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Why this guide exists

Bella ships with a Booking Policies reference page that explains what every setting does. This page is different — it covers how to think about your policies as a whole and recommends starting setups for different kinds of businesses. Use this guide first to pick the right shape for your business, then use the reference page to configure each setting. Most people only need the first half; the advanced section below the fold is there when you want to fine-tune. If you’d rather have a conversation, open Ask Bella AI from the sidebar — it can walk you through the same decisions interactively.

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What policies actually do

Five settings interact to protect your time and revenue:
SettingWhat it does
Cancellation policySets the cutoff before which clients can cancel for free, and the fee after.
Deposit policyCollects payment up front so clients have something at stake.
Approval queueGives you the chance to review online bookings before confirming them.
Confirmation windowFor appointments you create yourself — requires the client to acknowledge they’re coming.
RemindersAutomated SMS or email nudges before the appointment.
Each one targets a different failure mode. Reminders catch forgetfulness. Deposits create commitment. Approval queues catch suspicious or oversized bookings. Cancellation fees recoup lost time. Confirmations weed out clients who silently lost interest.

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Pick a starting archetype

Most businesses fit into one of these patterns. Pick the closest one in Settings → Booking Policies — you can fine-tune any individual field after.
Booking policy template picker showing Lenient, Standard, Protective, and New archetype cards with a Custom option

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Lenient

For businesses with a loyal, regular clientele and a low no-show history.
  • Cancellation: 24 hours, no fee
  • Deposits: none
  • Approval: off
  • Confirmation window: off
  • Reminders: SMS at 24 hours
  • Booking horizon: 60 days
Mixed clientele, occasional no-shows, no extreme cases either way.
  • Cancellation: 24 hours, 50% fee
  • Deposits: none
  • Approval: off
  • Confirmation window: 12 hours (for appointments you create)
  • Reminders: SMS at 24 hours + 2 hours
  • Booking horizon: 60 days

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Protective

For high-prep services (colour, balayage, extensions, lashes, med-spa, clinical) where no-shows cost you significant time. The in-app Protective template turns the approval queue on. If you’d rather gate bookings with a deposit instead, see the two variants below — both are “Protective” in spirit, they just use different gates.
  • Cancellation: 48 hours, 50% fee
  • Confirmation window: 24 hours (for appointments you create)
  • Reminders: SMS at 24 hours + 2 hours, with confirmation link
  • Booking horizon: 30 days
Deposit-led (requires Stripe Connect):
  • Deposits: 50% upfront
  • Approval: off — the deposit gates the bookings. Turn it on only if you also offer free or zero-deposit services.
Approval-led (the in-app Protective default — for businesses not taking deposits yet):
  • Deposits: none
  • Approval: on — every online booking comes to your queue

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New / Building volume

For brand-new businesses getting their first clients. Friction is the enemy.
  • Cancellation: 12 hours, no fee
  • Deposits: none
  • Approval: off
  • Confirmation window: off
  • Reminders: SMS at 24 hours
  • Booking horizon: 90 days

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How deposits and approvals work together

This is the section most owners get confused about, so it’s worth being precise. Deposits and the approval queue cover different bookings. They are NOT alternatives.
  • When a deposit IS required for a booking → the client pays at booking → payment auto-confirms the appointment. Approval doesn’t apply.
  • When a deposit is NOT required for a booking → if approval is on, the booking goes to your queue. If approval is off, the booking auto-confirms immediately.
Both can sensibly be on at the same time. Common reasons:
  • You take deposits for paid services AND offer free consultations — the deposit gates the paid bookings, approval gates the consultations.
  • You override the deposit to zero on specific services (loyalty perks, complimentary touch-ups) — approval gates those.
  • A gift card fully covers the deposit on a booking — approval gates it because no payment was taken.
  • You haven’t fully connected Stripe yet — deposits are silently waived, so approval is the only active gate until Stripe is connected.
The rule in code: auto-confirm = (no deposit needed) AND (no approval required). Either gate alone holds the booking.
When to drop one of them:
  • If every service you offer requires a deposit, approval becomes redundant — the deposit gates everything. Turn approval off in that case.
  • If you have any service that doesn’t take a deposit (free consults, complimentary services, gift-card-covered bookings), keep approval on if you want to gate those.

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Online payments — the foundation

Connecting Stripe (online payments) is the single biggest unlock. Without it, several settings silently have no effect:
Without StripeWith Stripe
Deposit setting silently has no effectDeposit charged at booking, auto-confirms appointment
Late-cancel and no-show fees can’t be auto-chargedLate-cancel and no-show fees charged automatically against deposit or saved card
You re-enter the card every time at checkoutCard-on-file → checkout, rebooking, and fee charges all skip the card-entry step
Manual approval is your only gateDeposit + approval cover both paths
If you’re seeing no-shows or late cancellations and aren’t on Stripe yet, that’s your single highest-impact change. Connect Stripe → The full cascade:
  1. Connect online payments — unlocks deposits, refunds, card-on-file
  2. Enable deposits on relevant services — reduces no-shows
  3. Save cards on file at checkout — speeds up future checkout, rebooking from the dashboard, and automatic late-cancel or no-show fee charges
Each rung pays for itself before you climb to the next.
Card-on-file scope: affects your checkout, rebooking, and fee-charging flows. It does NOT change the client-facing online booking flow — that takes payment fresh through Stripe Checkout every time. The speed-up is on your side of the counter.

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Cancellation policy — windows and fees

Two settings: cancellation window (the notice period before the cutoff) and cancellation fee percentage (what gets retained from a paid deposit if the client cancels after the cutoff). Choosing the window:
  • 24 hours is the universal default — what most businesses use, what clients expect.
  • 12 hours if your services are quick and your booking flow is high-velocity.
  • 48 or 72 hours for high-prep services where same-day cancellation costs you significant time.
Choosing the fee:
  • 50% of the deposit for late cancellations is the standard.
  • 25% is more lenient but gives weaker incentive.
  • 100% maximises revenue protection but can damage relationships if applied without flexibility.
When you cancel from the Scheduler, you can override the calculated refund. Use the policy as the default, but be flexible on genuine exceptions — illness, emergencies. The policy protects against pattern, not against people having bad weeks.
Cancellation and no-show fees enforce when you hold a deposit or a required card on file. With a deposit, the fee comes out of the forfeited deposit. With a required card on file (no deposit taken), staff can charge a late-cancellation or no-show fee to the saved card when they cancel the appointment or mark the no-show. Without either, the policy still applies in spirit (you can refuse to rebook, or charge at the next visit) but there’s nothing for the system to charge — so requiring a deposit or a card on file is what makes the fee enforceable. Preview exactly what a client would be refunded under your policy with the refund-scenario calculator on the Booking Policies page.
Refund scenario calculator showing full refund with sufficient notice and a 50% fee with insufficient notice
Configure cancellation policy →

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Approval queue — when manual review pays off

When approval is on, online bookings arrive in your queue rather than auto-confirming. When it’s worth the work:
  • Specialised services where you need to verify the client (advanced colour corrections, technical services, packages)
  • Free consultations or complimentary services where deposit gating doesn’t apply
  • Businesses that haven’t connected Stripe yet
  • High-value services where 5 minutes of review prevents a much bigger problem
  • Solo businesses where you want to know about every booking personally
When it isn’t:
  • Every service requires a deposit — the deposit gates everything, approval is redundant
  • High booking volume where reviewing each one creates a queue you can’t keep up with
A pending booking is a frustrated client. If you turn approval on, commit to reviewing the queue at least daily. If you can’t, turn approval off and rely on deposits.
Configure approval queue →

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Confirmation window — for appointments you create

The confirmation window only applies to appointments you create yourself in the Scheduler — not to online bookings. Online bookings auto-confirm on booking (or on deposit payment); someone who books online has already confirmed by booking. An appointment you create on their behalf hasn’t. When to enable:
  • You frequently create appointments on behalf of clients (phone bookings, walk-in rebookings)
  • You want a low-friction filter for likely no-shows — un-confirmed appointments are an early warning
  • Clients should re-acknowledge appointments scheduled far in advance
Skip it if your bookings are mostly online — those don’t need a confirmation step. Configure confirmation window →

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Reminders — the highest-ROI policy

Reminders cost almost nothing, don’t add booking friction, and the data is unambiguous: SMS reminders alone reduce no-shows by around 35% (industry research, 2026). Reminders + deposits drive that below 5%. Recommended cadence:
  • 24 hours before — gives the client time to reschedule before the cancellation cutoff
  • 2 hours before — catches the same-day forgetters
SMS or email? Both if budget allows — SMS is more reliable (95%+ open rates), email is free but easier to miss. Pragmatic split: SMS for the closer reminder (2 hours), email for the further-out one (24 hours).
Add a confirmation link in the 24-hour reminder. Even if your confirmation window is off, the link gives signal AND lets the client commit again with one tap.
Configure reminders →
Concrete starting configurations.

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New solo practitioner (first 6 months)

  • Cancellation: 12 h, no fee
  • Deposits: none
  • Approval: off
  • Confirmation window: off
  • Reminders: SMS at 24 h
  • Booking horizon: 90 days
  • Goal: friction-free booking while you build a base

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Established hair or beauty business, 1–3 providers

  • Cancellation: 24 h, 50% fee
  • Deposits: optional — start without; add 25–50% if no-shows climb above 10%
  • Approval: off
  • Confirmation window: 12 h (appointments you create)
  • Reminders: SMS at 24 h + 2 h
  • Booking horizon: 60 days

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High-end specialist (balayage, extensions, lashes, med-spa, clinic)

  • Cancellation: 48 h, 50% fee
  • Deposits: 50% upfront, mandatory
  • Approval: off for paid services; on if you also offer free consultations
  • Confirmation window: 24 h (appointments you create)
  • Reminders: SMS at 24 h + 2 h with confirmation link
  • Booking horizon: 30 days

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Mobile / freelance practitioner

  • Cancellation: 24 h, 50% fee
  • Deposits: 50% upfront
  • Approval: on (verify location and accessibility before confirming)
  • Confirmation window: 24 h
  • Reminders: SMS at 24 h + 2 h
  • Booking horizon: 60 days

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Multi-location business

  • Defaults at location level; per-service overrides for premium services
  • Cancellation: 24 h standard, 48 h on premium services
  • Deposits: 25% standard, 50% on premium
  • Approval: off
  • Reminders: SMS at 24 h + 2 h

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Advanced configurations & use cases

The setups above cover most businesses. This section is for fine-tuning — per-service overrides, worked money examples, the settings the archetypes don’t mention, and playbooks for specific situations.

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Per-service overrides — your most powerful lever

Every policy on the Booking Policies page is a location default that any service can override. This is how you run different rules for different services without making the whole booking experience stricter than it needs to be. The 2026 best practice across the industry is selective (hybrid) deposits: apply deposits to the bookings that actually carry no-show risk, and keep everything else frictionless.
  • By service value/prep: 50% deposit on colour, extensions, and lash sets; no deposit on a A$25 fringe trim or a brow tidy.
  • By risk: a longer cancellation window and a deposit on your highest-prep services; lenient defaults everywhere else.
  • Free consultations: zero deposit + approval on the consult; deposit on the service that follows.
Multi-service bookings resolve to the most restrictive policy. Minimum notice takes the longest period; cancellation takes the shortest window and the highest fee; a deposit on any one service applies to the booking. See the reference page for the exact resolution rules per setting.

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Worked money examples (Australia)

Stripe’s domestic rate in Australia is **1.7% + A0.30∗∗,plusBella′s∗∗10.30**, plus Bella's **1%** platform fee. Here's how a A200 service with a 50% deposit plays out:
MomentWhat happensYou receive
Deposit at bookingA100collected;feesA100 collected; fees A3.00 (A2.00Stripe+A2.00 Stripe + A1.00 Bella)A$97.00
Client cancels in timeFull A$100 refundedA$0 retained
Client cancels late (50% fee)A50forfeited,A50 forfeited, A50 refundedA$50 retained
Client no-shows (100% fee, if set)Full deposit retainedA$100 retained
With “pass processing fees to clients” turned on, the client covers the processing fee instead of you: a A100depositischargedas∗∗A100 deposit is charged as **A103.08**, and you receive the full A$100.
On small deposits the fixed A0.30stingsproportionally(aA0.30 stings proportionally (a A20 deposit nets A$19.16 — over 4% in fees). Either set a sensible minimum deposit or pass processing fees to the client. Use the Fee Calculator on the Payments & Deposits card to see the exact split for any amount.

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Use-case playbooks

Set the consultation service to no deposit with approval on so you can vet the request. Set the follow-up service (the colour, the treatment) to require a deposit. The deposit gates the paid work; approval gates the free consult. Both run side by side.
Override the deposit to zero on a “VIP” service variant, or simply book trusted regulars yourself from the Scheduler (deposits only apply to online bookings). Keep approval on if you want those zero-deposit bookings to still pass through your queue.
When a gift card fully covers the deposit, no card payment is taken — so the booking won’t auto-confirm on payment. Keep approval on if you want to gate these, or let them auto-confirm if you trust gift-card holders.
Use a longer booking horizon (up to 365 days), a 48 h+ cancellation window, and a larger deposit on the relevant service. Because these are per-service, your everyday bookings stay on the lighter default.
0-minute minimum notice so same-day slots are bookable, no deposit, show all time slots, and waitlist on to capture overflow. Friction is the enemy for impulse bookings.
Tighten during peak — add or raise deposits and lengthen the cancellation window on in-demand services — then relax afterwards. Per-service overrides make this a few edits rather than a policy overhaul.

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Tuning the settings the archetypes don’t mention

SettingWhen to change it
Minimum noticeIf approval is on, set notice to ≥ 1 hour so you have time to approve before the slot. Raise it for services that need prep or travel.
Booking horizonLong horizons (90 days+) raise no-show risk — pair them with a deposit or cancellation policy. Shorten if your availability changes often.
Schedule optimisationSwitch to Reduce gaps (or Eliminate gaps for high demand) to stop online bookings leaving short, unfillable holes in your day.
WaitlistTurn on for services where demand regularly exceeds supply — it captures bookings you’d otherwise lose when you’re full.
Hide pricesFor consultation-based or “from” pricing. Deposits are still shown so clients know what they’re paying up front.
Pass processing feesDecide who absorbs the ~2.7% + A$0.30 — you or the client. Common on lower-margin or high-volume services.
Auto-cancel unpaid depositsRelease the slot if the deposit isn’t paid within ~2 hours, so abandoned bookings don’t hold prime times.

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Diagnose by symptom

You’re seeing…Change this
No-shows despite remindersAdd deposits — selectively on the riskiest services if you don’t want them everywhere
Late cancellationsLengthen the cancellation window and/or raise the fee; require a deposit so the fee can actually be charged
A pending queue you can’t keep up withTurn approval off and rely on deposits
A gappy, inefficient calendarSet schedule optimisation to Reduce or Eliminate gaps
Lost bookings when you’re fully bookedEnable the waitlist
Price-shopping or variable pricingHide prices and set a “From” prefix
Unpaid-deposit bookings holding prime slotsSet auto-cancel to ~2 hours
Fees eating into small depositsPass processing fees to clients, or set a higher minimum deposit

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Built-in tools

  • Refund-scenario calculator — Settings → Booking Policies → Preview refund scenarios. Shows what a client is charged and refunded for any deposit amount.
  • Fee Calculator — on the Payments & Deposits card. Shows the exact Stripe + Bella split for any amount, and what changes when you pass fees to clients.
  • Booking-page readiness — when you share your booking page, Bella flags policy gaps (e.g. “deposit required but Stripe not connected”, “long booking window with no cancellation policy”) so you can fix them before going live.
  • Ask Bella AI — from the sidebar, to talk any of these decisions through against your own data.

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Revisit your policies

Every 3–6 months, or whenever your no-show rate changes meaningfully. The dashboard digest surfaces signal-driven recommendations as your data accumulates — when one appears, ask Bella AI to talk through the specific change.

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See also