Payments & Billing

How to Automatically Cancel or Delete Unpaid Appointments on SafeTalk

2 min read

Automatically cancel or delete unpaid appointments while notifying both clients and therapists via reminders


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    Managing unpaid sessions can quickly become an administrative burden. SafeTalk helps you automate this by allowing appointments and invoices to be cancelled or deleted if payment is not completed before the due date.

    This ensures your calendar stays accurate, your records stay clean, and your team spends less time chasing payments. To enable this feature, go to:

    My Practice → Settings → Automation Rules

    The setup depends on how your SafeTalk account is structured.

    • Organizations or group practices must enable this setting for each therapist individually.
    • Solo therapists can configure this directly for their own account.

    SafeTalk gives you three clear options depending on how strict or flexible you want your payment policy to be.

    Option 1. None (No Action Taken)

    If you select None:

    • The appointment will remain on the calendar
    • The invoice will stay unpaid
    • No automatic cancellation or deletion will occur

    This option is suitable if:

    • You handle payments manually
    • You want maximum flexibility with clients

    Option 2. Cancel Appointment & Invoice

    If you select Cancel Appointment & Invoice:

    • The appointment is cancelled automatically
    • The invoice is cancelled as well
    • Both records remain in the system for reference and reporting

    This option is suitable if:

    • You want to free up therapist availability
    • You still need records for audit or tracking purposes
    • You enforce payment before sessions but want a clear paper trail

    Option 3. Delete Appointment & Invoice

    If you select Delete Appointment & Invoice:

    • The appointment is completely removed
    • The invoice is permanently deleted
    • Your account stays clean with no unused records

    This option is suitable if:

    • You do not want abandoned booking history in your system
    • You prefer a minimal and clutter free calendar and reports

    Best Practice Recommendation

    Most group practices choose Cancel Appointment & Invoice as it balances automation with proper record keeping.

    Solo practitioners who require full prepayment often prefer Delete Appointment & Invoice to keep their system tidy.

    In all cases, both the client and the therapist will receive email and WhatsApp reminders (where applicable) before an unpaid appointment is cancelled or deleted.

    Why This Matters

    Automating unpaid appointment handling helps you:

    • Reduce admin work
    • Avoid calendar confusion
    • Enforce clear payment policies
    • Maintain accurate financial records

    This feature works silently in the background so your team can focus on clients instead of operations.

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    About Author

    Shavkat Aslamshoev profile image
    Shavkat Aslamshoev Co-Founder @ SafeTalk. Believes in the Power of Technology to Enhance Mental Health. Accredited Mental Health First Aider, HIPAA Security & HIPAA Awareness for Business Associates Certified.

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