Most solo business owners have a no-show policy the way most people have a gym plan: it exists in their head, it's announced occasionally, and it's never enforced. Then a Saturday 1pm ghosts and there's nothing to fall back on.
A policy that works has three properties: it's visible before booking, it's specific about money and time, and it's enforceable without a confrontation.
What to include
- The cancellation window. "Cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours before your appointment." Pick 24 or 48 hours and stay consistent.
- The fee. A percentage of the service (50% is common for late cancels, up to 100% for true no-shows) or a flat amount. Specific numbers, not "a fee may apply."
- How it's charged. This is why card-on-file matters - a policy you can't charge is a suggestion.
- The grace clause. One-time forgiveness for genuine emergencies keeps the policy human and defensible.
Copy-paste starting point
"Your appointment time is reserved just for you. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please do so at least 24 hours in advance. Late cancellations are charged 50% of the service price; missed appointments without notice are charged 100%. We understand emergencies happen - your first one is on us."
Where the policy has to appear
On the booking page itself, in the confirmation message, and in every reminder. If a client can book without seeing it, it will be hard to defend charging them under it.
Enforcement without the awkwardness
The reason most policies fail isn't the wording - it's that enforcing them requires a personal confrontation nobody wants. The fix is structural: when the card is on file and the policy was shown at booking, the fee is applied by the system, not argued by you. You stay the friendly professional; the software is the bad cop.
Put your policy on autopilot
Ivy shows your policy at booking, takes the card on file, and applies your late-cancel fee automatically - no awkward conversation required.
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