Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Refund owed to client
$0
Vendor retains
$4,500
Non-refundable deposit
$1,350
Refund tier applied
0%
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How to use this
- 1Enter total contract value ($).
- 2Enter deposit required (%).
- 3Enter days before event at cancellation.
- 4Enter full-refund cutoff (days before).
- 5Enter partial-refund cutoff (days before).
- 6Enter partial refund in tier 2 (%).
- 7Read your refund owed to client on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
A tiered cancellation policy (full refund early, partial refund mid-window, no refund close to the date) protects vendors from lost bookings while giving clients fair notice-based terms. This calculator takes the total contract value, deposit percentage, and days-before-event at cancellation, then applies your tiered refund schedule to show exactly what the client gets back and what you keep — useful for setting policy and for handling a real cancellation request consistently.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Total contract value: 4500 $
- Deposit required: 30 %
- Days before event at cancellation: 45
- Full-refund cutoff (days before): 180
- Partial-refund cutoff (days before): 60
- Partial refund in tier 2: 50 %
Results
- Refund owed to client: $0
- Vendor retains: $4,500
- Non-refundable deposit: $1,350
- Refund tier applied: 0%
What each field means
Inputs
- Total contract value ($)
- The total contract value used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4500 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Deposit required (%)
- The deposit required used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 30 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 5–100 %.
- Days before event at cancellation
- The days before event at cancellation used in the calculation. Starts at 45 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–365.
- Full-refund cutoff (days before)
- The full-refund cutoff (days before) used in the calculation. Starts at 180 so you have a working example on load.
- Partial-refund cutoff (days before)
- The partial-refund cutoff (days before) used in the calculation. Starts at 60 so you have a working example on load.
- Partial refund in tier 2 (%)
- The partial refund in tier 2 used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 50 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
Results
- Refund owed to client
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Vendor retains
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Non-refundable deposit
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Refund tier applied
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is the deposit always non-refundable in this model?
The deposit compensates the vendor for turning away other bookings on that date the moment the contract is signed — that opportunity cost is real regardless of when a cancellation happens, which is why nearly every wedding vendor contract treats the deposit as earned immediately.
What cancellation windows are typical in the industry?
A common structure is full refund of the remaining balance (not the deposit) for cancellations 6+ months out, 50% refund of the balance for cancellations 2-6 months out, and no additional refund inside 60 days, since replacing a booking that close to the date is very unlikely.
Should the policy change based on how easily the date can be rebooked?
Yes — Saturdays in peak season (May, June, September, October in most US markets) are far more likely to rebook than an off-season weeknight, so some vendors offer a partial refund if they successfully rebook the date, on top of the standard tiered schedule.
Is this legally binding just because it's in the contract?
State laws vary on deposit and refund enforceability, and this calculator is not legal advice — have an attorney review your actual contract language, especially around what happens if the vendor cancels rather than the client, force majeure events, and state-specific consumer protection rules.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Vendor Deposit & Cancellation Policy Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/deposit-cancellation-policy-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/deposit-cancellation-policy-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vendor Deposit & Cancellation Policy Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Vendor Deposit & Cancellation Policy Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/deposit-cancellation-policy-calculator) (2026).