A client's booking expired
A booking you were expecting has moved to Expired, and maybe your client is confused too. This is CoreHue protecting your calendar: the time was held for payment, the deadline passed, and the slot went back on your booking page. Here's why it happened and how to put things right.
Why bookings expire
When a service collects payment, a new booking stays Pending with its time held until the payment is made. If the payment deadline passes first, the booking becomes Expired and the time opens up for other clients.
The deadline comes from Expire unpaid bookings after in the service's payment settings, under More payment settings. As the field explains, the clock "Starts when a client opens online checkout or reports a manual payment." For a booking you add yourself, it's the Expire unpaid booking on date ("Dates remain reserved through the end of this day.").
Before it expires, the booking's invoice warns you with Payment deadline passed: "The client can no longer start a payment or submit a new payment report. The booking will expire."
What your client sees
Their booking page reads This booking has expired, with "The selected time was released because the required steps were not completed." While the booking was still pending, the same page told them the date and time to finish by.
Quick checklist
- Did they pay by bank transfer and report it? If they tapped I've made this payment before the deadline, the payment may be waiting for your review. Check Home under Needs attention for N payments awaiting review. See My client says they've paid.
- Do you still want the booking? Expired is final, so the original booking can't be confirmed again. Open it and choose Create replacement booking. It starts a new booking with the same contact and service already filled in, and you set the date and what your client needs to do.
- Is the time still free? Someone else may have booked the released slot. If so, offer your client another time in the replacement booking.
- Tell your client. From their side, they may think they've done everything. A quick message saves a worried email.
If your client paid after it expired
It happens: a client leaves checkout open, the deadline runs out, then they pay. The payment is taken, but the booking stays expired. You'll see a notice on the booking, Payment received after expiry, saying the amount "was received after this booking expired. The booking remains expired, and the original slot is not reserved." Choose Review payment to look at it. You get an email about it too.
You then decide what's fair:
- Rebook them with Create replacement booking, on the same time if it's still free.
- Offer another time if the slot has gone.
- Refund them if neither works. See Refunding a payment.
Whatever you choose, get in touch quickly. They've paid and heard nothing back yet.
The expired booking's invoice shows Payments paused, "because this booking expired". Resume payments lets your client pay that invoice, but it doesn't bring the booking back.
Stopping it happening again
- Give manual payers more time. Card payments clear in seconds, but bank transfers can take days, especially over a weekend or across borders. If you accept transfers, a deadline of two or three days is kinder than 24 hours.
- Extend one booking's deadline. A pending booking that's waiting for payment has Edit payment deadline in its ⋯ menu. Pick a new date and choose Update deadline. Handy when a client tells you the transfer is on its way.
- Confirm without the money. If you trust the client, choose Confirm before payment from the booking's ⋯ menu. The booking is confirmed and the balance stays outstanding on the invoice.
See Unpaid bookings and held times for the full details.
Frequently asked questions
Can I un-expire a booking?
No. An expired booking stays expired. Create replacement booking gives you a fresh one for the same client and service in a couple of clicks.
Does an expired booking keep the time reserved?
No. The time goes straight back on your booking page for other clients to book.
Why didn't the clock start when my client booked?
The deadline starts when your client opens online checkout or reports a manual payment, so a client who's still filling in the steps isn't rushed.
Will my client be charged if the booking expires before they pay?
No. Nothing is taken unless they complete a payment. If they pay after the deadline, the payment goes through and you decide whether to rebook or refund.