Cancellation policies groomers actually use, word for word

The four terms a policy has to spell out

• The notice window. The number of hours before the appointment in which a client can still cancel or move it for free.
• The late-cancel fee. The charge for a cancel inside that window, as a dollar amount or a share of the groom.
• The no-show fee. The charge for a missed appointment, plus how late a client can arrive before you count it as one.
• The exceptions. Your rule for a real emergency, and who makes the call.

Late pickup fees and a deposit to rebook are optional extras. You need the four terms above in writing, because a client cannot agree to terms they have not seen.

Real policies, quoted

We copied each excerpt from the shop's own policy page as it read on 22 September 2026. We quote them to show wording that working groomers stand behind, and we are not endorsing one over the others.

Full price on the day: Good Dog Grooming

The Good Dog Grooming policies page reads: "We request a 24-hour notice for cancellations. Same day cancellations will result in 100% service cost due that day."

Good Dog Grooming leaves no gray area. On the day of the appointment the shop cannot sell the slot to anyone else, so it charges the full price as though the dog had come in. The same page requires pre-payment after three no-call no-shows, and says they will work with a client through a real emergency.

Half the groom for a same-day cancel: Small Town Grooming

"For cancellations made on the same day as the appointment," the Small Town Grooming policies say, "clients will be required to pay 50% of the grooming fee of the missed appointment."

Small Town Grooming charges less to a client who at least calls. A no-show without notice costs the full groom, a dog 15 minutes past the appointment time counts as a no-show, and the shop judges unforeseen situations case by case.

A 48-hour window and a lateness rule: Gracious Groomer

The Gracious Groomer FAQ puts a deadline on pickup: "All pets must be picked up within 30 minutes. A $20 late fee will apply, plus $1/min after 45 min."

Gracious Groomer sets rules for both drop-off and pickup. The shop asks for 48 hours' notice and charges half the service inside that window, allows 5 minutes for late arrivals, and puts a price on a late pickup so the next dog does not have to wait.

Half the groom, and a deposit after a miss: The Soggy Doggy Spa

The spa states its rule in two sentences (The Soggy Doggy Spa policies): "There is a 24-hour cancellation policy. If you fail to cancel less than 24 hours before your appointment, you will be required to pay half of the full price of your dog's grooming."

A client can remember a rule this short. The spa charges the same fee for a no-show, and a client who has cancelled or no-showed pays a deposit of half the groom when they book again.

Both terms defined: Shelly's Little Dog Grooming

The Shelly's Little Dog Grooming policy spells out both terms: "Late Cancellation Is defined as any cancellation or reschedule made with less than 24 hours' notice. A No Show Is defined as a missed appointment without canceling in any manner."

With both terms written down, a client has little room to argue about which one applies. Shelly's also counts a late reschedule as a late cancel, which closes the most common loophole, and after a miss the client pre-pays the next groom plus the fee.

How long a notice window should be

Four of the five policies above use 24 hours, and Gracious Groomer asks for 48. Pick a window long enough that you can still fill the slot. If your regulars book weeks out and you seldom get a call for the next day, a 24-hour window gets you a fee but almost no chance to rebook, and 48 hours gives you a real one. If more people ask for same-week slots than you can fit, 24 hours is plenty.

Once you pick a window, also say what counts as late. Small Town and The Soggy Doggy Spa allow 15 minutes and Gracious Groomer 5, because a dog who turns up 40 minutes late eats into the next client's groom.

Handling a client who breaks the policy

1. Ask what happened first. If your policy has an emergency line, you can waive the fee for a sick kid and still charge it for a forgotten appointment.
2. Decide what you will do, then tell the client once. "Hi [name], we missed [dog's name] today. The policy you agreed to when you booked has a no-show fee, so I've charged it to the card on file. Want me to find you a new time?"
3. Change the terms for repeat misses. Good Dog Grooming asks for pre-payment after three no-shows, Shelly's has the client pre-pay, and The Soggy Doggy Spa asks for a deposit. Pick one and apply it the same way to each client it covers.

By default, FurSlot asks you before it charges a no-show fee. Marking a no-show brings up the fee, the card's last four digits and any deposit already paid, and you choose to charge or waive. You can set the shop to never charge or to charge without asking, and give a single client a different rule. If a client cancels from their own link, FurSlot never charges the card, and inside your window it leaves the fee for you to decide. The wider guide to stopping no-shows covers reminders and deposits too.

Putting the policy in front of the client

You can only hold a client to a policy they saw before they booked, so at minimum put it on your booking page, in your confirmation and in your reminder.

FurSlot puts it in each of those places for you, in your own numbers:

• The booking page. The client has to tick a box agreeing to your fee for a no-show or a cancel inside your window, or the booking does not go through.
• The confirmation email. It repeats the window and the fee, with a link to view or cancel.
• The reminder. The reminder text carries a link to manage or cancel the appointment.
• The cancel page. FurSlot tells a client cancelling inside your window that the fee may apply and that you decide whether to charge it.

You set the window yourself, and it stays at 24 hours unless you change it. Deposits are a flat dollar amount FurSlot takes at booking through your own Stripe account; see how deposits and no-show fees work.

Generate yours

The free cancellation policy generator takes four things, your shop name, your notice window, your fee and your deposit, and writes a plain-English policy: the free cancellation window, the late-cancel and no-show fee, a line saying the fee is for the missed appointment and not a surcharge for paying by card, and an emergency waiver. You can copy it, paste it on your site or into your texts, and change any word you like, all without signing up.

Neither this page nor the generator is legal advice. Rules on fees and deposits vary by location, so if you plan to charge large fees or keep deposits, run your wording past a local attorney.

Deposits, notice and the no-show conversation

Do I have to have a cancellation policy?

You do not have to, but without one you have nothing to point to when you ask for a fee. A written policy the client agreed to before booking makes a no-show fee fair and easy to explain. This is not legal advice; if you plan to charge fees, check your wording with a local attorney.

How long should the notice window be?

Make it long enough that you can still fill the slot. Four of the five real policies on this page use 24 hours and one uses 48. If clients seldom book you for the next day at short notice, 48 hours gives you a real chance to refill the slot; if you turn people away each week, 24 is enough.

Is it normal for a groomer to charge a deposit?

Yes, it is common, above all for new clients and for anyone who has missed before. Several of the policies on this page ask for a deposit or pre-payment after a no-show. In FurSlot the deposit is a flat dollar amount taken at booking through your own Stripe account, and it counts toward the groom.

What do I say when someone owes a no-show fee?

Keep it short and factual: name the missed appointment, point to the policy they agreed to at booking, state the fee, and offer a new time. Ask what happened before you charge, since your waiver line is there for a real emergency. Use the same words with each client, and do not apologize for your own policy.