Cancellation policies for direct bookings: which one to pick and how to show it
On Airbnb the platform decides how a cancellation works. On your own website you do, and the policy is part of what a guest weighs before they book. A clear, fair policy shown up front wins more bookings than a strict one hidden in an email. This guide explains the four built-in policies RentalBeam offers, when to write your own, and how the policy reaches the guest.
The four presets
| Policy | Refund | Date changes |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible | 100 percent until 14 days before check-in | Until 7 days before |
| Moderate | 50 percent until 14 days before check-in | Until 7 days before |
| Firm | 50 percent until 30 days before check-in | Until 14 days before |
| Strict | No refund | Not allowed |
Each one is a familiar shape, so you never write legal copy yourself, and each appears in the guest's own language.
Which one to pick
- Flexible: short stays, easy re-booking, a market where guests decide late. It reads as generous and it costs you little when a cancelled week re-sells.
- Moderate: the default for most independent hosts. Half back until two weeks out is fair to both sides.
- Firm: longer stays and remote properties, where a late cancellation is hard to re-sell.
- Strict: peak weeks you know will sell, or bookings taken very close to arrival. Use it sparingly on your own site; guests can compare.
When to write your own
The custom builder has four settings: a refund window in days, a refund percentage, whether date changes are allowed, and the date-change window. That covers most real policies, for example 75 percent back until 21 days before. Use it when a preset is close but not right. If you need wording the four settings cannot express, you can type the policy yourself; it is then shown exactly as typed, in your language only.
Pair the policy with your deposit
Put the balance due date inside the refund window. A guest who cancels in time has then paid only the deposit, and your refund is small and quick. A large payment taken at booking with a strict policy is the combination guests walk away from. See deposits for direct bookings.
How the guest sees it
- 1
Set it once
Choose a preset or build your own in your booking settings under Guests and Policies.
- 2
It shows on the form
The policy appears on the booking form before the guest sends a request or pays, in the guest's own language for presets and the builder.
- 3
It travels with the booking
The same policy is what you both refer back to if plans change. Refunds are issued by you from the booking when a cancellation qualifies.
Summary
Pick Moderate unless you have a reason not to, shorten the deposit so a timely cancellation costs the guest little, and let the form show the policy in the guest's own language before they book. A policy read up front is a booking that does not turn into an argument.