Booking policies control how your Direct bookings are priced, paid, and refunded. These settings determine what guests see at checkout, when they are charged, and how much you earn from each reservation.
In Hospitable, booking policies are managed in one place:
Direct → Booking Policies
The Direct bookings section in Hospitable with the Booking Policies tab open, showing cancellation rules, payment schedule, and service fee settings
What Booking Policies Include
Booking policies are made up of three main components:
Cancellation Policies
Define how and when guests can cancel and what refund they receive.
Set refund rules based on time before check-in
Offer flexible, moderate, or strict options
Apply policies to specific properties or as a default
Also: Direct Cancellation Policies
Payment Terms and Schedule
Control when and how guests are charged.
Charge full payment upfront or in installments
Automatically collect scheduled payments
Set grace periods for failed payments
Also see: Direct Payment Terms and Payment Terms Scheduling
Service Fees
Determine how fees are split between you and your guest.
Choose between split fee or host-only models (Direct Premium)
Control whether guests see a service fee
Directly impact your payout and total booking price
Also see: Direct Booking Service Fees
How Booking Policies Are Applied
Booking policies are applied at the moment a reservation is created.
They determine:
The total price shown to the guest
The payment schedule
The cancellation terms
Your final payout
Booking policies cannot be changed after a reservation is created. The original terms always apply.
How Policies Work Together
Each part of your booking policy affects a different part of the booking experience:
Cancellation policy → What happens if a guest cancels
Payment terms → When and how the guest pays
Service fees → How the total price is calculated and split
Together, these define the full financial and contractual structure of a booking.
Where to Manage Booking Policies
To view or update your policies:
Go to Direct → Booking Policies
Select an existing policy or click Add new
Configure:
Cancellation rules
Payment schedule
Service fees
Assign the policy to properties or set it as default
The Booking Policies page in Hospitable with a list of policies and an Add new button highlighted
Default vs Property-Specific Policies
You can apply booking policies in two ways:
Default policy: Used automatically for all properties without a custom policy
Property-specific policies: Override the default for selected listings
This allows you to customize rules based on property type, location, or strategy.
When to Adjust Your Booking Policies
You may want to update your policies when:
Changing your pricing or fee strategy
Adjusting cancellation flexibility
Offering installment payments
Optimizing for conversions or revenue
Changes to booking policies only apply to new bookings. Existing reservations keep the policy that was active at the time of booking.
What’s Next
After setting up your booking policies, you can:
Configure your Direct site and pricing
Set up taxes for your region
Enable guest verification or agreements