📌 This article answers the following questions:
- How do I cancel a booking in full or in part in elloha?
- How do I apply or waive cancellation fees when a guest cancels?
- How do I refund a guest via Stripe following a cancellation?
- What should I do if I cancel by mistake and want to put the accommodation back on sale?
Why is this important?
Managing cancellations effectively is crucial for the profitability and reputation of your accommodation.
Protect your revenue: By applying cancellation fees in line with your terms and conditions, you protect yourself against financial losses caused by last-minute cancellations.
Establish a professional framework: Clear, automated rules reassure your guests and minimise potential disputes over refund requests.
Optimise your occupancy rate: When a cancellation is processed immediately, your accommodation is instantly made available for booking again across all your channels, maximising your chances of securing a new booking.
Follow the step-by-step guide
Step 1: Access the booking
To view or edit a booking:
In the left-hand side menu, click on the ‘Bookings’ tab.
Select the relevant booking to view the full details of the guest’s booking and the associated services.
You can find all your bookings in this tab, with the option to filter or search for them easily. To find out more, see our articles on managing bookings.
Step 2: Cancel the booking
Once you’re on your customer’s booking details page, follow these steps to amend the booking:
Open the relevant booking to view the full details of the booking and the associated services.
Click on the ‘Cancel booking’ tab.
Select the services included in the booking that you wish to cancel.
This interface allows you to select exactly which services to cancel if the cancellation does not cover the entire stay.
⚠️ Please note: Once a booking has been cancelled, it is no longer possible to add a new service to it.
Step 3: Set the cancellation terms
Before selecting the services, enter the details regarding the cancellation terms:
Reason for the request: specify who is initiating the cancellation to clarify the context and ensure your booking is properly tracked.
Scope of the cancellation: specify whether the cancellation applies to some of the services or the entire stay.
Cancellation fees:
Fees are calculated automatically based on the terms of your pricing plans, the reason for the cancellation and the selected services. You can also choose to waive the cancellation fee for the customer by clicking the button: ‘I am waiving the cancellation fee for the customer’.
❗️Important: The application of fees varies depending on the reason for the cancellation
If the guest cancels their stay, you can choose whether or not to apply the fees originally specified.
If you cancel the booking yourself, no fees may be charged to the customer.
Once these details have been confirmed, you can proceed to select the services to be cancelled.
Step 4: Select the services to be cancelled
Identify the items to be removed from your guest’s booking and tick the services affected by the cancellation.
Partial cancellation: applies to one or more specific services.
Full cancellation: applies to the entire stay.
📌 Good to know: The cancellation fee is calculated automatically according to the conditions set out in your pricing plans.
❗️Important: Any full cancellation of a booking is final. If you wish to change the dates after a cancellation, you must create a new booking.
If a payment has already been recorded on the original booking, follow these steps to reconcile your accounts:
In the new booking, record the amount already received by selecting the ‘Other’ payment method.
In the cancelled booking, enter a refund for the same amount to close the booking and balance your accounts.
Step 5: Confirm the cancellation and update the booking
Once the cancellation has been confirmed, the system automatically synchronises your booking data:
Click ‘I confirm the cancellation’ to apply the changes permanently.
The status of the services is automatically updated in the booking record.
Collect any cancellation fees if they have not yet been charged.
The summary on the right-hand side of your screen shows the amounts relating to the booking cancellation:
Cancellation fees: the total amount owed by the customer.
Amount charged: the sum already collected for this booking.
Balance: the exact amount to be refunded to the guest or the amount still to be collected.
Example 1: The guest booked on a non-cancellable rate plan and has already paid for their stay. I am applying the full 100% cancellation fee. No charges or refunds are due.
Example 2: The guest has booked under a non-cancellable rate plan and has already paid for their stay. I am waiving the cancellation fee. I am told how much I need to refund to the guest.
Example 3: The guest has booked a non-cancellable rate and has already paid for their stay. I am adjusting the amount of the cancellation fee. I am told how much I must refund to the guest.
Example 4: The guest has booked a non-refundable rate and has only paid part of the cost of their stay (or has not paid at all). I am maintaining the cancellation fee at 100 per cent. I am told how much the guest owes me.
Step 6: Refund or charge cancellation fees
1 – You must refund the guest
Depending on the payment method used, you have two options:
Refund via Stripe: if the customer paid via Stripe and you have sufficient funds in your account, process the refund directly from their booking record.
Refund outside of Stripe: if the payment was made by another method or if your Stripe funds are insufficient, process the refund using your own methods (bank transfer, etc.). Then record the transaction manually in the booking record.
💡 Tip: For more detailed step-by-step instructions, see our article on the refund procedure.
2 – The customer owes you part or all of the cancellation fees
Cancellation fees are not charged automatically if your customer has only paid a deposit (or nothing at all) prior to cancellation.
If a credit card is on file as a guarantee (via Stripe): you can manually initiate the collection of the amount corresponding to the cancellation fee from the booking file.
If no card is on file as a guarantee: you must contact the customer directly to obtain payment of the amount due.
⚠️ Please note: Confirming a booking without prior payment or a credit card on hold is risky. In the event of a cancellation, there is no guarantee that the guest will honour your request for payment of the outstanding balance.
💡 Tip: Ensure your pricing plans and cancellation policies are consistent. For example, if your terms stipulate a 30 per cent charge for any cancellation made less than 7 days before arrival, ensure you have collected this 30 per cent before that deadline.
Please note
A booking can only be partially or fully cancelled via your elloha account: a guest cannot cancel a booking themselves.
Confirming the cancellation immediately releases the dates in your calendar, allowing new guests to book your accommodation.