--- title: How to reduce restaurant no-shows, and fees | NFCeez url: https://nfceez.de/en/blog/how-to-reduce-restaurant-no-shows/ language: en description: How to reduce restaurant no-shows: what works before the booking, when a no-show fee is allowed in Germany, plus templates you can copy today. --- # How do you reduce restaurant no-shows, and can you charge a fee? What works before the booking, what German law allows, and where there's still no clear answer. With texts to copy. [Reservations](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/topic/reservations/) 7 min read Updated 2 November 2026 NFCeez editorial team The short answer Restaurant no-shows drop best with a clear confirmation, a reminder one or two days ahead, easy cancellation and a fixed table hold time. In Germany, a no-show fee is possible in principle if it was agreed beforehand, doesn't exceed the usual loss, and lets the guest prove a smaller one. Court decisions on these fees aren't uniform. Contents - How big is the no-show problem? - How do you reduce restaurant no-shows? - What do you tell guests, and when? - Can a restaurant charge a no-show fee in Germany? - Is a deposit worth it? - What mistakes should you avoid? - How do request and confirmation work when guests book online? - Your next step Friday, 7 pm, and the table for four sits empty. Nobody called, and the walk-ins you turned away have gone elsewhere. Almost every place that takes bookings knows this. This guide covers what helps beforehand and what's legally possible. The legal part applies to Germany as of November 2026, and on one key point it isn't fully settled, as we say openly below. Other countries have different rules, so don't apply the fee section elsewhere. ## How big is the no-show problem? We found no solid figures for Germany as a whole. The best available source is a [December 2022 survey by the North Rhine-Westphalia branch of DEHOGA](https://www.tageskarte.io/gastronomie/detail/umfrage-immer-haeufiger-leere-tische-trotz-reservierungen-in-nrw.html), the German hospitality association, of more than 270 restaurateurs. About three quarters said no-shows had increased in recent years. 78.3 percent reported losses of up to 10 percent of annual revenue, and just over a fifth reported more. These are self-reports from businesses that chose to answer, not measurements, so work out your own number instead. Your own calculation (example with made-up numbers) Restaurant Laterne counts for four weeks: an average of 6 seats a week with no cancellation, at €30 revenue per person. That's €180 a week, or about €9,000 a year over 50 weeks. That's revenue, not profit, but it shows how much effort is worth spending. ## How do you reduce restaurant no-shows? The best approach is a combination: a clear confirmation, a reminder one or two days ahead, an easy way to cancel and a fixed time you'll hold the table. Fees and deposits come after that, for large groups and busy nights. The table ranks the options by effort. The ratings are our judgement, not measurements. Measure Effort How guests feel Use it Confirmation with date, time, party size Low Friendly Always State a hold time, such as 15 minutes Low Fair, if said upfront Always Reminder the day before, by email or phone Medium Usually welcome Parties of four or more, busy nights Make cancelling easy Low Very good Always General note about no-shows Low Neutral When it keeps happening Cancellation fee in your terms Medium Can put people off Groups, small places with few walk-ins Deposit through a payment provider Medium to high Can put people off Holidays, set menus Keep some tables unbookable Low Neutral Lots of walk-ins The [DEHOGA guidance sheet on no-shows](https://www.dehoga-bayern.de/fileadmin/USERFILES/Aktuelles/Merkblatt_No_Shows_in_der_Gastronomie_-_Stand_September_2019_final.pdf) also recommends a reminder one or two days ahead. In the NRW survey, about 35 percent of businesses used reminders, 11.1 percent fees and 7.1 percent prepayment. We found no restaurant studies on reminders. The closest is a [Cochrane review on healthcare appointments](https://www.aafp.org/afp/2013/0701/p20): across four randomised trials with 3,547 participants, text reminders increased attendance compared with no reminder (risk ratio 1.10). That's a different setting, so read it only as a hint. We advise against overbooking unless you know your numbers. The trade magazine [Hogapage](https://www.hogapage.de/nachrichten/arbeitswelt/ratgeber/no-shows-vermeiden/) also urges caution: at worst, a guest with a booking arrives at a full house. ## What do you tell guests, and when? Everything important belongs in the confirmation, not the complaint afterwards. Copy and adapt these texts: Confirmation Your table for 4 is booked: Friday, 11 December, 7 pm, Restaurant Laterne. We'll hold it for 15 minutes. If something comes up, please let us know by 3 pm the same day, by replying to this email or calling 030 000000. Then someone else can enjoy the table. Reminder the day before We're looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at 7 pm, 4 people. All good? If anything changes, just reply to this email. Keep the reminder free of offers. Germany's Federal Court of Justice treated a satisfaction survey in an invoice email as advertising, even though the invoice itself wasn't ([VI ZR 225/17](https://www.lto.de/recht/nachrichten/n/bgh-vizr225-17-online-shop-rechnung-email-kundenzufriedenheitsumfrage-verbotene-werbung/print.html)). A plain booking reminder is different, but tacking on "try our new menu" can turn it into advertising. ## Can a restaurant charge a no-show fee in Germany? Yes, in principle, if the fee was validly agreed beforehand and isn't higher than the usual loss. We did not find a ruling from Germany's highest court specifically on table bookings. The [consumer advice centre of Lower Saxony](https://www.verbraucherzentrale-niedersachsen.de/wissen/vertraege-reklamation/kundenrechte/ausfallgebuehr-oder-noshowgebuehr-was-ist-das-und-muessen-sie-sie-bezahlen-120246) wrote in July 2026 that such fees are generally permitted but court decisions aren't uniform. [DEHOGA](https://www.dehoga-bayern.de/fileadmin/USERFILES/Aktuelles/Merkblatt_No_Shows_in_der_Gastronomie_-_Stand_September_2019_final.pdf) gives its view as an industry association in its 2019 sheet. They look at the same topic from different sides. The DEHOGA sheet separates two cases: Simple booking Booking with agreed menu and price What exists legally? A pre-contractual relationship, no catering contract yet ([s. 311(2)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__311.html), [s. 241(2)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__241.html) of the German Civil Code, BGB) A binding catering contract What can you claim? Wasted costs, such as prepared food and extra staff. Not an average bill. The agreed price, minus costs you saved Lost profit? Only with proof that specific guests were turned away. Hard to prove. Same In practice Proof is often difficult, and fees must be agreed upfront A written contract is recommended The claim rests on [section 280(1) BGB](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__280.html), which doesn't apply if the guest isn't responsible for the breach. Whether sudden illness counts depends on the case, and the consumer centre calls it legally disputed. You also have to keep the loss low ([section 254(2) BGB](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__254.html)) and try to give the table to someone else. The consumer centre sees fees as easier to justify for set menus and large groups, and as questionable where tables fill up again quickly. So expect some guests to refuse, and be ready to show your loss in court if it comes to that. ### What belongs in a cancellation policy? A flat fee in pre-written terms must stay within [section 309 no. 5 BGB](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__309.html). From that and the DEHOGA sheet: - Visible upfront. Guests must be told expressly before booking and be able to read the terms. Online, use a clear link and ideally its own checkbox. By phone, say it and confirm by email. On the bill is too late. - A reasonable amount. It can't exceed the loss you'd normally expect. DEHOGA gives non-binding examples of €10 to €30 per person at a traditional country restaurant and €50 to €150 at a high-end gourmet restaurant. What counts is your prices and average preparation costs. - Allow counter-proof. Guests must expressly be allowed to show there was no loss or a much smaller one. - Free cancellation up to a set time. DEHOGA suggests not setting it too far before the booking. - The right name. Call it a cancellation fee or flat charge, not a contractual penalty. - Data protection. Refer to your privacy notice. The sheet includes model terms, which DEHOGA says you must adapt to your business. Your regional DEHOGA branch can help if you're a member, as can your chamber of commerce (IHK). Ask your tax adviser how a retained fee is taxed. ## Is a deposit worth it? A deposit is the one option where you don't have to chase the money, but it does put some guests off. DEHOGA recommends handling it through a payment provider with a payment link, rather than simply noting down card details. The deposit then comes off the bill. It makes most sense for groups, holidays and set menus. A regular who's been coming for years shouldn't need to pay a deposit for a table for two on a Tuesday. DEHOGA also says to weigh up regulars against walk-in trade. ## What mistakes should you avoid? - Emailing a demand for a fee nobody mentioned beforehand. - Claiming the average bill as your loss. DEHOGA says that doesn't work for a simple booking. - Charging even though you resold the table. - Shaming guests publicly, for example by name on social media. It brings more trouble than the empty table. ## How do request and confirmation work when guests book online? With NFCeez it works like this. In the app you set once which tables and occasions you offer and the first and last reservation time. Every booking ends by the time you close, and nobody can book on a day you're closed. On your Smart Page, guests choose the day, time, party size and occasion and get a six-digit booking number by email. The request appears on your phone straight away, even on the lock screen. One tap confirms or declines it, and your guest hears back. Your service team sees the day's bookings on its own shift screen. The limits: the reminder the day before and your hold time are still yours to handle, with the texts above. NFCeez takes no payments, so deposits and cancellation fees don't run through it. The [table reservations](https://nfceez.de/en/features/table-reservations/) page shows what a request looks like. ## Your next step Starting today, count every empty booked seat for four weeks. Meanwhile, use the two texts above and state your hold time. Decide on fees only with your numbers in hand. Our article on [online table reservations](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/online-table-reservations/) covers requests from the web. [ How NFCeez does this Every request with a booking number. Guests choose the day, time, party size and occasion on your Smart Page. The request appears on your phone, you confirm with one tap, and your guest hears back by email. See how it works ](https://nfceez.de/en/features/table-reservations/) Sources - [Merkblatt No-Shows in der Gastronomie, DEHOGA Bundesverband (September 2019)](https://www.dehoga-bayern.de/fileadmin/USERFILES/Aktuelles/Merkblatt_No_Shows_in_der_Gastronomie_-_Stand_September_2019_final.pdf) - [Ausfallgebühr oder No-Show-Gebühr, Verbraucherzentrale Niedersachsen (Juli 2026)](https://www.verbraucherzentrale-niedersachsen.de/wissen/vertraege-reklamation/kundenrechte/ausfallgebuehr-oder-noshowgebuehr-was-ist-das-und-muessen-sie-sie-bezahlen-120246) - [Umfrage DEHOGA NRW zu No-Shows, Bericht Tageskarte (Dezember 2022)](https://www.tageskarte.io/gastronomie/detail/umfrage-immer-haeufiger-leere-tische-trotz-reservierungen-in-nrw.html) - [No-Shows vermeiden, Hogapage (2021)](https://www.hogapage.de/nachrichten/arbeitswelt/ratgeber/no-shows-vermeiden/) - [Text Message Appointment Reminders, American Family Physician (2013), zum Cochrane-Review](https://www.aafp.org/afp/2013/0701/p20) - [§ 241 BGB](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__241.html) - [§ 254 BGB](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__254.html) - [§ 280 BGB](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__280.html) - [§ 309 BGB](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__309.html) - [§ 311 BGB](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__311.html) - [Bericht zu BGH, Urteil vom 10.07.2018, VI ZR 225/17, LTO](https://www.lto.de/recht/nachrichten/n/bgh-vizr225-17-online-shop-rechnung-email-kundenzufriedenheitsumfrage-verbotene-werbung/print.html) ## Questions about no-shows According to DEHOGA, even a simple booking creates a pre-contractual relationship with duties on both sides. A full catering contract only exists once, for example, the menu and price are agreed. For a simple booking, not as a flat amount, in DEHOGA's view. You'd have to prove lost profit specifically, such as guests you turned away, which rarely works. It can't exceed the loss normally expected (section 309 no. 5 of the Civil Code). DEHOGA gives non-binding examples of €10 to €30 per person at a traditional restaurant and €50 to €150 at a gourmet restaurant. DEHOGA recommends using a payment provider with a payment link and points to strong customer authentication rules. Unauthorised people must not be able to reach the data. We found no statutory time limit. Give guests a hold time when they book, such as 15 minutes, so the rule is clear. ## Keep reading. [All articles](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/) [ ### Online table reservations: commission portal, phone or your own page? Three routes compared honestly, a calculation for your own place, and how to set it up in a day. As of November 2026. - ](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/online-table-reservations/) [ ### Few guests on weekdays: which ideas really help on quiet days? Twelve ideas with what each one needs and the risk, plus a worked example and a test sheet so you don't fool yourself. - ](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/how-to-fill-quiet-days/) [ ### How do you turn normal guests into regulars? Discounts rarely make regulars. People come back because someone recognised them, they have a reason for the next visit and the way back is easy. - ](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/how-to-turn-guests-into-regulars/)