When do I get paid for a booking, and what happens if a client cancels or does not show up?

When the money is taken. The client pays theBooking.site in full when the booking is made, not after the session is delivered. A booking is confirmed only once the client’s payment method is successfully charged, so a session in your diary has already been paid for.

When you are paid. Immediately, when the booking is made. Payouts go in the currency you selected, to the payment gateway merchant ID you supply — check yours carefully, because theBooking.site is not liable for payments made to an incorrect ID. Commission of a flat 15%, inclusive of credit-card transaction fees, is deducted before you are paid.

No-shows. A client who does not arrive can either reschedule the booking or forfeit the payment. That is the single biggest operational argument for taking bookings through the platform rather than by phone: a 30-minute slot with a fixed turnaround cost is a total loss if it goes unfilled and unpaid.

Cancellations.

• A customer’s booking is binding on the customer.
• Customers can request cancellations from their emails or their portal. Individual practitioners cannot cancel; they must ask the outlet, which is responsible for actioning cancellation requests promptly.
• Monetary refunds are not available in certain countries; there you can issue a voucher for the same service and value.
• The 24-hour rule. Cancellations 24 hours or more before the booking starts should be issued a voucher — unless you have incurred higher than normal costs preparing for the session, or lost potential income. You hold the discretion and the responsibility.
• Discounted or on-sale services, and anything created or altered specifically to the customer’s requirements, may not be moved, rebooked or cancelled by the customer.

When you have to cancel. Bookings may be moved or cancelled where the service cannot be rendered — damaged equipment is named specifically — or where payment was not received or authorised.