Cancellation policy template

A clear cancellation policy is one of the most useful documents a tour, activity or attraction operator can own. It sets expectations before money changes hands, reduces the awkward back-and-forth when plans change, and protects the revenue you have committed against fixed costs like guides, boats, venues and equipment. This page gives you a template you can copy and adapt, followed by practical notes on how to choose your terms and how to enforce them in day-to-day operations.

Please read this first: the wording below is a starting point, not legal advice. Every business is different, and consumer protection rules apply to how you sell and cancel. Adapt the template to your own operation, take your own professional advice, and make sure your final policy complies with UK consumer law before you rely on it.

How to use this template

Copy the block below into your own document. Replace everything in square brackets with your own details, then adjust the notice periods, percentages and rules so they reflect how and when a cancellation actually costs you money. Once you are happy with it, publish it where guests can read it before they pay, and apply it consistently to every booking. A policy that is hidden, or applied differently each time, is far harder to stand behind if a guest disputes a charge.

The cancellation policy template

[Business name] cancellation and rescheduling policy

Cancellations by you (the guest)

We understand that plans change. If you need to cancel, the following terms apply based on how much notice you give before your experience start time:

• More than [X days] before: cancel for a full refund, or reschedule free of charge subject to availability.
• [X days] to [Y hours/days] before: cancel for a [refund %] refund, or reschedule free of charge subject to availability.
• Less than [Y hours/days] before: no refund is available, but you may reschedule once, subject to availability, up to [cut-off period] before the start time.
• No-shows: where a guest does not arrive and gives no notice, no refund or reschedule is available.

Deposits and part-payments

Where you have paid a deposit of [deposit %] to secure your place, that deposit is [refundable / non-refundable] if you cancel within [X days] of the experience. Any balance you have already paid is refunded according to the notice periods above.

Amendments and rescheduling

You can move your booking to another available date using the manage-booking link in your confirmation email, subject to the notice periods above. Changes to guest numbers, add-ons or times are permitted up to [cut-off period] before the start, subject to availability and any price difference.

Cancellations by us (the operator)

If we have to cancel — for example due to unsafe weather, insufficient numbers to run the experience, or circumstances beyond our reasonable control — you will be offered your choice of a full refund or a free reschedule to another available date. We will contact you as soon as a decision is made.

Weather-dependent experiences

For experiences that depend on conditions, we make a run-or-cancel decision by [time / notice period] before departure. If we cancel on safety grounds, the terms above apply. If conditions are marginal but safe to proceed, the experience will run as planned and standard cancellation terms apply.

Gift vouchers

Gift vouchers are valid for [X months] from the date of purchase and are non-refundable, but the redeemed booking can be rescheduled under the terms above. Expired vouchers [can / cannot] be extended at our discretion.

How to cancel, amend or reschedule

Please use the manage-booking link in your confirmation email, or contact us at [contact details]. Approved refunds are processed to your original payment method within [X working days].

Choosing your terms

The template above is deliberately generic. The value comes from tailoring it, and the decisions below are the ones worth spending time on.

Set notice periods around your real costs

The right cut-off depends on when a cancellation starts to cost you. A walking tour with a single guide can afford a short window, because a late cancellation costs little if the guide is already scheduled. A food tour paying venues per head, a boat trip with fixed sailing costs, or an attraction booking timed-entry slots may need to commit money days in advance, so earlier thresholds are fairer to your business. Map your commitments backwards from the start time and set your windows accordingly.

Decide your refund-versus-credit stance

You do not have to choose between a full refund and nothing. Offering a credit or a free reschedule as the middle option keeps the guest onside while protecting revenue, and it turns a would-be cancellation into a future visit. Wherever it is reasonable, lead with rescheduling and reserve full refunds for the earliest window and for cancellations you make yourself.

Be explicit about deposits

If you take a deposit or run part-payments, state plainly whether it is refundable and by when. Non-refundable deposits are common and reasonable for higher-value experiences, provided the term is shown clearly before the guest pays rather than buried in the small print afterwards.

Keep it fair and prominent

A policy only protects you if the guest agreed to it before paying, so it must be visible at the point of booking. Under UK consumer law, terms that are unfair, unclear or hidden may not be enforceable, and blanket no-refund rules can be challenged. Keep the language plain, the periods reasonable, and the whole thing easy to find.

Enforcing the policy with Experiqo

A policy on a page is only half the job — it also has to be applied the same way every time without you policing it manually. This is where a booking system earns its place, and it is what the Experiqo platform is built to handle.

• Deposits and part-payments let you take a percentage up front to secure the slot, so a late cancellation never leaves you fully out of pocket, and the balance rules match your written terms.
• Booking cut-offs automatically stop new bookings and last-minute changes once you are inside your notice window, so the policy is enforced at checkout rather than argued about afterwards.
• Guest self-service rescheduling gives guests the manage-booking link referenced in the template, letting them move to another available date within the rules you set — turning cancellations into retained revenue without an email exchange.
• Cancellations and refunds are handled in one place, with refunds processed back to the original payment method according to the tier the guest falls into.
• Automated confirmations carry your policy and the manage-booking link to every guest, so the terms are always shown before the experience and there is a clear record that they were.

Together these features mean your written policy and your operational reality stay in step. To see how the deposit rules, cut-offs and self-service tools map onto your specific experiences, take a look at the solutions for your operation or book a demo and we will walk through it with you.

A final reminder: copy the template, replace the bracketed placeholders, adjust the timescales and percentages to your business, have it reviewed by your own adviser, and check it against current UK consumer law before you publish it.