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Automated Booking Policy

  • Updated

Overview

Zaui’s Booking Policy Toolkit gives operators full control over how booking changes and cancellations are handled. Policies can be applied globally (default), or at the activity or package level, and can also be configured for specific sales channels such as the Back Office, Online Booking Engine (OBE), or Mobile App.

This ensures consistent enforcement of policies, reduces manual admin work, and allows guests to manage their own bookings and receive accurate refunds automatically—without needing to contact the operator.

 

What’s Covered in This Article

Video Guide

00:00: This walkthrough will guide you through configuring the new booking policies in Zoe

00:04: you will learn how to set modification and cancellation fees to

00:08: find refund methods create new policies and manage other booking fees to

00:13: ensure your booking process aligns with your cancellation terms and customer

00:17: expectations.

00:19: You will learn how to set modification and cancellation fees to

00:23: find refund methods create new policies and manage other booking

00:27: fees to ensure your booking process aligns with your cancellation terms

00:31: and customer expectations.

00:21: Click Settings, then Booking Policy to access the booking policy settings.

00:26: You will always have a default policy.

00:28: This policy will apply to all activities unless an alternative policy

00:33: is selected in the Activity Settings. We'll show you how to do this later on

00:37: in the video. Click the Default policy to view or edit its details.

00:42: Here, you can rename your policy

00:45: Select the fee type you want to apply for modifications. This fee

00:50: will apply when the guest edits their booking. These fees can be found under Settings,

00:54: Pricing, Taxes and fees. You can also select if

00:58: you want this fee to apply per transaction or Per booking.

01:01: If you choose per transaction, the guest will be charged every time

01:05: an edit is made. If you choose per booking,

01:08: they will only be charged for the first edit. Additional edits

01:12: will not incur a fee.

01:15: Click the cancellation fee drop down.

01:17: It select a cancellation fee this fee will also be found in settings

01:21: pricing fees and taxes.

01:24: By default, your first option for cancellation will be 0 hours.

01:28: Select between "credit on account", "original Payment method" or

01:32: "No Refund". Note that payments which require the guest to be present

01:36: such as cash or debit, will only be able to be refunded as credit

01:40: on account".

01:42: If you select to offer a refund, a box will appear allowing you

01:46: to enter what percentage of the booking will be refunded.

01:50: Zoe is proud to introduce flex pricing.

01:53: Flex pricing allows guests to make changes based on a different set of rules

01:58: for a one-time fee for example if your policy normally States

02:02: no refund within 48 hours the flex pricing could allow for

02:06: a shorter window such as 24 hours for a one-time fee at the

02:10: time of booking.

02:12: Set the flex fee here. This fee is charged once per booking, not

02:16: per guest

02:18: Set the new flex rules. The process is the same as the cancellation

02:22: rules above.

02:24: give your policy a description

02:27: The yellow exclamation mark indicates something is missing or incomplete. Hover

02:32: over it to see what requires your attention.

02:35: Click Save to apply all modifications made to the booking policy.

02:40: Choose the activity you wan to apply the new booking policy to. Then

02:44: click Additional Settings to access more configuration options.

02:49: select default or one of the new policies you've created

02:53: Make sure to save your activity setting

02:57: If you have enabled Flex Policy in your settings, guests will be

03:01: able to choose whether they want to opt in from the "additional Options page" in

03:05: the booking flow

03:07: During the checkout process, guest will either see "flex included" or "Flex Excluded"

03:11: depending on their choice

03:14: You have successfully configured and saved booking policies if

03:18: you have any questions. We're here for you email us at support.

Understanding Default vs. Custom Policies

When you first access Settings > Booking Policy, you’ll see a single entry: the Default Policy.

  • Default Policy

    • Applies globally to all activities/packages.

    • Blank by default (no fees or rules).

    • Once configured, it will override all activities unless specific exceptions are created.

  • Custom (Non-Default) Policies

    • Created for activities or packages that require different rules than the Default Policy.

    • Must be explicitly associated with those activities/packages.

💡 Tip: Start by defining your Default Policy, then create additional custom policies for specific activities that require unique cancellation or refund rules (for example, stricter policies for high-demand tours).

 

Creating and Configuring a Policy

To create a new booking policy:

  1. Log in as an Administrator.

  2. Go to Settings > Booking Policy.

  3. Click Create Policy.

  4. Complete the required fields (see next section).

    Field Description
    Name A descriptive policy name (e.g., “Summer Tours Policy”).
    Start and End Dates Define active date range, or mark as Permanent if it never expires.
    Modification & Cancellation Fees
    • Set fee per booking or per transaction. 
      Per Booking will only charge for the first change
      Per Transaction will charge a free for every change
    • Select from Booking Fees configured in Pricing > Taxes and Fees. See this article for more info.
    Cancel Booking Rules Define multi-level refund rules based on lead time before activity. Add rows for each level (e.g., 7 days = 100% refund, 24 hours = 0% refund). 
    Refund / Credit Type You can choose between No Refund, Original Payment Method, Credit On Account.

    * Original Payment Method will not work for in person transactions like Debit or Cash and will be issued as a Credit on Account.
    Flex Pricing See details for Flex Pricing here
    Description Internal notes or clarifications.

  5. Save your policy and associate it with relevant activities or packages.

Important: Only Admin & Booking Fee types appear in the fee dropdown list. If you don’t see a fee option, check Pricing → Taxes and Fees to confirm it is set up correctly.

Associating Policies with Activities and Packages

  • Default Policy is applied automatically.

  • For custom policies:

    • Open the activity or package and go to the ADDITIONAL SETTINGS tab. 

    • Under Booking Policies, select + Add New Policy and select the desired policy from the Policies dropdown.

    • Save your changes.

This ensures the correct policy is applied only where needed.

Multi-Level Cancellation Rules

Cancellation rules allow you to set a refund hierarchy based on how far in advance a booking is cancelled.

Example Setup:

  • Cancel 7+ days before activity → 100% refund.

  • Cancel 48–72 hours before → 50% refund.

  • Cancel <24 hours before → No refund.

These rules ensure flexibility for guests booking in advance while protecting revenue from last-minute cancellations.

Applying Fees and Admin Charges

  • All cancellation/edit fees must be configured as Admin Fees.

  • Admin Fees can be set as either:

    • Percentage of booking value

    • Flat dollar amount

  • Admin Fees can be scoped by:

    • Channel Partner

    • Portal

    • Sales Channel

This flexibility allows you to charge different fees depending on how the booking was made (e.g., direct vs. OTA).

Flex Pricing

Flex Pricing allows you to create a separate, higher price point for bookings that come with more relaxed cancellation terms.

Example:

  • Standard Price = $100 (strict cancellation rules).

  • Flex Price = $120 (cancel anytime up to 24 hours before for full refund).

This upsell option gives guests flexibility while increasing revenue.

On the OBE, guest will see the option to purchase flex pricing on the page additional options page



Flex options will be clearly indicated in the shopping cart.
 



Guests who have booked with Flex options will now be able to edit or cancel bookings based on the flex rules.

 

💡 Tip:  Flex pricing is per booking, not per passenger


How the Booking Policy Applies to Existing Bookings

The booking policy provides cancellation and modification flexibility only if a valid policy exists for that activity at the time the booking is edited, and the edit occurs within a timeframe where cancellations or changes are still permitted.

Example:

A booking is created six months before the activity date when the default policy was in effect, or before booking policies were introduced in your system.

At this time, there were no refunds allowed if a guest wished to cancel.

Later, you create a new booking policy that allows cancellations and partial refunds under the following rules:

Cancellations within 24 hours → No refund

Cancellations 24–72 hours before → 50% refund

Cancellations more than 72 hours before → 100% refund

A guest decides to cancel 48 hours before the start of their activity.

Result:
Because the booking is being modified while the new policy is active and the cancellation falls within the eligible time window, the guest will receive a 50% refund.

Applying Fees

Booking policies can also include cancellation and modification fees.
For example:
If your policy includes a $10 cancellation fee and a guest cancels more than 72 hours before the activity, they will receive a full refund minus the $10 fee.

Key Takeaways

Policies only apply if they are active at the time of edit or cancellation.

The time window defined in the policy determines refund eligibility.

Fees can be configured per booking or per transaction to offset administrative costs.

 

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