Set the right booking policy
Practical wording, complete templates and a simple check before you publish.
01Create a clear booking policy
A clear booking policy tells guests what to expect before they reserve and helps your team handle changes consistently.
Cover the practical details that apply to your restaurant: changes, cancellation, arrival, table duration, seating, house rules and any payment conditions.
02What should your policy cover?
Use this as a reminder of the areas worth thinking about, not a list of compulsory rules.
- Reservation details
- Date, time, guest count and how to change or cancel.
- Cancellation
- Deadline, online cancellation route, contact after online cancellation closes and any late-cancellation terms.
- No-shows
- What happens if a guest does not arrive; any fee or guarantee and which bookings it affects.
- Late arrival
- Table-hold time, who to contact and what happens after the hold period.
- Table duration
- Any dining time limit and the services or events it applies to.
- Deposits / prepayments
- Amount, affected bookings, when payment is taken, what it covers, cancellation, refund and no-show conditions.
- Card guarantee / no-show fee
- Keep this separate from a deposit: amount, affected bookings, cancellation deadline and circumstances when a charge may apply. Writing a fee does not set up a charge.
- Refund conditions
- Where money is taken, explain when it is refundable, when it is not and which conditions apply. Cancellation does not necessarily issue a refund.
- Group bookings
- Group threshold, organiser, final headcount and deadline, reductions, menu or pre-order, payment terms and contact route.
- Seating
- Indoor/outdoor preferences, table or area requests and what can be guaranteed.
- Children
- Whether children are welcome, high chairs, whether babies count in the party size and any genuine age restrictions.
- Pets
- Whether pets are welcome and whether indoor and terrace conditions differ.
- Dress code
- Only an actual requirement, stated clearly without judgemental wording.
- Accessibility
- Booking-relevant access information and a contact route for specific requirements.
- Special events / menus
- Affected date or event, fixed menu, pre-order, different payment or cancellation terms and dining duration.
You do not need to include every item. Include the information that genuinely applies to your restaurant and helps guests understand their reservation before they book.
03Choose a complete policy template
Choose the closest starting point. Each full template is on a separate page and can be copied in one click.
04Customize your template
Replace every bracket
Leave no placeholders in your published policy.
Delete anything that does not apply
If pets are allowed without restrictions, a pet rule may not be necessary.
Be specific
- Instead of “Please arrive on time”, write “We hold your table for 15 minutes after your reservation time.”
- Instead of “Please cancel in advance”, write “Please cancel at least 24 hours before your reservation.”
- Instead of “Dress appropriately”, state your restaurant’s actual requirement.
Keep it guest-friendly
Explain what guests need to know. Avoid threatening, contract-style wording.
05Check your booking policy
Look for likely coverage, overlooked topics and unclear wording before you publish.
A rule-based check, processed only in this browser. Your text is not sent to a service or saved. It does not verify your settings or provide legal advice.
06Make Tablein settings match your policy
Your policy does not configure Tablein automatically.
Writing “A €20 no-show fee applies” does not configure a €20 charge. Writing “Please cancel 24 hours before your reservation” does not configure the online cancellation cutoff.
07Preview and publish
- Replace every bracketed placeholder.
- Remove anything irrelevant.
- Make cancellation instructions clear.
- Specify deadlines and amounts.
- Check contact details.
- Explain refunds where payments are involved.
- Match the wording to your restaurant’s real process.
- Match booking, change and cancellation settings to the wording.
- Match deposit and no-show settings to the financial terms.
- Match reservation duration to any promised dining time.
- Review every active language.
- Preview the policy in the actual booking widget.
- Make a safe test reservation where appropriate.
Make sure staff understand the policy and know who can approve exceptions.
Common mistakes
- Being vague about deadlines, amounts or contact instructions.
- Copying another restaurant’s policy unchanged.
- Adding rules that are not configured, including refund promises your payment process does not support.
- Making cancellation difficult or leaving no contact route.
- Making the policy unnecessarily long.
FAQ
A short policy helps guests understand their reservation. Include only terms and practical details that apply to your restaurant.
How to change or cancel, contact details, late arrivals, table-hold time and any relevant party-size or house rules.
Choose a time your team can consistently honour. State the number of minutes and ask delayed guests to contact you.
It depends on your preparation and service. Choose a deadline you can explain clearly and match it to the relevant settings.
Not every restaurant needs one. If you use a fee, make its amount, scope and conditions clear and configure the corresponding reservation security.
A deposit is payment taken in advance. A card guarantee provides card details for a possible later charge under stated conditions; it is not a deposit.
No. Written terms and the reservation-security setup are separate. Check both.
Do not assume so. Refunds depend on your terms and payment process; confirm how your restaurant handles them.
Which payments and bookings they cover, when money is refundable or not, any cancellation deadline and how guests should contact you.
Only if your restaurant has a real requirement. State it clearly and avoid vague or judgemental language.
Include useful information where it affects a booking, such as high chairs, babies in the guest count or different indoor and terrace rules.
The group threshold, organiser contact, final headcount and deadline, reductions, menu requirements and any payment or cancellation terms.
Yes, where appropriate for your setup. Clearly identify the affected date or event and explain its specific terms before guests book.
Use it as a starting point. Replace every bracketed detail, remove irrelevant lines and check that it reflects your actual restaurant and setup.
Yes. Review accurate policy wording in every active guest language so guests receive consistent information.