Refund scale — a rule announced, not a negotiation
Refund bands according to the notice given, applied without discussion.
The problem
With no written rule, every cancellation becomes a negotiation. The client asks for a gesture, you hesitate between losing the money and losing the client, and you decide case by case. Two clients in the same position leave with two different answers.
That vagueness costs you twice: in time spent arbitrating, and in consistency. A policy applied unevenly no longer deters — the next client will try their luck too.
A scale announced in advance moves the discussion. It is no longer you refusing, it is the rule the client accepted when booking.
How it works in Kagenda
The scale is a ladder of bands: from so many hours' notice, such a percentage is refunded.
- You define the bandsFor example 100% beyond seven days, 50% beyond forty-eight hours, nothing below. As many bands as you like.
- The most favourable band that applies winsKagenda works through the bands from the most demanding to the least. Below the last one, nothing is refunded.
- It applies automatically on client cancellationWhen the client cancels through their link, the matching percentage is calculated on what was paid online, and the refund is triggered in Stripe.
- The conditions keep a recordThe text of your conditions is frozen on each booking with its date of acceptance, which makes the scale enforceable after the fact.
Who it helps
Frequently asked questions
Can I never refund?
Yes, a scale can be empty or set at 0%. Announce it clearly in your booking conditions: that is what makes it defensible.
Does the scale apply to the deposit or to the total paid?
To the amount actually taken online. If only a deposit was paid, the percentage bears on that deposit.
And if I am the one cancelling?
The scale does not apply: it deals with cancellation by the client. When you cancel, the refund is decided and made by hand from your Stripe dashboard.
How many bands are needed?
Two or three are almost always enough. A scale that is too fine becomes impossible to explain in one sentence, and a rule the client cannot summarise does not deter them.