Late cancel & no-show
How to handle late cancellations and no-shows, including manual fees and automated penalties.
Arketa tracks late cancellations and no-shows automatically, and you can charge fees either manually or through automated rules.
How no-shows are tracked
Any client who was enrolled in class but not checked in by the time class ends is automatically recorded as a no-show. You can see this data in Reports → Late Cancel / No Show.
Manual late cancel
To mark a client as a late cancel from the check-in screen:
- Click ... next to the client
- Select Cancel reservation
- If you're inside the late cancel window, leave Mark as late cancel checked (and choose whether to Return credit to client)
- Confirm
The client is moved to the late cancel list if you are within the time frame of a late cancellation and Mark as late cancel is checked. If you have automated penalty charging enabled, they'll be charged according to your settings. If not, you can charge them manually.
Manual no-show charge
To charge a client for a no-show:
- Go to the late cancel/no show report
- Find the reservation on the To do tab
- Press the $ icon (Charge client) to manually charge a no show amount
How to charge for late cancel/no-show →
Automated late cancel & no-show fees
Rather than chasing down fees manually, you can set Arketa to automatically charge clients when they late cancel or no-show.
Go to Settings → Booking Settings → No Show/Late Cancel Fees to configure:
- The penalty amount and any exemptions
- Which pricing option types and services are subject to fees
Be sure to first set up your late cancel windows to designate what counts towards a late cancellation under Settings → Booking Settings → Booking Windows
Cancel vs. delete vs. late cancel
| Action | Notifies client? | Returns credit? | Tracks as late cancel? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancel reservation | Yes | Yes outside the late cancel window; inside it, only if Return credit to client is checked | Only inside the late cancel window, if Mark as late cancel is checked |
| Delete reservation | No | Same as cancel | Same as cancel — and the reservation is permanently removed |
Use Cancel reservation when you're removing a client before the cancellation window — it's clean and notifies them. Inside the window, keep Mark as late cancel checked when they've violated your cancellation policy and you want a record of it.