To set up no-show fees and a cancellation refund policy in Reservics, open a location, go to the Payments & Cancellation tab, and set a refund window. Leave it blank to always refund, set 0 for no refunds, or set a number of minutes before the reservation start. You can also add a no-show fee. Refunds go back through Shopify. This is a Pro+ feature.
Before you start #
- Refund policies and no-show fees are a Pro+ feature. The Free plan cannot set them.
- You must first require a deposit for the location, because a refund policy only applies to money already collected. See Set up reservation deposits.
- Settings are per location, so each venue can have its own policy.
- Currency comes from your Shopify shop setting and is read-only in Reservics.
How the refund window works #
The refund window is the number of minutes before a reservation’s start time that a diner can still cancel and get their deposit back. The value you enter changes the rule completely, so choose carefully.
| Refund window value | What it means | Diner experience |
|---|---|---|
| Blank (default) | Always refundable | A diner can cancel any time and the deposit is refunded. |
0 | Never refundable | No refunds. The deposit is kept on any cancellation. |
N (a number above 0) | Refundable only if cancelled at least N minutes before the start time | Cancel early enough and the deposit is refunded. Cancel late and it is kept. |
For example, set the window to 120 and a diner who cancels 3 hours ahead gets a refund, while a diner who cancels 30 minutes ahead does not.
Set your refund policy and no-show fee #
- In the Shopify admin, open Reservics.
- Go to Locations and open the venue you want to configure.
- Open the Payments & Cancellation tab.
- Make sure a deposit is set for this location. The refund policy applies to that deposit.
- In the Refund window field, enter your value: leave it blank for always refundable, enter
0for no refunds, or enter the number of minutes before start. - Set a No-show fee if you want to charge guests who do not show up.
- Save the location.
Who can cancel and when #
There are two ways a booking gets cancelled, and the rules differ.
| Who | When they can cancel and refund | How |
|---|---|---|
| Diner (self-service) | Only inside the refund window | Through the “Manage your booking” link in their confirmation email. The link uses a 32-character token, so no login is needed. |
| Staff (admin) | Any time the booking is eligible for a refund | From the booking detail page in the Reservics admin. |
A diner who is outside the refund window cannot self-refund. Staff can always step in from the admin and issue a refund when a booking is eligible.
How refunds go back through Shopify #
Deposits are paid through Shopify Checkout, so every refund is issued back through Shopify against the original payment. When a refund is triggered, whether by a diner cancelling inside the window or by staff from the booking detail page, Reservics sends the refund through Shopify to the diner’s original payment method. You can view a booking’s deposit and issue a refund from the Booking detail page.
Frequently asked questions #
What does a blank refund window mean? #
A blank refund window means the deposit is always refundable. A diner can cancel at any time before the reservation and get their deposit back. This is the default if you do not enter a value.
How do I make deposits non-refundable? #
Set the refund window to 0. This means no refunds, so the deposit is kept on any cancellation. A value of 0 is different from leaving the field blank, which always refunds.
Can a diner cancel after the refund window has passed? #
A diner can no longer self-cancel for a refund once the refund window has passed. They cancel through the “Manage your booking” link in their confirmation email, and that link only refunds inside the window. Your staff can still cancel and refund from the admin if the booking is eligible.
Do I need a paid plan for no-show fees and refund policies? #
Yes. Refund policies and no-show fees are a Pro+ feature, available on the Pro and Advance plans. The Free plan cannot charge deposits, so it cannot set a refund policy either. See Pricing and plans.
Where does the refund money come from? #
Refunds are issued back through Shopify against the original deposit payment. Because deposits are collected through Shopify Checkout, the refund returns to the diner’s original payment method through Shopify.
