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Refunds and cancellations

Last updated: 2026-02-11

Plans change sometimes. This page explains what to expect if a booking, package, or subscription is cancelled, how refunds work, and typical timelines for payments to return to your bank.

Simple overview

  • Some bookings are confirmed instantly. Others need trainer approval.
  • For instant bookings, payment is taken during checkout.
  • For approval-based bookings, we may place a temporary authorisation on your card and only take payment if the trainer confirms.
  • For approval-based bookings, trainers have 48 hours to approve (and they can't approve after the session start time). If they don't, the request expires and any hold is released.
  • Your trainer’s cancellation window is shown before you book, so you can see whether your session is refundable.

Void vs refund (what you’ll see in your bank)

Voided (no money taken)

Sometimes we place a temporary authorisation hold while a trainer reviews a booking. If the booking is declined or cancelled before payment is taken, the hold is voided. This usually appears as a pending charge that disappears (not a refund).

Card holds can last up to around 7 days depending on your bank, but we aim to release them quickly.

Refund (money returned)

If payment has already been taken, we refund it back to the original payment method. Your bank may take a few days to show the money back in your account.

We aim to refund the full amount you paid. (Stripe processing fees aren’t usually returned to us — that’s handled on our side, not yours.)

Trainer approval deadline

Some trainers review booking requests before confirming. In those cases, we place a temporary hold on your card and the trainer has 48 hours to approve or decline. If the session start time passes (or the 48 hours runs out) without approval, the request expires and the hold is released.

Trainer cancellations

What clients can expect
  • If a trainer cancels a paid booking, you’ll normally receive a full refund.
  • In some cases, a trainer might offer a rebooking credit for the same service so you can reschedule quickly.
  • If your booking needed approval and the trainer declines before taking payment, you won’t be charged.
  • If we placed an authorisation hold, your bank may take a little time to show it has been released.
What trainers should do
  • Cancel as early as possible.
  • Add a short reason so the client understands what happened.
  • If appropriate, offer a reschedule — but the client should always have the option of a refund.
  • Rebooking credits (same service only) can help clients reschedule without back and forth.

Cancellation windows

Each trainer sets a cancellation window (for example, “free cancellation up to 24 hours before the session”). We show these rules before you pay, and when you cancel we’ll show the refund outcome before you confirm.

Example wording

“Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the session. After this time, the booking becomes non-refundable.”

Client cancellations

Before the cancellation window (early cancellation)
  • You’ll normally receive a full refund.
  • If payment hasn’t been taken yet (because the booking is still awaiting trainer approval), we release the authorisation rather than issuing a refund.
After the cancellation window (late cancellation)
  • Late cancellations follow the trainer’s policy (partial refund or no refund).
  • In some cases, a trainer may choose to offer a goodwill refund. If you’re unsure, contact Support.
No-shows

If you don’t attend and don’t cancel in time, the booking may be marked as a no-show and is usually non-refundable.

Stripe refund timing

We process refunds via Stripe. Once a refund is issued, most banks take around 5–10 business days to show the money back in your account (sometimes faster, sometimes slower).

If no money was taken (a voided hold), you’ll typically just see the pending charge disappear — timing depends on your bank.

Worked examples

Example — Auto-approve service
  • Client books a £45 session.
  • Payment is taken immediately.
  • Trainer cancels → full refund is issued.
Example — Manual approval flow
  • Client requests a £50 session.
  • Payment is authorised (held), but not taken yet.
  • Trainer rejects → the hold is voided (nothing is charged).
Example — Trainer doesn’t respond
  • Client requests a session that needs approval.
  • A temporary hold is placed on the client’s card.
  • Trainer doesn't approve within 48 hours → request expires and the hold is released.
Example — Client cancels outside the window
  • Trainer has a 24-hour cancellation window.
  • Client cancels 48 hours before.
  • The booking is refundable (refund or void, depending on whether payment was taken).
Example — Client cancels inside the window
  • Booking at 10:00 next day.
  • Client cancels at 21:00 the night before.
  • Within the window → refund follows the trainer’s late-cancellation policy.

Packages (block bookings)

Refunds for packages
  • Packages are typically refundable only for unused sessions.
  • Used sessions aren’t refundable once completed.
  • Example: buy a 4-session package, use 1 session → a refund would typically cover the remaining 3 unused sessions (where eligible).
Cancelling a session booked using a package
  • Early cancellations normally return the session to your package balance.
  • Late cancellations/no-shows may not return the session (depending on trainer rules).

Subscriptions (recurring packages)

Some trainers offer subscription packages that renew automatically each week or month. Here's how cancellations and refunds work for subscriptions.

Cancelling a subscription
  • You can cancel at any time from your packages page.
  • Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You keep access to any remaining sessions until then.
  • After the period ends, no further charges are taken and no new sessions are issued.
Unused sessions
  • Sessions are issued each billing period. Unused sessions do not roll over to the next period.
  • Unused sessions within the current period are not individually refundable — the subscription price covers the full period regardless of how many sessions you use.
Refunds for subscriptions
  • Since cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period, you are not typically entitled to a pro-rata refund for the current period.
  • If a subscription payment was taken in error, or if there are exceptional circumstances, contact team@matchmytrainer.uk and we'll review it on a case-by-case basis.
Failed renewal payments
  • If a renewal payment fails, your subscription may be marked as past due. Stripe will retry the payment automatically.
  • If payment cannot be collected, the subscription may be cancelled and no new sessions will be issued.

Payment failures

If a payment fails (for example, insufficient funds, bank decline, or authentication failure), your booking won’t be confirmed and you won’t be charged. You can try again when you’re ready.

Disputes

A dispute (chargeback) happens when a cardholder asks their bank to reverse a payment. If a dispute is raised, we’ll review the booking and payment history and provide evidence where appropriate (for example, booking confirmations and cancellation timestamps).

Contact

Need help with a refund, cancellation, or booking issue? Email team@matchmytrainer.uk with:

  • the email on your account
  • the trainer name
  • the booking date/time (or package name)
  • a short description of what happened