How it works
Cancellation policy
Plans change. This page explains exactly what happens when a booking is cancelled — both sides — so there are no surprises. Every number below comes straight from the live YamuShare configuration.
What gets charged when
Passenger cancellations sit on a three-tier timeline that starts wide open and tightens as departure approaches.
Free — more than 12 hours before departure
Cancel before the payment hold deadline and there is no charge — your card is not authorised yet.
Partial — between the hold deadline and 3 hours before departure
A partial charge of 20% of the fare applies. The rest is refunded.
Late — within 3 hours of departure
The Late Penalty rate of 50% of the fare applies. The same rate applies if a passenger no-shows (see No-shows).
Of any Late Penalty charge, 50% goes to the host as compensation for the wasted seat — the remaining 50% is retained by the platform to cover the failed booking.
Host cancellation policy
Hosts have a separate set of rules — they keep the system honest by limiting how often a host can cancel before reliability consequences kick in.
- Rolling-window cap
- Up to 2 cancellations per 6 months without reliability impact. Beyond this, each cancellation moves the host up the reliability ladder.
- Tiered consequences
- Repeated host cancellations trigger zone-based consequences (Yellow → Amber → Red) — see How reliability works → for the full ladder.
- Passenger protection
- If the host cancels, the passenger is refunded in full regardless of timing — no charge ever applies on the passenger side when the cancellation comes from the host.
No-shows
A no-show is recorded only after the host has waited a fixed window past the scheduled pickup time and the passenger still has not arrived.
- What counts
- The host waits 5 minutes past pickup. They can extend the wait up to 1 time by 10 minutes each before marking the booking as a no-show.
- Charge to passenger
- The Late Penalty rate of 50% of the fare applies — same as a late cancellation.
- Compensation to host
- The host receives 50% of the no-show charge as compensation for the wasted seat. The remaining 50% is retained by the platform.
FAQ
- Can I get a refund if my host cancels?
- Yes — if the host cancels, your refund is always full, regardless of how close to departure the cancellation happens.
- What if I miss my pickup by 2 minutes?
- The host can choose to wait — they can keep waiting up to 5 minutes plus their extensions. If they decide not to wait, they can mark the booking as a no-show only after the wait window expires.
- Why does the platform keep some of the cancellation charge?
- The host receives 50% of any Late Penalty as direct compensation for the wasted seat. The remaining 50% covers payment processing, support costs, and the resources spent matching the trip — fees the platform incurs even when the booking falls through.
- Where can I see the current charges?
- Right here — this page always reflects the live admin configuration. The badge near the top shows the date of the most recent change.