Scheduling
Part of Appointment scheduling software
Checking cancellation and reminder options
Check reminder channels, send timing, self-service changes, cut-offs and staff actions before choosing booking software.
Check cancellation and reminders as one customer journey: what people see before booking, which message reaches them, how they change an appointment and what staff see afterwards. A displayed cancellation policy, a self-service cut-off and an actual fee are different controls. Decide which ones the business needs before comparing plans.
Set the policy and message route
Write down the cut-off for online cancellation or rescheduling, the contact route after it, and what happens to a prepaid or deposit booking. State any proposed fee clearly before a customer commits. Decide who answers message replies and who handles a customer who cannot use the online link.
| Moment | What to inspect |
|---|---|
| Before booking | Are the change rules and any payment condition visible? |
| Confirmation | Does the customer receive the correct service, time and change route? |
| Reminder | Does its timing leave a useful chance to act? |
| Before the cut-off | Can the customer change the booking, and does the calendar update? |
| After the cut-off | What can the customer request, and who handles it? |
| Staff change | Which update reaches the customer? |
Check the customer-facing page and messages, not just the settings screen. A policy displayed in a booking flow may have no automatic enforcement, while a payment choice may alter self-service options.
Compare the documented choices
Square Appointments lists email and SMS reminders across its Australian Free, Plus and Premium plans, with settings for their send times. Its plan table places cancellation policies and fees in Plus and Premium. Square says its default booking payment option does not show a cancellation policy during booking or in appointment notifications.
Holding a card for no-show protection can support a fee, but staff choose whether to enforce the policy after a late cancellation or no-show. Prepayment and appointment-acceptance settings change what customers can cancel themselves, so inspect the exact route proposed for your business.
For Acuity Scheduling, verify the available message controls, customer change route and any cut-off directly with the supplier. Confirm these details for the plan and booking journey your business intends to use.
Calendly includes basic booking notifications, while its current plan guide lists automated reminders from Standard. Its Automations can run before an event or when it is rescheduled or cancelled. Calendly says edits to an Automation apply to future bookings; existing meetings retain earlier settings.
In a demonstration, verify whether customers can cancel or reschedule from each notification, and how the configured cut-off is applied.
Inspect a complete booking
Ask each shortlisted supplier to show a harmless booking, its confirmation and a reminder at the configured time. Then examine a cancellation before the cut-off, one after it, and a reschedule.
Record the customer message, booking record and staff notification for each state. For payment conditions, use a safe demonstration route and inspect who would make any refund or fee decision.
For a reschedule, check that the customer can find the current appointment details and that staff receive the relevant update.
Before launch, verify that the named staff member receives an actionable alert for changes made after the online cut-off, and that the booking record shows the final status.
