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Cancellation, no-show & reschedule policy generator
Set your rules, get a policy you can paste on your booking page, a short version for confirmations and a text-message line — and see how much no-shows and late cancels cost you each month. Written by the team that runs Home Mountain, our own studio in Los Angeles. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
What no-shows and late cancels cost you
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lost per month today
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recovered by this policy
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still lost per year
Estimate only. "Recovered" assumes you actually collect 80% of the charges and credits your policy allows.
Your policy
Short version for booking page & emails
Text-message line
How to choose
Getting the rules right
Match the window to how hard the spot is to refill. A group class with a waitlist can absorb a cancellation two or three hours out. A 60-minute private, a reformer duet or a simulator lesson usually can't — that's why privates and equipment bookings tend to use 24 hours or more.
Charge less for a late cancel than for a no-show. A late cancel still gives you a chance to sell the spot; a no-show doesn't. Losing the class credit for a late cancel and adding a fee for a no-show is a simple, defensible split.
Cap reschedules. "Reschedule any time up to 12 hours before" sounds generous — until the same session is pushed four times and never taken. One reschedule per booking is a common, easy-to-explain limit. It's the rule we run at Home Mountain.
Say it everywhere, enforce it the same way for everyone. Put the short version on the booking page, in the confirmation and in the reminder. Exceptions are for genuine emergencies, logged, and rare — otherwise the policy becomes a negotiation at the front desk.
Reminders do half the work. A reminder the day before and a couple of hours before turns many would-be no-shows into on-time cancellations you can refill.
Questions
Cancellation policy FAQ
- What is a fair cancellation window for a studio?
- Most studios use 12 hours for group classes and 24 hours for private sessions, because a private slot is harder to refill at short notice. Longer sessions and anything that ties up a machine or a room for an hour or more often use 24–48 hours.
- Should a late cancellation cost the same as a no-show?
- Many studios charge less for a late cancel than for a no-show, because a late cancel still gives you a chance to refill the spot. A common pattern is: late cancel = class credit lost, no-show = credit lost plus a small fee.
- Why limit how many times a booking can be rescheduled?
- Unlimited free rescheduling turns a 24-hour policy into a loophole: a client can keep pushing the same session forward and never lose it. A cap of one reschedule per booking keeps flexibility for real conflicts while stopping endless pushing.
- Can I charge a no-show fee without a card on file?
- In practice, no. If you don't hold a card or a prepaid credit, a no-show fee is a request, not a charge. Prepaid packs and memberships let you take the credit instead; for pay-per-visit clients you need a card saved at booking.
- How do I introduce a new cancellation policy to existing clients?
- Announce it a few weeks ahead, put the short version on your booking page and in every confirmation, and give each client one courtesy waiver. Enforce it the same way for everyone from the start date.
- Is the generated policy legal advice?
- No. It is a starting template written in plain language. Check local consumer rules (for example around fees and refunds) and adjust before you publish it.
Where MainLodge fits
A policy only works if the system around it does.
Today: MainLodge sends confirmations and reminders by email and text on the schedule you set, enforces minimum notice for online bookings, and gives credits back automatically when a booking is cancelled.
On our roadmap: enforcing the policy itself — separate cancel and reschedule cut-offs, a cap on reschedules per booking, a self-service "manage my booking" link that respects your rules, no-show marking, and late-cancel or no-show charges to a card on file. Many booking tools let clients reschedule inside the window as often as they like; we're building the cap because our own studio needs it.
Embed or link this tool freely — mainlodge.io/tools/cancellation-policy-generator.
Want these rules enforced, not just written?
Book a demo and tell us your policy. We'll show you what MainLodge handles today and where policy enforcement stands.