Skip to main content
Cancellation terms belong to the therapist. Each one picks from four policies, and their pick appears at checkout, in your confirmation email and on your session row. Terms are copied onto your session when you book, so a policy change later doesn’t change a session you already have.

​
The four policies

Standard is the default and the most common.
Flexible has a twelve-hour window behind it, but its late fee is zero, so you’ll never see it quoted. In one line: “Cancel whenever you need to, no fee. A missed session is charged at 50%.”
Some therapists charge nothing for anything, including a missed session. Theirs reads “Cancel whenever you need to — no fee, and none for a missed session.” A session booked before policies existed carries no terms, so those rows have no Move or Cancel button. Message your therapist instead.

​
Two rules that are ours, not theirs

A therapist cancelling never charges you

No fee regardless of notice, and anything already taken is refunded. Not a setting they can change.

Cancelling after the start time is a no-show

The missed-session rate applies rather than the late rate.

​
Moving is free

Rescheduling carries no fee.

​
The notice you need to move

The notice needed to move is never shorter than the notice needed to cancel for free.
The default reschedule notice is 24 hours. So on Standard you need 24 hours to move, and on Firm or Strict you need 48 — the policy’s own window is the floor. Inside that threshold, the dialog says “Moving needs 48 hours notice. You can still cancel, under your therapist’s policy.” If the session was already due to start, it says “This session was due to start, so it can’t be moved.” A therapist may always move their own appointment.

​
How to cancel

1

Open the session

Find it under Upcoming in your sessions list and select Cancel.
2

Read the amount

The dialog shows what will happen — “$105.00 late cancellation fee. The remaining $105.00 goes back on your card.” With no fee, “No fee. $210.00 goes back on your card.”
3

Add a reason if you want to

Optional, up to 500 characters, and shared with your therapist.
4

Confirm

The confirm button carries the amount — Cancel and pay $105.00. With nothing to pay it reads Cancel the session.
The fee is recalculated on the server when you confirm, so a dialog left open across the window charges the amount correct for the moment you pressed the button.
Your therapist is told straight away and the slot goes back on their calendar.

​
Refunds

Your money goes back to the card you paid with. How long it takes to appear is up to your bank, usually a few business days.

​
Missed sessions and rebates

Medicare and private health rebates can’t be claimed on a session you didn’t attend. A no-show fee is a cancellation charge rather than a health service, so it isn’t claimable either.

​
Worked example

A $210.00 session, therapist on Standard, with the default 24-hour reschedule notice. Checkout added $3.94 card processing, so the card was charged $213.94. The dialog quotes the session fee; the refund includes the matching share of processing. The same session on Firm would need 48 hours to move or to cancel free, and the 25-hour row would cost $105.00 of the session fee.

​
Emails

Cancelling sends a Cancelled email to both of you: who cancelled, the reason if given, the fee that applies, and what’s on its way back to your card. Moving sends a Moved email with the old time as well as the new, noting nothing has been charged again, and reminding you the same room link opens ten minutes before the new time.

​
If something’s gone wrong

Charged a fee you don’t think applies? Write to billing@opentherapy.app with the session details.