Managing your booking policy from the booking invoice layout

Your booking policy outlines the rules and conditions that Customers must agree to before confirming a reservation, such as payment terms, cancellation deadlines, and liability disclaimers. By requiring Customers to accept your policy, you ensure transparency, reduce disputes, and maintain professional standards.

Learn more about the booking policy and the option to require it on bookings. We also provide step-by-step instructions for turning on and requiring the policy, creating multiple booking policies, and applying refund policies.

New to the Booking Invoice Layout? You can read the first article in this series for an introduction to the Booking Invoice Layout.

Accessing the features mentioned in this article

Where can I find this feature using the top menu?

• Manage > Layout > Invoice
   

What more do I need to use this feature?

• Admin permissions to manage accounts.
   

Which Checkfront version supports this feature - classic items, classic products, or both?

• This feature is available in both our classic items version, using classic items (Inventory > Items), and our classic products version, using classic products (Inventory > Products).  → Learn more about products

Add cancellation, deposit, or other terms and conditions (T&Cs) to the Policy section. These policies are displayed to the Guest during the booking process before payment and on the invoice once generated.

You can turn on the checkbox labeled Require this policy to be accepted to proceed with booking (checkbox). This option adds a checkbox to the booking page, which the Guest must check to acknowledge that they have read and agreed to the booking policy.

When a Guest agrees to the required policy and the booking is completed, the system adds a 'TOS AGREED' line entry to the booking's Log tab, including the date, time, IP address, and location.

1. Go to Manage > Layout > Invoice.
2. Scroll to the Policy section.
3. Select or enter your booking policy text.
4. Check Require this policy to be accepted to make acknowledgment mandatory before completing a booking.
5. Click Save to apply changes.
6. Preview your booking flow to verify the policy checkbox appears at checkout.
7. Complete a test booking and review the Booking Log to confirm that the system has saved the policy acceptance record (“TOS AGREED”).
    

You can create separate booking policies for different items - tours, accommodations, or rentals - so Customers see only the terms relevant to their booking. Follow these steps to set up unique booking policies:

1. Remove or Copy the Existing General Policy

1. Go to Manage > Layout > Invoice.
2. Locate your existing booking policy.
3. Copy the text or HTML from your current policy if you want to reuse it.
4. Uncheck the Requires this policy to be accepted setting, so all bookings are no longer mandatory.
5. Click Save.

2. Create New Item-Specific Policy Fields

1. Go to Manage > Layout > Booking Form.
2. Click Add New Field.
3. Choose the Paragraph / HTML field type.
4. In the Value field, paste your policy text or HTML.
   • If you use plain text, format it with basic HTML tags later for a clean display.
5. Click the Advanced tab and enable Item Specific.
6. Under item selection, choose which items or categories this policy applies to (e.g., Rentals or Activities).
7. Save the field.
8. Repeat this process for each policy you need (e.g., one for each category or item type).

3. Add an “Agree to Terms” Checkbox

1. Still under Manage > Layout > Booking Form, add a new Checkbox field.
2. Label it something like “I agree to the terms and conditions.”
3. Set the field options as Required so Customers must accept the terms before booking.
4. Save the field.

4. Test the Policies

1. Make a test booking for an item in each category (e.g., Rental vs. Activity).
2. Confirm that the correct policy text appears for that item type.
3. Complete a test booking and verify that the Agree to Terms checkbox works correctly.

5. Confirm Acceptance Tracking

Once live, the system logs accepted policies in the Booking Log with details including:

• Date and time
• Customer IP address
• Location of acceptance
   

By following these steps, you can manage cancellations and refunds directly from your dashboard. This solution ensures that your cancellation policy is applied correctly and that the system records all refund activity.

1. Verify Your Cancellation Policy

Before processing refunds, ensure your cancellation policy is clearly defined and active.

1. Go to Manage > Layout > Invoice.
2. Enter or review your Cancellation Policy section.
3. Include the terms (e.g., “50% refund on cancellations within 30 days”).
4. Save your layout changes.
    

2. Locate the Booking

1. Copy the customer’s email address from their cancellation request.
2. In Checkfront, use the search bar to find their booking using that email.
3. Open the booking details to confirm the payment status and amount owed or paid.

3. Determine Refund Amount

1. Check the Deposit or Amount Paid on the booking.
2. Calculate the refund according to your policy (e.g., 50% of the deposit if cancelled within 30 days).

Example:

• Deposit: $200

• Refund Policy: 50%

• Refund to issue: $100

4. Issue the Refund

1. Go to the Transactions tab on the booking.
2. Select Refund.
3. Select the payment method (e.g., Visa).
4. Enter the refund amount.
5. Add a note describing the reason for the refund (e.g., “50% refund per cancellation policy”).
6. Send an email notification to the customer confirming the refund.

5. Confirm and Record

• The system has logged the refund for that booking under Transactions.
• You can also preview the updated Invoice to confirm that the system has applied a refund amount correctly.

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