A Cancellation policy clearly defines the set of rules and the terms, conditions that are involved in the order, service or the reservation to be cancelled. These policies act as the business revenue protectors by setting the limitations, managing expectations of customers along with clearly defining the consequences involved in the activity. A large range of businesses come with their own terms defined cancellation policy such as the hotels, doctors, salons, fitness centers, personal coach, event planners and many others. You can find some of the most used Cancellation policy template samples and examples in Doc, Word, PDF and other downloadable formats. Simply choose the best depending on your business need and download it from Docsi to easily edit and use!
Cancellation Policy Templates to Download in MS Word, Google Docs
Cancellation Policy Format
Step 1: Header
In the first step while writing the letter, mention the business name at the top of the document and give a clear and straight title that defines the purpose such as the “Cancellation Policy”..
Step 2: Introduction at Beginning
Begin writing the cancellation policy by briefly explaining and keeping the customer perspective in mind. Explain the policy purpose in detail.
Example: We understand the changing plans may change your schedule. To be fair and provide a genuine and timely service, we have a cancellation policy to check.
Step 3: Key policy terms to include
In the main body of the cancellation policy templates, ensure to include all possible information related to the cancellation terms and related information.
Cancellation window: For any service, product or any other scenario, ensure to set the timeframe which you can choose according to the business you are into.
Example: “Cancellations made more than 48 hours before the scheduled appointment will not incur a fee.”
Cancellation fee: You must also include if any fee applies in case of any cancellations that happen outside of the mentioned window.
Example: The cancellations generally fall in the time frame of 24 to 48 hours may raise 20% charge whereas the cancellation that happens within 24 hours get about 50% charge.
No-show policy: In case of no show where the customer does not attend or fails to attend to appear then the automatic charge of full amount would apply.
Refund policy: Be specific about explaining the refund terms and also mention the refund options like in cash, store credit or any other mode.
Example: Cancellation done in the timeframe is eligible for the refund which will be credited to your as a store credit. You can use the credit amount on any of your future services.
How to cancel: Give a clear guide on how the service can be cancelled.
Example: In case if you want to cancel the service then contact us by phone at [XXXX] or email us at [XXX@gmail.com]. You can not request for cancellation through any of the social profiles or text messages.
Step 4: Call to action and acknowledgement
In the policy template for cancellation, include a statement that asks the customer to agree for the policy terms while booking and followed by that mention that the policy terms will also be included in the booking confirmation email for the cross check and to take required action.
Step 5: Closure
Write a final statement and date the contact information to reach out to you in case of having any questions.
Example:
Thank You for your cooperation
Y Booking Service
Phone Number: XXX
Date: October 4, 2025
How to Write Cancellation Policy?
While writing a cancellation policy, you must clearly give a cancellation window along with terms & conditions that accompany the cancellations. Ensure that you keep the policy very clear and professional by adding every aspect that lets the other end know the reason for cancellation, along with other terms and make it available everywhere including the dedicated cancellation page, booking page, confirmation page and others.
- Give Clarity
Mention timeframe and the reason behind the cancellation with a clear note.
- Use Clear, Professional Language
People would understand the simple and straightforward tone without being overly emotional or using unnecessary complicated clauses.
- Set Cancellation fees & Rescheduling
For the no show appointment like with doctors, the cancellation policy would get you a loss of whole booking amount instead you can choose to reschedule it and save the booking cost.
- Make it Openly Available
As the cancellation policy is crucial for any business, maintaining a proper format and also making it available openly for everyone would help to lessen the cancellation overall.
What is the Cancellation Policy?
A Cancellation policy is an agreement that is outlined with a set of rules like when and how a customer can use the cancellation for their order, bookings, appointments and others. It even includes the clauses that clarify about the time frame for the cancellation, refund details and others.
Why Do You Need a Cancellation Policy?
A cancellation policy is important to keep the overall operations run smoothly without any glitches. Based on the busy schedules, the people’s plans may change at the last minute. This is where the cancellation policy comes in the support of businesses to use it on their profit. For example, if you have a 24 to 48 hours policy and by the time frame if the client is not available then you must be able to allocate it to others without losing your business.
What should a cancellation policy include?
A Cancellation policy must and should include the cancellation window that is the time frame, penalty or the fees for the cancellations for various categories like the no shows, exemptions, rescheduling and the last minute arrivals as well.
What’s a good time frame for a cancellation policy?
In general, based on the business the time frame keeps on changing but most of the time for many businesses it is 24 to 48 hours.
How to handle last minute cancellations?
For last minute cancellations, acknowledge the cancellation, remind about the policy details in polite and professional tone and then offer to reschedule it according to the availability.