Encore is fully committed to fair pay for musicians. Our cancellation policy aims to ensure fair recompense in the event of a customer cancelling a booking, which reflects the time involved in organising the booking and the decreasing probability of being able to find alternative work at short notice.
Postponement
Customers have the right to postpone the date of a confirmed booking and when they do so, this should always be communicated to the Encore team.
A postponement is then essentially treated like a new enquiry. You can either agree to the new date, or not. If you say no, it’s treated as a customer cancellation, and processed in line with the terms of our Cancellation policy, which you can find here.
If you’re happy to agree to the new date, you have two options:
Proceed with the original quote: The new booking can proceed under the already agreed-upon terms and fees if you’re happy with them.
Re-quote: It’s absolutely within your right to re-quote before agreeing, especially if for example, the new date falls during peak season or if it is in the new year and you were planning to raise your fees.
If the customer declines your new quote, it is treated as a customer cancellation. If they're happy to go ahead with the new quote, any additional fees are processed per the original payment method selected by the customer at checkout.
The new deposit is paid out immediately, and extra fees are added to the final payment, which is released 24 hours after the event.
Cancellation
If a customer cancels an Encore musicians booking, the portion of your fee you are entitled to retain will depend on:
When the customer booked
How long before the event date they cancel
The cancellation policy is also dependant upon the preferred payment method the customer has selected.
It's worth remembering that in the Cancellation Policy, Encore talks about the Performance Fee. This is the total amount the Customer pays, not your Net Fee.
So if it says you're entitled to 80%, this means you're entitled to your entire Net Fee.
Similarly, if it says you're entitled to 40%, this means half of your earnings.
Encore Pay
If a customer has chosen to pay via Encore Pay, and then chooses to cancel their booking, the following terms apply:
If They Booked You More Than 4 Weeks Before the Event:
Cancels within 48 hours of booking: The customer gets a full refund. No fee is due to you.
Cancels after 48 hours but more than 4 weeks before the event: You’ll keep your 10% deposit.
Cancels after 48 hours but within 4 weeks of the event: You’ll keep your whole fee (80% of the Performance Fee)
If They Booked You Within 4 Weeks of the Event:
Cancels within 48 hours of booking: Customer gets a full refund.
Cancels after 48 hours but more than 2 weeks before the event: You’ll get 40% of the Performance Fee.
Cancels after 48 hours and between 1-2 weeks before the event: You’ll get 60% of the Performance Fee.
Cancels within 1 week of the event: You’ll keep your whole fee (80% of the Performance Fee)
BACS Payment (Bank Transfer)
If the customer is paying via BACS (bank transfer), the cancellation policy kicks in once the payment has been received by Encore.
If the customer cancels within 5 days of booking via BACS, the customer will receive a full refund. No fee is due to you.
Customers paying by BACS must send Encore the deposit within 3 business days of booking unless agreed otherwise by all parties. If we don't receive it by 5 business days, we can completely cancel the booking.
While Encore will aim to enforce BACS payment terms, please note that cancellation payments are only guaranteed after the customer’s payment arrives - we can't enforce it if we haven't received the money.
Cash Payment
Please note: whether or not to accept a cash payment for a booking is determined by the musician at their own discretion.
When you receive a booking request, you will see a notification explaining that the client has decided to make the booking payment outside of Encore Pay. By clicking the checkbox labelled "I understand this booking will not use Encore Pay", you agree to take responsibility for ensuring you receive your payment on time.
If the customer requests to pay you directly (e.g., cash or private bank transfer), Encore’s cancellation policy doesn’t apply. In these cases, it’s a good idea to have your own cancellation terms in place and communicate them to the customer directly.
Special Cases & FAQs
1. Short-Notice Cancellations
If a customer cancels within 48 hours of the event start time, you’re entitled to the full booking fee (unless the booking was confirmed within that same 48-hour period, in which case you'll keep 30%).
2. Force Majeure
In cases like natural disasters, government restrictions, or 'Acts of God', cancellations will be assessed individually, and payment may vary. We’ll work to make sure you can retain at least your deposit where possible.
3. What About Non-Refundable Expenses?
If you’ve paid for non-refundable travel or accommodation, you may be reimbursed if the customer cancels. To claim this, please keep proof of your non-refundable booking.
For full details and any unique situations, read our Cancellation Policy.
You can always reach out to us if you have any questions or need support with a cancellation at [email protected]