A Fair Cancellation Policy Players Actually Follow

A cancellation policy only works if players understand and respect it. Too strict and you lose goodwill; too lenient and you absorb all the risk. Here is how to find the balance.

Choose a Cancellation Window

Most clubs settle on 24 hours' notice as the baseline. For peak slots — evenings and weekends — consider extending that to 48 hours. Demand is high, so last-minute gaps are hard to refill and the cost of an empty court is real. Off-peak slots can stay at 12–24 hours, since replacing a cancellation during quiet hours is less urgent.

Make Payment the Commitment

Requiring pre-payment at booking is the single most effective way to cut no-shows. When a player has already paid, they show up. And if they do cancel inside the window, the refund is automatic via Smash and Stripe Connect — no manual reconciliation, no awkward calls to the front desk.

Keep the Wording Simple

One sentence per rule works best: "Cancel at least 24 hours before your booking for a full refund. Late cancellations are non-refundable." Players trust short, predictable policies far more than tiered fee tables with exceptions.

Review Every Quarter

Court demand shifts by season. Check your booking analytics each quarter to spot which time slots see the most last-minute cancellations, then tighten the window there first. Small adjustments — moving a peak-time window from 24 to 36 hours — often produce a measurable drop in empty courts within a few weeks.