan; Solo is $15/month with 300 bookings a month. Share a booking page clients can schedule from.

Questions

Is a 24-hour cancellation policy enough?

For short sessions you can refill from a waitlist or existing clients, yes. If you prepare for each session, travel to it or turn down other work for it, 48 or 72 hours fits better. The test is simple: could you sell the slot to someone else with that much notice? If not, the notice period is too short.

Can I charge a cancellation fee if the client didn't agree to it?

You'll have a hard time collecting it, and a card dispute is likely to go against you. Stripe's guidance for canceled-service disputes asks for the terms and proof the customer accepted them. Show the policy before payment and keep a record that the client agreed, such as a required booking question.

Should rescheduling be free?

Usually yes, once and with the same notice as a cancellation. A client who moves a session instead of skipping it is doing what you want. Charge only for repeated moves or very late ones. In SoloWOS a paid booking keeps its payment when the client reschedules, and moving it later doesn't charge again.

What should the policy say when I cancel?

That the client gets a full refund or a new time of their choice. In SoloWOS, "Refund the client when I cancel" is on by default; turn it off only if your terms say a deposit is non-refundable even when you cancel, which few clients will accept.

Sources

Facts checked against these sources on October 18, 2026. Rules and amounts change, so confirm them at the source before you file or sign.

Last reviewed: October 18, 2026

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