Payments · Pro plan
Stop losing money to no-shows
An empty chair still costs you the hour. Whoopa lets you take a deposit or full payment when a client books — or secure their card and charge a fair no-show fee when someone simply doesn't turn up. Powered by Stripe, with every dollar going straight to your account.
No credit card required · Full Pro features on every trial
Three ways to protect your time
Deposit at booking
Clients pay part of the service price upfront — a fixed dollar amount or a percentage, your choice. The rest is settled in person, however you normally take payment. A booked client with money down shows up.
Full payment at booking
Clients pay the whole service price before the booking is confirmed. Perfect for classes, workshops and high-demand time slots where an empty seat is money gone.
No-show fee on the card
Nothing is paid at booking — the client's card is simply secured by Stripe. If they don't turn up, or cancel after your free-cancellation window, you can charge the no-show fee you set.
Mix and match — set one rule for the whole business, then override it for individual services.
How no-show protection works
Set your policy once
Choose your no-show fee — a fixed amount or a percentage of the service price — and your free-cancellation window (anywhere from 1 hour to 14 days). Decide whether late cancellations are charged too. Set it business-wide, or override it per service.
Good to know: Your policy text is shown to clients on the booking form before they confirm — everyone knows the deal upfront.
Clients book and agree
The payment step appears right on your booking form. Clients pay their deposit or full payment through Stripe's secure checkout — or, for card-only protection, their card is secured without being charged.
Good to know: Clients who cancel inside your free-cancellation window are never charged a no-show fee. Fair for them, fewer disputes for you.
Mark a no-show, and the fee is charged
Someone didn't turn up? Mark the booking as a no-show from your roster. Whoopa shows you the exact fee before you confirm, then charges the card on file automatically. You get a 15-minute undo window in case of a mistake.
Good to know: Regulars, friends and family can be made exempt with Client Categories — they will never be charged, no matter what.
What your clients see
Right before confirming, every client sees your policy, the exact fee, and their free-cancellation deadline — no surprises, no fine print.
Before you confirm
No-show policy
Please give us at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule. Missed appointments and late cancellations may incur a fee, charged to your saved card. This helps us keep appointment times available for everyone.
Your card is secured by Stripe after booking — not charged now. Any no-show fee is charged by Nova Academy directly; Whoopa never holds or receives it.
Live example from a booking form — your business name, policy text, fee and window are all yours to set.
Firm on no-shows, fair to clients
A no-show policy only works if your clients feel it's reasonable. Whoopa builds the fairness in.
Free-cancellation window
No fee while the client can still cancel free of charge. You choose the window — 24 hours, 48 hours, up to 14 days.
Exempt your regulars
Put trusted clients in an exempt category and they are never charged a no-show fee.
Minimum and maximum caps
Percentage fees can be clamped with a floor and a ceiling, so the fee always stays reasonable.
15-minute undo
Marked the wrong booking? Undo within 15 minutes and nothing is charged.
Your money goes to your account. Full stop.
Payments run on Stripe, the same payment platform behind millions of businesses worldwide. You connect your own Stripe account once, and every deposit, payment and no-show fee lands there directly — paid out to your bank on Stripe's normal schedule.
Whoopa never holds your money and never takes a cut. There is no commission and no per-booking fee — just your flat monthly subscription. The only per-transaction cost is Stripe's standard card processing fee.
Frequently asked questions
Which plan do I need?
Payments — deposits, full payment at booking, and no-show fees — are included in the Pro plan. Every free 30-day trial includes the full Pro feature set, so you can try it before paying anything.
Where does the money go?
Directly to your own Stripe account, and from there to your bank on Stripe's normal payout schedule. Whoopa never holds your money and never takes a commission — Stripe's standard card processing fees are the only cost per transaction.
Do my clients need an account to pay?
No. The payment step is part of your booking form — clients pay by card through Stripe's secure checkout as they book.
Is the deposit taken off the service price?
Yes. The deposit is part-payment of the service. Whatever remains is settled in person, however you normally take payment.
What happens if a client cancels?
You control the refund policy for booking payments — full refund, partial refund, or no refund — with its own cancellation window. Clients see your terms before they book.
Can I charge someone who cancels last-minute?
Yes, optionally. Your policy can treat late cancellations — after the free-cancellation window has passed — the same as a no-show.
What if I mark a no-show by mistake?
Every no-show charge has a 15-minute undo window. Undo in time and the card is never charged.
Your time is booked. Make sure it's paid for.
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