Payments and No-show fee

Payments and no-show fees are used only to secure a reservation and help prevent no-shows or last-minute cancellations. They do not add extra choices, menus, or experiences for guests.

When you create a payment or no-show fee, guests will not see an image, title, or description. This setup is used purely for reservation security, such as requiring a deposit in advance or charging a fee if a guest does not show up.

If you want guests to choose a menu, experience, or event, or see additional information during booking, this should be created on the Experiences and Events page instead.

How to Create a Prepayment or No-Show Fee

Step 1: Open Payments and No-Show Fees

Go to Payments and No-Show Fees in your settings and click Create new in the top-right corner.

Step 2: Choose how to secure the reservation

Select one of the following options:

Deposit required	No-show fee
The guest must pay a deposit to confirm the reservation.	The guest enters card details, and the fee is charged only if they do not show up or cancel too late.
Choose how the amount should be calculated: Per person The amount is automatically multiplied by the number of guests. Per reservation The same amount is charged, regardless of the number of guests. Enter the amount and select the currency.	Choose how the amount should be calculated: Per person The amount is automatically multiplied by the number of guests. Per reservation The same amount is charged, regardless of the number of guests. Enter the amount and select the currency.
How long should we wait for payment Set how long the system should wait for the guest to complete payment - Minimum: 1 hour, Maximum: 72 hours. If the guest does not pay within this time: The reservation is automatically cancelled and guest receives a cancellation email. Guests can pay instantly via the booking widget or using the payment link sent by email. Once payment is completed: The reservation becomes confirmed. The paid amount and date are visible. The guest receives a confirmation email.	Free cancellation until Set how many hours before the reservation guests can cancel for free (1–72 hours). After this time, guests must contact the restaurant to cancel. The restaurant can then decide whether to charge a deposit or no-show fee. Charges may fail due to insufficient funds or a blocked card.

Cancellation policy (shown to guests)

This text is shown in the booking widget and sent to the guest by email.

Please clearly explain:

Until when the reservation can be cancelled for free
When a deposit or fee applies
How the guest should contact you for refunds, if applicable

Note: Tablein does not hold your money and cannot issue refunds on your behalf.

When Does the Deposit or No-Show Fee Apply?

You can control when this payment rule is active by setting a date and time period.

You can choose to apply it:

Continuously (Repeating schedule) – the deposit or no-show fee is always active
On specific dates – for example, Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve
On specific days and times – for example, only on Fridays and Saturdays in the evening

This allows you to secure reservations only when needed, such as during busy periods.

If you do not want this specific deposit or no-show fee to be shown on certain dates, you can add Unavailable dates.
On those dates, the deposit will not be shown, and you can create a different rule if needed.

Additional Settings

Guest count limit (optional)

Use this if you want to charge different amounts based on group size.

Example:

Create one prepayment for 1–4 guests
Create another prepayment for 5–99 guests with a higher amount

If the amount is always the same, you can leave this empty.

Where can this be selected?

Choose the dining areas where this payment or no-show fee applies.

If it applies to all areas, select all.
If it applies only to specific areas (for example, VIP or bar seating), select only those areas.

If needed, create multiple prepayments for different dining areas.

If you have any questions, please contact us at support@tablein.com.