Create a clear cancellation policy for your business.

A cancellation policy template is ready-to-edit wording that explains how customers can cancel, reschedule, pay deposits, or handle no-shows. It gives you a clear starting point instead of writing rules from scratch. Customize it for your service type, notice window, fees, exceptions, and local requirements.

A cancellation policy should include your notice window, cancellation methods, late-arrival rules, no-show fees, deposit terms, refund rules, and exceptions. It should also state when the policy takes effect and how customers acknowledge it. Clear wording helps customers understand the cost of missed time before they book.

Choose a notice window that reflects your service length, demand, prep work, team availability, and how easily you can refill an appointment. Different businesses may need different cancellation windows, so consider your business needs and any applicable requirements when setting your policy.

Depending on applicable law and your business circumstances, you may be able to charge a no-show fee if you clearly disclose your policy and obtain any required customer authorization. Eligible Square Appointments Plus and Premium subscribers can configure cancellation and no-show payment policies for eligible bookings. Because requirements vary by business type and location, consider reviewing your policy with a qualified professional before enforcing fees.

Depending on your business and applicable requirements, deposits can be one way to manage appointments that require significant time, products, or preparation. With eligible Square Appointments features, sellers can set prepayment policies before customers request a booking. Your cancellation policy should clearly explain whether and under what circumstances deposits are refundable, transferable, or forfeited.

Your policy should state when customers receive a full refund, partial refund, credit, or no refund. Eligible payments processed through Square can be refunded subject to Square's current refund requirements and limitations. Your policy should also explain how any applicable processing fees are handled.

Show your cancellation policy before the customer books and repeat it in confirmations, reminders, receipts, and your website. The goal is to make the policy easy to find before a customer enters payment details or commits to an appointment. A clear acknowledgement step also helps reduce confusion if a cancellation fee applies later.

You can adapt the template for online booking, phone booking, in-person scheduling, and service requests. Customize the wording for your booking method, business, and applicable requirements. With Square, sellers can pair policy language with eligible booking settings, reminders, and payment features to help present consistent information across customer touchpoints.

Square helps protect card information with encrypted payments, PCI compliance support, account takeover protection, and fraud prevention tools. Sellers can take payments, store eligible cards on file, and manage transactions through Square without handling raw card data directly. Learn more about accepting and managing payments with Square.

Clear records help you respond if a customer disputes a cancellation or no-show charge. Keep the booking request, policy acknowledgement, cancellation time, reminder history, fee amount, and customer communications. Square also provides dispute management support, but a policy template is informational and doesn't replace legal advice.