> ## Knowledge Base Index > Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.hoppyapps.com/sitemap.xml > Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further. > Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash). # ❌ How does Appointment Booking Cancellation & Refund Work When a customer or your team cancels an appointment, Hoppy Appointments updates the booking record, cleans up linked calendar or video meetings, sends notifications, and — if the booking was paid through Shopify — can optionally cancel and refund the linked Shopify order automatically. This guide explains the full cancellation and refund flow, what controls are available, and what happens behind the scenes. --- # **⚠️ Before You Begin** To use automatic refunds, make sure: * ✅ The **Hoppy Appointments** app is installed * ✅ The service is connected to a paid Shopify product or variant * ✅ Bookings are created through Shopify checkout (a real order exists) * ✅ Customer and admin email notifications are enabled > ℹ️ Free services, manual bookings, or "Book without pay" bookings can still be cancelled, but no Shopify order is involved, so no automatic refund happens. --- # **👤 How Customer Cancellation Works** Customers cancel their own booking through the confirmation or update email. ## **1\. Customer clicks the cancel link** The email contains a cancel link rendered by the **\[Booking Actions Block\]** in your template. If the service has **Show cancel button in emails** enabled, the customer sees a **Cancel** button. ## **2\. Cancel page opens** The customer lands on a branded cancel page that shows: * Service name * Date and time * Duration * A **Cancel Booking** button ## **3\. Minimum cancelling notice is checked** If the service has a **Minimum cancelling notice** set, the customer cannot cancel within that window. For example, a **24-hour** notice means the customer cannot cancel an appointment that starts in less than 24 hours. > ⚠️ This notice window applies to **customers only**. Admin cancellations bypass it. ## **4\. Booking is cancelled** After the customer confirms, the booking status changes to **Cancelled** and the following happen automatically: * Linked Google / Outlook calendar events are removed * Linked Zoom meetings are removed * Cancellation emails are sent to the customer and your team * Shopify Flow "Booking Cancelled" trigger fires (if configured) * Analytics records the cancelled booking --- # **🛠️ How Merchant Cancellation Works** You can cancel a booking directly from the Bookings dashboard. ## **1\. Open the booking actions menu** 1. In the app, go to **Bookings**. 2. Find the booking you want to cancel. 3. Click the actions menu (⋯) on the right. ## **2\. Choose Cancel** For future bookings on the **Bookings** tab, you'll see: * **Reschedule** * **Cancel** * **Delete** Click **Cancel** to open the same branded cancel page used by customers, but with an admin flag so the notice window does not apply. ## **3\. Confirm the cancellation** Click **Cancel Booking** on the page. The booking status changes to **Cancelled** and the same cleanup and notifications run as with customer cancellations. > ⚠️ **Delete is not the same as Cancel.** Delete permanently removes the booking from the dashboard and cannot be undone. Use **Cancel** when you want the customer to be notified and the order to be handled. --- # **💰 Understanding the Refund Settings** Refund behavior is controlled by store-wide toggles in **Settings → General → Refund and Cancellation settings**. There are two independent pairs of toggles: ## **Customer cancellations** * **Cancel order on customer cancel** — automatically cancels the linked Shopify order when a customer cancels * **Refund customer on customer cancel** — automatically refunds the customer when they cancel ## **Admin cancellations** * **Cancel order on admin cancel** — automatically cancels the linked Shopify order when you cancel from the admin * **Refund customer on admin cancel** — automatically refunds the customer when you cancel from the admin ## **How the toggles depend on each other** The **Refund** toggle only works if the matching **Cancel order** toggle is also enabled. In other words: * To refund a customer cancellation → enable both **Cancel order on customer cancel** and **Refund customer on customer cancel** * To refund an admin cancellation → enable both **Cancel order on admin cancel** and **Refund customer on admin cancel** If only **Cancel order** is enabled, the order is cancelled but the customer is not refunded automatically. You can still issue a refund manually from your Shopify admin. ## **What gets refunded** When both toggles are on, the app tells Shopify to cancel the order and refund it in full. The refund uses Shopify's standard order cancellation flow, so: * The full order amount is refunded * Inventory is restocked automatically * Refunds are processed through your existing Shopify payment provider > ℹ️ The app does not support partial refunds, cancellation fees, or deposit-specific refund amounts. If you need a custom refund, handle it directly in Shopify. --- # **⚙️ Service-Level Cancellation Controls** Each service has its own cancellation rules under **Services → \[Service\] → Advanced → Booking options**. ## **Show cancel button in emails** Controls whether customers see the cancel button in their booking emails. If this is off, customers cannot self-cancel from email. ## **Minimum cancelling notice** Sets how close to the appointment customers can still cancel. Choose anywhere from **0 hours** to **6 weeks**. Admin cancellations ignore this setting. ## **Show reschedule button in emails** Related option that controls whether the reschedule button appears in emails. > 💡 These settings only affect customer emails and the customer-facing cancel page. They do not change refund amounts or admin behavior. --- # **📧 What Happens After a Cancellation** Once a booking is cancelled, the app performs several cleanup and notification actions: ### **Booking status** * `bookingStatus` is set to **Cancelled** * The booking remains visible in the dashboard with a cancelled status ### **Calendar and video cleanup** * Any Google Calendar or Outlook event tied to the booking is removed * Any Zoom meeting generated for the booking is removed ### **Emails** * A customer cancellation email is sent using the **Send email on cancel** template * An admin cancellation email is sent to assigned teammates and the team admin * Default cancellation templates intentionally do not include the **\[Booking Actions Block\]**, so the customer cannot cancel or reschedule again from the cancellation email ### **Analytics and Flow** * A `booking_cancelled` analytics event is recorded * The Shopify Flow **Booking Cancelled** trigger fires, sending booking details to any connected workflows * A cancelled-booking stat is recorded in ServiceStats --- # **⚠️ Important Notes & Limitations** * **Refunds require a Shopify order.** If the booking was free, created manually without an order, or made with "Book without pay", there is no order to cancel or refund. * **Refunds are full order only.** The app cannot issue partial refunds, keep cancellation fees, or refund deposits differently. * **Refund timing depends on Shopify.** The refund is initiated immediately, but the time it takes to appear in the customer's account depends on the payment provider. * **Admin bypasses notice windows.** The minimum cancelling notice applies only to customers. * **Bundle bookings cancel per date.** Each date in a bundle is a separate booking with its own cancel link. Cancelling one date does not cancel the entire bundle. * **Multiday bookings cancel normally.** The cancel page shows the duration in days, but the cancellation logic is the same as a regular booking. * **Waitlist bookings are declined, not cancelled.** When you decline a waitlist request, it uses a separate flow and sends a booking-declined notification. * **Delete is permanent.** Deleting a booking from the dashboard removes it entirely and does not trigger cancellation emails or refund logic. --- # **🐞 Troubleshooting** ## **Cancelled bookings are not refunded** 1. Go to **Settings → General → Refund and Cancellation settings**. 2. Make sure the matching **Cancel order** toggle is enabled. 3. Make sure the matching **Refund customer** toggle is also enabled. 4. Confirm the booking had a linked Shopify order. ## **Customer says the cancel button is missing** 1. Open the service and go to **Advanced → Booking options**. 2. Make sure **Show cancel button in emails** is enabled. 3. Check that the email template includes the **\[Booking Actions Block\]**. 4. Verify the customer is not inside the **Minimum cancelling notice** window. ## **Customer sees an error when trying to cancel** The customer may be inside the minimum cancelling notice window. Check the **Minimum cancelling notice** value on the service. --- # **🎉 Final Result** Now you understand how cancellation and refund work in Hoppy Appointments: * ✅ Customers can cancel from their booking emails within the notice window you set * ✅ Merchants can cancel from the Bookings dashboard without notice restrictions * ✅ Shopify orders can be cancelled and refunded automatically when the right toggles are enabled * ✅ Cancellation emails are sent to customers and your team * ✅ Linked calendar events and video meetings are cleaned up automatically For setup instructions, see the related guides below. --- # **📚 Related Articles** * **How Customers Reschedule or Cancel Appointments** * **How does Payments work with Appointment Bookings** * **How to Manage Bookings in Dashboard?** * **How to Configure Email Notifications for Appointment Bookings?** * **Appointment Bookings — Types of Bookings Explained**