Cancellations & Refunds#

Cancellations are an inevitable part of the rental business. RecSystems helps you handle them professionally with flexible refund options and clear processes.

Cancellation Options#

When cancelling a booking, you have four refund choices:

Full Refund#

Return 100% of what the customer paid.

Use when:

• You initiated the cancellation (your error, weather, etc.)
• Customer cancels within free cancellation window
• Exceptional customer service situation

Partial Refund#

Return a specific amount, less than the full payment.

Use when:

• Customer cancels outside free cancellation period
• Applying cancellation fee
• Partial service was provided

Voucher#

Issue credit for a future booking instead of cash refund.

Use when:

• Customer prefers to reschedule
• Rain check situations
• Maintaining customer relationship

No Refund#

Cancel without any refund.

Use when:

• Customer is a no-show
• Cancellation policy allows no refund
• Customer requests cancellation understanding no refund

Cancelling a Booking#

Step 1: Find the Booking#

1. Go to Bookings → Your Bookings or Cart Orders in the navbar
2. Search for the booking
3. Open the booking details

Step 2: Click Cancel#

Look for the Cancel button in the booking actions.

Step 3: Choose Refund Type#

Select the appropriate option:

• Full Refund — Everything back
• Partial Refund — Enter specific amount
• Voucher — Create credit for future use
• No Refund — Cancel only

Step 4: Enter Reason#

Provide a cancellation reason:

• Customer requested cancellation
• Weather closure
• Equipment unavailable
• No-show

Step 5: Confirm#

Review the details:

• Amount being refunded
• Where refund goes
• Booking will be cancelled

Click Confirm Cancellation to proceed.

Refund Processing#

How Refunds Work#

When you process a refund:

1. Card refunds — Sent back to original card
2. Gift card portions — Restored to gift card balance
3. Processing — Initiated immediately
4. Customer notification — Email sent confirming cancellation

Refund Timeline#

Note: We initiate refunds immediately, but banks control actual posting time.

Partial Refund Calculation#

When applying a partial refund:

Original Payment: $350.00
Cancellation Fee: $50.00
──────────────────────────
Refund Amount:    $300.00

Enter the amount to refund, not the amount to keep.

Vouchers as Refunds#

Creating a Voucher#

When you select Voucher:

1. Voucher created for refund amount
2. Code generated automatically
3. Linked to customer's email
4. Sent in cancellation email

Voucher Benefits#

• Retains revenue — Money stays with your business
• Encourages rebooking — Customer will return
• Goodwill gesture — Shows flexibility
• Easy for customer — Just enter code next time

Voucher Details#

• Valid for any future booking
• No expiration (unless you set one)
• Full amount usable
• Can combine with other payment

Applying Your Cancellation Policy#

Communicate Policy#

Make sure customers know your policy:

• Display on booking site
• Include in confirmation emails
• Remind in pre-arrival messages

Common Policy Structures#

Flexible:

• Free cancellation until 24 hours before
• 50% refund within 24 hours
• No refund for no-shows

Moderate:

• Free cancellation until 7 days before
• 50% refund within 7 days
• No refund within 24 hours

Strict:

• 50% refund until 14 days before
• No refund within 14 days

Enforcing Consistently#

• Apply policy fairly to all customers
• Document exceptions
• Consider goodwill for loyal customers

What Happens After Cancellation#

Inventory Released#

The cancelled time slot becomes available immediately. Other customers can book it.

Records Kept#

The booking remains in your records:

• Marked as Cancelled
• Shows refund details
• Appears in reports
• Maintains history

Customer Notified#

Customer receives email with:

• Confirmation of cancellation
• Refund amount (if any)
• Voucher code (if applicable)
• Processing time estimate

Customer-Initiated Cancellations#

If customers can cancel online:

1. They find their booking
2. Click cancel option
3. See applicable refund per policy
4. Confirm cancellation
5. Refund processed automatically

You can enable/disable customer self-cancellation in settings.

Weather Cancellations#

For weather-related cancellations:

Your Options#

1. Full refund — Safest for customer relations
2. Voucher — Good middle ground
3. Reschedule — Modify to different date

Weather Protection#

If you offer weather protection through insurance, the customer may be covered separately from your refund.

No-Shows#

When a customer doesn't arrive:

1. Wait reasonable time — Give grace period
2. Attempt contact — Call/text customer
3. Document — Note the no-show
4. Cancel per policy — Usually no refund

Preventing No-Shows#

• Send reminder emails/texts
• Collect deposits
• Confirm 24 hours before
• Have clear no-show policy

Troubleshooting#

Refund not appearing#

• Check processing time (5-10 days)
• Verify correct card
• Contact support if over 10 days

Can't cancel booking#

• Check booking status
• Verify user permissions
• May be already cancelled or completed

Voucher not working#

• Verify code entered correctly
• Check if expired
• Ensure not already used

Related Articles:

• Booking Basics
• Processing Refunds
• Gift Cards Overview