Set cancellation rules, deposits, and customer appointment messages

By AACore Team

Customers should understand the rules before confirming an appointment. In Business Dashboard > Site Configuration > Policies & Messages, keep the actual booking controls and the wording customers read consistent.

Watch the booking policies and messages tutorial

Review booking settings, customer messages, policy and deposit concepts, and notifications. Use the written instructions below for the Stripe prerequisite and the distinction between regular-booking and quote deposits.

Set the cancellation and rescheduling cutoff

Under Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy, set Customers can cancel/reschedule up to and choose the unit, such as hours or days. This describes how far before the appointment the action is allowed, not a period after the appointment starts.

Use Custom Cancellation Policy for the customer-facing explanation. When left blank, the documented interface uses the standard policy. Make the text agree with the configured cutoff and the business's actual terms; writing a rule in a text box does not replace its settings.

Set up Stripe before requiring deposits

Deposit settings remain disabled until Online Payments has been set up through Stripe. Complete that setup and check the connection status before returning to deposit controls.

For standard, non-quote bookings, Require a deposit uses the configured amount. The documented controls use a positive amount to require a deposit; zero or a cleared amount disables it. Review the current form's instructions when changing the amount.

Explain the payment window and cancellation terms

Cancel appointment if deposit is not received within sets the payment window for applicable standard bookings. The appointment is automatically cancelled when the required deposit is not received within that configured window. A tutorial's example duration is not a universal default.

Deposit will not be refunded if cancelled is a separate setting. Use wording consistent with the business's applicable policy and obligations; this guide does not decide a customer's refund eligibility.

Quote-created appointments use a separate deposit workflow. Follow the accepted offer and appointment instructions rather than applying the regular-booking timeout automatically.

Put practical visit instructions in the right place

Enable Customer Appointment Message and enter a concise note, such as “Please keep the service area accessible when our team arrives.” The documented limit is 255 characters.

This message appears in the appointment summary and confirmation email. It is different from private staff notes. Keep it useful to the customer and avoid internal or sensitive information.

Review the customer result

After saving, inspect the booking policy and appointment summary from the customer's perspective. Check a relevant confirmation email too: a website preview alone does not show every email placement.

See Stripe setup and the quote workflow for the related steps.

Guide reviewed September 14, 2026. Available controls depend on your business setup, permissions, and the current application.