In this article, you’ll find out what a late cancellation is on Zenchef and its consequences on affected reservations.
Summary
- What are the consequences for reservations?
- What does the “Late Cancelled” status allow?
- Common cases & FAQs
- Support & Related articles
What you need to know
If you’ve already enabled bank imprints, you must have set your cancellation policy. Otherwise, we recommend reading the article “What is the cancellation policy for a reservation?” A late cancellation is when a booking is cancelled after the deadline you set in your settings. It helps you better manage last-minute cancellations, especially if you use bank imprints or prepayment. A reservation cancelled after this deadline will automatically have the status “Late Cancelled.” This allows you to apply a charge or keep the prepayment in case of a no-show or late cancellation.
1. What are the consequences for reservations?
All reservations
If a guest cancels a reservation after the deadline defined by your cancellation policy, the reservation status changes to “Late Cancelled.” An indicator appears on the customer’s profile showing the number of late cancellations. This helps you easily distinguish late-cancelled bookings from others.
Reservations with a bank imprint “Deposited”
If a guest cancels after the deadline, the reservation status becomes “Late Cancelled” (but the associated bank imprint remains “Deposited”). The guest is notified that the cancellation deadline has passed when they try to cancel.
Reservations with a pre-paid experience
If a guest cancels a pre-paid reservation, the status becomes “Late Cancelled” (but the associated experience remains “Prepaid”). By definition, a pre-paid reservation is not cancellable. The guest is informed that the refund will not be automatic when cancelling their reservation.
For integrity purposes and to preserve evidence, only an action by the end user can set a reservation to Late Cancelled status.
2. What does the “Late Cancelled” status allow?
When a booking is in the “Late Cancelled” status, you can:
- Change it to “No-show” before the reservation time.
- Charge the guest’s bank imprint by clicking “Charge the customer.”
3. Common cases & FAQs
Common cases
- A guest cancelled last minute but I can’t charge their bank imprint. Check that there’s a bank imprint available on their reservation. Important: check that the cancellation was made by the guest. If you cancelled the reservation yourself, you cannot charge the guest.
FAQs
- How is the “Late Cancelled” status applied? It is automatically applied if the guest cancels after the deadline set in your service parameters.
- Why use the Late Cancelled status if I don’t require a bank imprint or prepayment? It helps you identify last-minute cancellations, take action (reassign the table, adjust your preparation, etc.), and keep this information on the customer’s profile.
4. Support & Related articles
Contact our support team
For further assistance, feel free to contact Zenchef support via the chatbot in your client area or by visiting our help center.