Private Lesson Cancellation Policy Template

Use this private lesson cancellation policy template to decide what happens before a client books, not while you are handling a missed session. It covers the four decisions that create most disputes: the cancellation window, the money at risk, late arrivals, and weather.

Copy the wording below, change the placeholders, and make sure it matches how you actually run the business. This is an operating template, not legal advice. If local law, a facility contract, or a governing body sets different requirements, use those rules.

The short version, for your booking page

Booking and payment. A deposit of $X holds your session. The balance is due at the session.

Cancellations. Cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours before your start time and your deposit moves to the new session. Inside 24 hours, the deposit is kept.

Late arrival. Sessions end at the scheduled time. If you arrive late, we use the time that is left.

Weather. If I cancel for weather or a facility closure, you are rescheduled at no cost or refunded in full, your choice.

Four short paragraphs can cover most private-lesson bookings. The client should see them before payment and again in the confirmation.

Not sure the rule is worth writing? Enter your own lessons, price, and no-show rate in the no-show cost calculator to see what empty slots cost you each month before you decide how strict to be.

Choosing the payment shape

Match the shape to what you are protecting.

Different offers can need different rules. A private lesson protects one reserved time, a clinic protects a seat, and a camp may create costs before the first day. Keep the rule consistent for clients buying the same offer.

The cancellation window

Pick one number that gives you a realistic chance to refill the slot. A coach who travels or pays for a facility may need a longer window than a coach working from one location.

State both sides of the line:

Outside the window, your deposit moves with you to the rescheduled session. Inside the window, the deposit is kept.

The second sentence is the one people skip writing, and the only one that matters when a client is annoyed.

If you allow one courtesy exception, record it as an exception. Do not let an unwritten exception become a second policy that only regular clients know about.

Late arrival

Sessions end at the scheduled time. If you arrive late, we use the time that is left.

Say this before it happens once. The alternative is deciding it in the moment, in front of a client, while your next lesson waits.

Weather and facility closures

For outdoor coaching, separate who cancelled:

If I cancel for weather or a facility closure, you are rescheduled at no cost or refunded in full, your choice. If you cancel for weather while the session is still running, the normal cancellation window applies.

That distinction prevents the argument where “it looked like rain” becomes a free cancellation.

For camps or multi-day programs, add a line for partial closures:

If part of the camp is cancelled by the coach or facility, the affected portion is rescheduled or refunded according to the notice sent to registered families.

Package credits

Package credits are valid for X months from purchase. Sessions cancelled inside the cancellation window use a credit.

Both sentences are necessary. Without the second one, a package quietly becomes an unlimited-reschedule pass.

Use the lesson package worksheet to set the price, expiry, transfer rules, and credit behavior together.

Where the policy has to appear

Wording is not the hard part. Placement is.

• On the offer page, before payment.
• In the booking flow, where the client confirms.
• In the confirmation message, at least the cancellation line.
• In the reminder, if the session is a prime slot.

A policy the client sees for the first time in a dispute is not a policy. Putting the commitment in the booking flow is what makes it stick, which is why deposits, policies, and confirmations belong in the same system as the calendar rather than in three different apps.

Private lesson cancellation policy FAQ

What should a private lesson cancellation policy include?

Include the cancellation window, what happens to the deposit or payment inside and outside that window, the late-arrival rule, the weather rule, and how package credits are handled. Name the client action for cancelling or rescheduling too.

Should I charge a deposit or require full payment?

Match the payment rule to what you are protecting. A deposit can protect a private lesson slot while leaving a balance for the session. Full payment is often simpler when a clinic seat or package credit must be confirmed. Compare the options in deposits, full payment, and pay at session.

Can my cancellation policy be different for camps and private lessons?

Yes. The cost and capacity are different. Keep each offer’s policy clear before payment, and apply the same published rule to clients buying that offer.

Where should clients agree to the policy?

Show it on the offer page and in the booking flow before payment. Repeat the most important line in the confirmation and reminder. The payments feature keeps the payment rule attached to the offer instead of relying on a separate message.

Background reading: Deposits turn interest into a real booking commitment