A no-show fee is the amount a guest pays who reserved a table and fails to appear without cancelling. Legally, a reservation is a contract in Germany: the restaurateur may claim lost profit as damages — but this only becomes practicable through transparently agreed flat fees with a credit card on file at online reservation. For hotel overbooking logic see overbooking & no-show — this entry is about the restaurant table.
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Credit-card guarantees typically cut no-show rates drastically — often by two-thirds to three-quarters. The biggest effect comes not from collected fees but from guests who cancel instead of vanishing: the table gets re-sold.
| Measure | Effect | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Reminder (SMS/mail) with 1-click cancel | high — most no-shows are forgetfulness | low (reservation tool) |
| Card on file + fee | very high, esp. weekends/groups | medium (communication!) |
| Deposit/ticketing for menus & events | eliminates the risk almost entirely | medium |
| Clear cancellation deadline | the basis for everything — e.g. "free until 6 pm" | low |
| Waiting-list feature | fills tables freed at short notice | low |
Yes — with a binding reservation and transparent prior agreement. Without agreement, the (hard-to-quantify) damages claim remains; with a card on file and a clear flat fee it becomes practically enforceable.
With honest communication ("so your table is guaranteed") acceptance is high — guests know it from hotels and concerts. Many operators use it only for peak times, groups of 6+ and event menus: maximum effect, minimum friction.
Oriented on lost profit: roughly average check × gross-margin share. In practice: €15–30 p.p. casual, €50+ for fine dining/menus. Excessive flat fees risk invalidity as standard terms.
Genuine damages for non-appearance are generally not subject to VAT — unlike deposits on services. The distinction in individual cases belongs to your tax advisor.