The reservation policy copy you keep meaning to write.
Answer a few questions about your cancellation window, deposits, and reminders. We will draft the booking-page policy, confirmation email, reminders, and a no-show follow-up that you can paste straight into your booking platform.
Why it matters
Clear policies reduce disputes and no-shows in the same breath.
Guests who know what they agreed to are less likely to argue a charge, and less likely to ghost a table. A written policy set before the booking is confirmed gives you a calm place to point to when something goes wrong, and it makes your team sound consistent instead of improvising.
This tool drafts reasonable default copy, not legal advice. In the EU, deposits and cancellation fees must be proportionate and clearly disclosed before the consumer agrees — review the final text with local counsel if you operate in a regulated market.
Your inputs
Adjust anything. The copy on the right updates live.
How many hours before the booking can a guest cancel without charge.
After this, the table may be released.
How you secure the reservation.
Amount per reservation or per cover, depending on your strategy.
What happens to the deposit when a guest cancels.
When guests hear from you before the booking.
How the reminder is delivered.
How the copy should read.
Copy-ready output
Paste these straight into your booking platform or email provider.
How reservations work at Your restaurant You can cancel or reschedule for free up to 24 hours before your booking. We hold your table for 15 minutes. After that we might have to release it. Confirming a booking means you’re okay with these house rules — thanks!
FAQ
Questions worth thinking about before you publish.
Does a clear cancellation policy actually reduce disputes?
Yes, measurably. When the policy is visible at the booking step and referenced again in the confirmation email, chargeback and refund requests drop because the guest cannot plausibly claim they did not know. The policy also calms the conversation when your team has to enforce it.
How do deposits affect booking conversion?
Deposits reduce top-of-funnel conversion but raise the quality of the bookings that complete. For mid-market dining, a small deposit (€10 per cover) or a card hold often recovers the no-show losses without scaring off everyday guests. Fine dining can go higher; casual brunch spots usually should not.
What is the right reminder timing?
The consensus pattern across booking platforms is a 24-hour email (enough time to cancel gracefully) plus a 2-hour reminder (usually by SMS). 2-hour reminders in particular are where measured no-show reductions show up in the data.
Can I keep the deposit for a no-show under EU consumer law?
In most EU jurisdictions you can, provided the deposit amount is proportionate to the loss, is clearly disclosed before the booking is confirmed, and the guest has explicitly accepted those terms. Off-premises consumer-rights rules (14-day withdrawal) generally do not apply to specific-date hospitality services, but deposits that look punitive rather than compensatory can still be challenged. When in doubt, review with local counsel.
Should the tone really be that warm?
Warm copy works better than corporate copy almost everywhere in hospitality — guests trust a human voice and are more forgiving when something goes wrong. Formal tone still makes sense for hotels, private events, and some fine-dining rooms. Pick the one that sounds like the room.
Want the reservation system that runs on this copy?
Configure your policy once in Guestavo and it flows into booking pages, confirmations, reminders, and no-show recovery — in every language you operate in.