Help Center

No-Show Policies

Stillpoint can automatically detect no-shows and apply fees based on your practice's policies. This helps protect your time and encourages clients to attend or cancel in advance.

How No-Show Detection Works

A scheduled background process runs automatically and checks for appointments that have ended without being marked as attended:

1. After an appointment's end time passes plus a 15-minute buffer, the system identifies it as a potential no-show
2. The appointment status is updated to No-Show
3. If fees are enabled, a charge or invoice is created
4. The client receives a notification email about the missed appointment

This process runs automatically -- you don't need to manually mark appointments as no-shows.

Configuring No-Show Fees

Navigate to Settings and find the Cancellation & No-Show Fees card:

1. Toggle Enable fee collection to turn on the feature
2. Configure the cancellation fee section:
   • Grace period -- How many hours before the appointment a cancellation is considered "late" (e.g., 24 hours)
   • Fee type -- Flat amount, percentage of session price, or full session price
   • Fee amount -- The specific dollar amount or percentage
3. Configure the no-show fee section:
   • Fee type -- Flat amount, percentage of session price, or full session price
   • Fee amount -- The specific amount or percentage (full session charges the entire appointment price)
4. Set auto-charge options:
   • Auto-charge -- When enabled, fees are charged automatically to the client's card on file
   • Require card on file -- Prompt clients to add a payment method when booking
5. Click Save to apply

Fee Calculation Examples

• Flat fee: A fixed amount (e.g., $50) regardless of the service price
• Percentage: A percentage of the appointment price (e.g., 50% of a $200 session = $100)
• Full session: The entire appointment price is charged as the no-show fee

Payment Processing

When a no-show fee is triggered:

1. If auto-charge is enabled and the client has a card on file, the fee is charged to their card automatically via Stripe
2. If the charge fails or no card is on file, an invoice is created and sent to the client instead
3. The invoice appears in your billing records with a "No-show fee" line item

No-Show Follow-up Emails

Configure follow-up behavior in the No-Show Follow-up section of your settings:

• Enable follow-up -- Toggle automatic follow-up emails after a no-show
• Delay -- How many hours after the no-show before the follow-up is sent
• Include rebooking link -- Add a direct booking link so the client can easily reschedule

The initial no-show notification email always includes the missed appointment details and any fee information.

Tips

• Set a clear cancellation policy and communicate it to clients during onboarding
• The 24-hour grace period is a common standard, but adjust it to match your practice's policy
• Full session no-show fees are the strongest deterrent but may not be appropriate for every practice
• Review no-show patterns in your calendar to identify clients who may need a scheduling adjustment
• Clients can see their fee in the notification email, which includes the service name, date, and amount charged