Cancellation, no-show and refund: who receives what?
Traveler cancellation, no-show, partial refund, or host cancellation: easily understand what is returned, kept, or charged in each situation.
A canceled reservation doesn’t always lead to the same financial outcome. It all depends on who cancels, when the cancellation happens, the payment method, and the policy agreed upon by the traveler.
On GoMyRoof, the conditions displayed before confirmation are recorded with the booking. They make it clear what needs to be refunded to the traveler, what might go back to the host, and which fees may still apply.
The policy agreed upon at the time of booking is what counts
Any later change to your conditions doesn’t affect bookings that are already confirmed. For each booking, GoMyRoof keeps, in particular:
- the cancellation policy that was selected;
- the applicable deadline date and time;
- the amount that may be refundable;
- the amount that may remain due after a late cancellation;
- the conditions that apply in case of a no-show;
- the currency and accepted payment method.
So there’s no need to redo the calculation based on your current rate. The booking details remain the reference.
The traveler cancels within the allowed period
If the stay was paid online
The traveler: receives the refundable amount as per the accepted policy. The refund is usually sent to the payment method used at booking.
The host: does not receive the portion corresponding to the refunded amount.
GoMyRoof: adjusts the corresponding commission. If a commission invoice had already been created, a credit note allows recording this cancellation without silently modifying the original document.
If the stay was supposed to be paid on-site
Since the accommodation price had not been charged at the time of booking, GoMyRoof has no stay payment to refund. The host must not collect from the traveler, and the guarantee card should not be charged when the cancellation meets the specified conditions.
The traveler cancels after the allowed period
A late cancellation may result in retaining or charging the amount defined in the accepted policy.
For an online payment
The traveler: only receives the refundable portion, when part of the price needs to be returned.
The host: receives their net share of the amount actually kept, after applying the commission and confirmed transactions related to the booking.
GoMyRoof: earns the commission corresponding to the amount actually collected and recorded.
For on-site payment with a guarantee card
The card registered with Stripe can only be charged under the conditions, currency, and limit expressly accepted by the traveler. The guarantee card does not give the right to freely charge for damages, additional services, or an amount different from what was agreed.
The charge is considered processed only after confirmation from Stripe. A pending or declined attempt does not count as a received payment.
The traveler does not show up
A no-show means that the traveler did not arrive, no valid cancellation was recorded, and no other agreement was made with the host.
The host must wait until the no-show action is available in their dashboard before declaring it. The event is dated and recorded to prevent premature or repeated processing.
If the guarantee is successfully charged: The authorized amount is split according to the booking conditions. The host receives their net share, and the GoMyRoof commission is applied to the amount actually collected.
If the charge fails: No amount should be recorded as collected. The dashboard distinguishes a charging attempt from a payment that has actually been confirmed.
The host should never ask the traveler a second time for an amount already charged for a no-show.
The host cancels the reservation
When a host can no longer provide the stay, they must use the cancellation process available in their dashboard. A scheduling mistake, internal unavailability, or a booking received elsewhere should not be blamed on the traveler.
For online payment
The traveler: receives a refund for the relevant accommodation amount, subject to technical confirmation from Stripe.
The host: does not earn anything on the refunded portion. The commission initially charged is adjusted through a credit.
Refund fees may still be the host’s responsibility according to the terms they accepted. Before confirming the cancellation, GoMyRoof shows the applicable amount and its breakdown, which may include:
- actual Stripe fees that were not refunded;
- GoMyRoof processing fees;
- an additional amount that may be provided for in the accepted rate schedule.
These fees are a separate transaction from the canceled commission. They can be recovered from a later payout or paid separately when this option is available. An amount already recovered should never be charged or deducted a second time.
For an on-site payment not yet collected
GoMyRoof has no accommodation fee to refund since the traveler hasn't paid for their stay on the platform yet. The host should not collect payment for the stay, and the guarantee card should not be used to cover their own cancellation.
What happens with a partial refund?
When a partial refund applies, only the portion actually refunded is taken from the amount collected. The remaining balance follows the conditions recorded with the booking.
The traveler receives the refunded portion, while the host's share and the GoMyRoof commission are recalculated based on the amounts actually retained. The final result is only shown as confirmed after receiving the corresponding status from Stripe.
Why can multiple documents appear?
A cancellation can produce multiple accounting documents without causing multiple deductions:
- The commission invoice records the commission related to the initial booking;
- The commission credit note cancels all or part of that commission when it needs to be refunded;
- The refund fees invoice corresponds to the separate fees still to be paid by the host.
The presence of an invoice, a credit note, and a fee invoice does not therefore mean that the same amount was charged three times. Each document corresponds to a different accounting step.
Refund and bank transfer are not the same thing
The refund concerns the money returned to the traveler. The Stripe payment corresponds to the transfer of the net balance to the host's bank account.
A refund can occur before or after a payout is prepared. Stripe can then adjust an available balance, a next payout, or an already associated transfer. For this reason, the refund date and the bank payout date may be different.
What about the tourist tax?
The tourist tax is presented separately and must be collected directly by the host. If it has not yet been collected on site, it is not part of the refund processed by GoMyRoof.
If it has already been cashed, its regularization is the responsibility of the accommodation provider, in accordance with the rules applicable in the municipality or territory of the establishment.
Where to check the amounts in your hosting space?
- Bookings: check the status, accepted policy, and the result of the cancellation.
- My Stripe earnings: see the net earnings, confirmed refunds, and any fees still to be settled.
- Invoices and documents: download invoices, credit notes, and related fee invoices.
- Stripe payouts: check the bookings actually included in each bank payout.
- On-site commissions: track the planned, due, or already paid commissions for stays directly collected.
Good habits before confirming an action
- Check the booking number and the traveler's identity.
- Review the policy linked to this booking.
- Check if it’s an online payment or a payment on site.
- Read the financial overview presented before confirmation.
- Do not issue a second refund directly in Stripe if the operation has already been started from GoMyRoof.
- Wait for final confirmation before considering a refund or charge as completed.
A simple read: refunded, kept, or still due
To understand a cancellation, you just need to separate three amounts: what is refunded to the traveler, what stays with the host, and what goes to GoMyRoof for its commissions or fees.
GoMyRoof relies on the terms accepted at the time of booking and on the operations actually confirmed by Stripe. If in doubt, use the booking reference and check its details before taking any further action.