Cancellation via Self Service

Eventscribe registration includes an optional setting that lets registrants cancel their own registrations through the self-service registration portal, without contacting your team. When the setting is enabled, a registrant can sign in, select the items they want to cancel, and complete the cancellation themselves.

This article explains how the feature works, the important behaviors to understand before you turn it on, and how to enable it. Self-service cancellation does not work the same way as a cancellation processed by your staff, so review the considerations below before enabling it for your event.

How self-service cancellation works

When the setting is enabled, the cancellation flow for a registrant is:

1. The registrant signs in to the self-service registration portal and opens their registration details.
2. They select the Cancel option, choose the items they want to cancel, and confirm.
3. If a refund applies, it is processed automatically at that moment.
4. A cancellation confirmation email is sent to the registrant.

Note: If a registrant cancels their main registration, they must cancel all associated options at the same time. They cannot cancel a registration while keeping its add-ons.

What to understand before you enable it

Self-service cancellation applies a fixed set of rules and gives the registrant less flexibility than your staff have when they process a cancellation. Review each of the following behaviors before enabling the setting.

Registrants can cancel after your refund deadline has passed

Refunds are issued automatically and immediately

When a refund applies, it is sent back to the original payment card as part of the cancellation. There is no review or approval step for your team—the refund happens the moment the registrant confirms. If you prefer to review cancellations before any money is returned, keep this setting off and have registrants contact your team instead.

Refund penalties apply only when you’ve configured a refund policy, and only to registration fees

How much a registrant gets back depends on whether you have set up a refund policy:

• No refund policy configured: registrants are refunded 100% of everything they paid, with no penalty deducted.
• A refund policy configured (a flat fee or a percentage): the penalty is deducted from the registration fee portion only. Options and add-ons are always refunded in full, regardless of your policy.

If you want any penalty applied to self-service cancellations, confirm that your refund policy is set up before enabling the setting.

Discounts are not deducted from the refund amount

Only credit card payments are refunded automatically

Self-service cancellation issues automatic refunds for credit card payments only. A registrant who paid by check or purchase order can still cancel, and they will still receive a cancellation confirmation email—but no refund is issued through this flow. Your team must handle those refunds offline. Be aware that the confirmation email may lead a check or purchase-order registrant to expect an automatic refund that will not arrive on its own.

Registrants cannot choose the refund amount, method, or waive the penalty

Every self-service cancellation follows the same rules: it refunds immediately, to the original card, using your configured policy. Unlike your staff, registrants cannot adjust the refund amount, choose a different refund method, or waive the penalty. If a cancellation needs that kind of flexibility, it should be handled by your team instead. To process a cancellation as an administrator, see Cancel a Registration and Cancel an Option.

Is this setting right for your event?

Self-service cancellation works best for events that meet all of the following:

• You have a refund policy configured (or you intend to offer full, no-penalty refunds).
• You use few or no discount and promo codes.
• Most or all registrants pay by credit card.
• You are comfortable allowing cancellations and automatic refunds outside your normal cancellation deadline.

How to enable self-service cancellation

Once you have reviewed the considerations above, an event administrator can turn on self-service cancellation from your event’s registration settings:

1. Open your event and go to the Registration Settings page in the registration setup wizard.
2. Select the Allow registrants to cancel through self-service checkbox.
3. Save your changes.

To turn the feature off again, return to the same page, clear the Allow registrants to cancel through self-service checkbox, and save.