No-show policy for service businesses: fees, deposits and sample wording
A no-show policy says what happens when a customer is not there for a booked visit. How to set one, whether to charge a fee or take a deposit, and wording to use.
By Primemgr TeamHow we research and check this
A no-show policy says what happens when a customer misses a booked appointment without cancelling, or when you arrive and cannot get in: usually a fee, or a deposit that is kept. Its main job is not to collect fees; it is to make the cost of a missed visit clear enough that customers cancel instead of forgetting.
Decide what counts as a no-show
- For appointments at your premises: the customer does not arrive within a grace period, often 10 to 15 minutes.
- For visits to the customer: nobody is home and nobody answers the phone within a set time, or you cannot get in because of locked gates, missing keys or unrestrained pets.
- A cancellation inside the notice window is usually handled by the cancellation policy, not the no-show policy, though many businesses treat them the same.
Fee, deposit, or neither
Approach | How it works | Best for | Drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
No fee, reminders only | Confirmations and reminders; repeat no-shows are asked to prepay | New businesses, loyal customer bases | No compensation for lost time |
No-show fee | A fixed fee invoiced after the missed visit | Businesses that invoice after the work | Hard to collect from someone who did not turn up |
Deposit kept | A deposit taken at booking is kept on a no-show | Long bookings, high demand | Some customers will not pay up front |
Deposit as credit | The deposit becomes credit for a future booking | Businesses that value repeat custom | Less deterrent |
A deposit works better than a fee because it is already paid. A fee has to be invoiced and chased, which can cost more goodwill than the fee is worth.
Sample wording
- "If you are not home at the booked time and we cannot reach you within 15 minutes, the visit will be charged as a call-out of [amount]."
- "Your deposit of [amount] secures this booking. If you miss the appointment without cancelling, the deposit is kept. If you cancel at least 24 hours ahead, it is refunded."
- "If we cannot get in because of locked access or pets, we will call you. If access cannot be arranged within 15 minutes, the visit is charged at [amount]."
The free cancellation policy generator writes the no-show and cancellation wording together from your choices.
Preventing no-shows first
- Confirm the booking immediately, with the date, time and address.
- Send a reminder the day before, with a simple way to move it.
- Ask how to get in when booking: keys, codes, parking.
- Call ahead on the day for long or expensive visits.
The guide on reducing no-shows goes into timing and wording. The consumer law points in the cancellation policy article apply equally to no-show charges: keep them proportionate to your real loss and show them before booking.
No-shows in Primemgr
In Primemgr, marking a booking as a no-show settles its deposit by the terms that booking was made under: kept, part-refunded, refunded or turned into credit, as your business chose. Staff can decide otherwise with a reason if your terms allow it. Reminders go out by email before each appointment at the times you set. Deposits and refunds are recorded by your staff when money changes hands; Primemgr does not take card payments online. See no-show and deposit in the glossary.
Official guidance
- Consumer rights and guarantees (ACCC (Australia))
- Consumer protection rights (GOV.UK)
- Business guidance (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
This article is general information, not legal, tax, accounting, employment or regulatory advice. Rules differ by country, state and situation and change over time: check the official source linked above for where you work, and ask a qualified adviser before relying on it for a decision.