Before you confirm
You do not have to accept a request:
- Decline it from Bookings or the booking page. The guest's hold is released and they are told the request was not accepted, with the reason you write.
- If you do not answer in time, it expires on its own, the guest's hold is released and you are told. You can then Invite the guest to book again.
When a guest cancels
Guests cancel from their trip and see the refund first. Their refund follows the cancellation policy you chose for the place (How guests book). You get an email ("A booking was cancelled"), the dates open again, and any door code for the stay is removed. Your payout page for the stay shows the refund between the gross and the net amount; a full refund cancels the payout.
Cancelling a confirmed stay yourself
Open the booking and press Cancel this stay (it is there for a confirmed stay that has not started), give the reason, and confirm. The guest is refunded in full whatever the cancellation policy, and gets your reason by email at once. The card processing the payment provider keeps on that refund is yours: it comes off your next payout. Cancel as early as you can, and message the guest first if there is any way to keep the stay; a cancelled confirmed stay is the worst thing a guest experiences on a direct booking. If the guest asked for different dates, let them send a change request from their trip page instead (How guests book).