A maximum fee of $10 per person may be charged in the event of a restaurant reservation no-show.
The reservation must be for a party of at least 2 people.
In addition, merchants that operate a food and beverage establishment must abide by the following obligations:
- Clearly inform consumers of this potential fee before they make their reservation.
- Allow consumers to easily cancel a reservation by text message, online, or any other technological means.
- Send consumers a reservation reminder or confirmation, such as by text message or email, 6 to 48 hours before the time of the reservation (other than if the reservation was made in the same time frame). This confirmation must include a hyperlink they can use to easily cancel the reservation.
Prohibited fees after making a reservation
No fees can be charged in the following situations:
- A consumer cancels at least 3 hours before the time of the reservation. To do so, the consumer may use the technological means provided by the restaurant, but they may also do so by telephone or in person, as the case may be.
- At least one person in the party shows up at the scheduled time.
- The merchant has failed to abide by one or more of the obligations indicated above.
Fees for restaurant reservation no-shows may not be charged in advance. If the merchant collects the consumer’s credit card information as a protective measure, no amounts may be charged before the scheduled time of the reservation.
In addition, when consumers are charged such fees, the merchant may not charge any additional fees, penalties or other compensation in connection with the reservation.
Last update : July 11, 2025
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The information contained on this page is presented in simple terms to make it easier to understand. It does not replace the texts of the laws and regulations.
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