A well-written refund policy protects your business from no-shows and last-minute cancellations while giving customers the confidence to book. The goal is to be firm enough to prevent casual cancellations and fair enough to build a reputation for trustworthy practices.
What should a prepayment refund policy include?
A clear refund policy should state: the cancellation window for a full refund (e.g., "48 hours before the appointment"), what happens to the deposit or payment outside that window, whether rescheduling is treated as a cancellation, and how refunds are processed (automatically to the original payment method). Every point should be in plain language, not legal jargon.
What cancellation window should service businesses use?
48 hours is the most common standard in Nordic service businesses and is generally accepted by customers as fair. For high-demand slots or premium services, 72 hours is also reasonable. 24 hours works for lower-value services where shorter-notice rescheduling is more practical. The key is consistency -- apply the same rule across all bookings so customers know what to expect.
How does WayPAY handle refunds automatically?
When a customer cancels through WayPAY within the allowed window, the refund is processed automatically to their original payment method -- no manual action from the business is required. If the cancellation falls outside the window, the payment is retained. The business can also issue manual refunds if a special case warrants it.