Guests cancel their own booking with the Cancel Reservation button in their confirmation email. If one rings or messages to say they can’t, it’s nearly always one of the reasons below. Either way, you can cancel it for them at any time (see Cancelling a booking and marking a no-show).
There’s no Cancel button in their email
The button only goes in when two settings are on: Allow online cancellations, which is on unless you’ve switched it off, and Add cancel link to confirmation email, which is off until you switch it on. So if you’ve never been into these settings, your guests don’t have a button.
1. Open Cancellations & No-shows. In NomNom Web, open Settings from the account menu at the top right (or the bottom of the left-hand bar) and choose Cancellations & No-shows. Only admins can change it.
2. Under ONLINE CANCELLATION, switch on both. Add cancel link to confirmation email stays greyed out until Allow online cancellations is on.
3. Choose the Minimum notice, if you want one. It’s how many hours before the booking a guest can still cancel online. Leave it as No limit to let them cancel right up to the time.
In NomNom Web: Settings → Cancellations & No-shows → ONLINE CANCELLATION. In the phone app: Settings → Cancellations & No-shows.
The button only appears in confirmation emails sent after you switch it on. Emails already in guests’ inboxes don’t change. A booking with no email address gets no confirmation, so there’s nothing to cancel from.
What the message they see means
When a guest clicks the button, the page that opens tells them if they can’t cancel. Ask them what it says.
- Cancellation Unavailable — Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours before your reservation… They’re inside your Minimum notice. That’s your policy working: cancel it for them if you’re happy to.
- Cancellation Unavailable — This reservation can no longer be cancelled online. The booking’s time has already passed.
- Cancellation Unavailable — Online cancellation isn’t available for this booking. Allow online cancellations is off. This happens when you switch it off after their email went out.
- Reservation Cancelled — Your reservation has been cancelled. It already is, by them earlier or by your team. In NomNom Web, tick Show cancelled at the bottom of the screen to see it.
- Invalid Link — This cancellation link is not valid. The link has been cut short or changed, often by copying it out of the email. Ask them to click the button itself.
- Reservation Not Found — This reservation could not be found. The booking has been deleted.
Every one of these pages asks the guest to contact you directly.
When it works
The guest sees the booking’s details and your cancellation policy, then clicks Yes, Cancel My Reservation. The booking is cancelled and its table freed straight away. What happens next follows your settings on the same screen: the guest’s cancellation email, your team being told, and whether a deposit is refunded (see Setting your cancellation and no-show policy and Being alerted when a guest cancels or changes their booking).
Good to know
- Your team isn’t limited. These settings only affect guests. Staff can cancel any booking at any time.
- Would a change do? Guests who want a different time or party size can change it themselves if you allow it (see Letting guests change their own booking online).
- Your policy text shows on the cancel page and in the confirmation email. Write it under POLICY on the same screen.