Payment Timing and Scheduling

How Payment Timing Works

Mind à Porter uses a flexible payment schedule designed to accommodate different booking scenarios while protecting both clients and therapists.

Payment Rules by Booking Scenario

Clients Booking Their Own Appointments

When you book an appointment as a client:

• Payment is taken immediately at the time of booking
• Your card is charged right away
• You receive a confirmation email with payment receipt
• Your appointment is confirmed and active

Example: You book an appointment for next Thursday. Payment is taken immediately, even though the appointment is 7 days away.

Therapists Booking for Clients (48+ hours before)

When your therapist books an appointment on your behalf more than 48 hours in advance:

• Payment is scheduled for 48 hours before the appointment
• You'll be notified when the appointment is booked
• Approximately 2 days before the appointment, your payment method will be charged
• If the charge fails, we retry within 24 hours

Example: Your therapist books an appointment for next Wednesday. Since it's 6 days away (more than 48 hours), we'll charge your card on Monday (2 days before).

Therapists Booking Less Than 48 Hours Before

When your therapist books an appointment less than 48 hours in advance:

• Payment is taken immediately
• Same as client bookings—charge happens right away
• You receive a confirmation email

Example: Your therapist books an emergency appointment for tomorrow. Payment is charged immediately.

Why This Schedule?

This approach balances several important factors:

For Clients

• More flexibility: If booking far in advance, you only pay 48 hours before (not months earlier)
• Cancellation protection: The 48-hour payment window aligns with our cancellation policy—if you cancel more than 48 hours before, the charge never happens
• Fewer stuck payments: Charges closer to the appointment date reduce failed payment issues

For Therapists

• Guaranteed payment: Charging within 48 hours ensures payment before they provide the session
• Reduced risk: If a client cancels within 48 hours, they've already been notified and charged (cancellation fee applies)

What Happens if Payment Fails?

If your payment fails:

1. Immediate notification: You'll get an email explaining the failure
2. Automatic retry: We automatically retry within 24 hours
3. Your action: Update your payment method in your account
4. Manual retry: Admin can manually retry failed payments

Important: Failed payments don't automatically cancel your appointment. Our team will work with you to resolve payment issues while respecting the 48-hour cancellation policy.

Scheduled Charges in Detail

When a therapist books an appointment >48 hours in advance, we create a "scheduled charge" that will be processed 48 hours before:

Timeline Example

• Day 1, 10:00 AM: Therapist books appointment for Day 7
• Day 5, 10:00 AM: Scheduled charge is processed (48 hours before)
• Day 5, 10:30 AM: Confirmation email sent to you
• Day 7, 2:00 PM: Appointment happens

Payment Methods Accepted

• Credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
• Insurance (for eligible therapists)
• Bank transfers (on request)

Refunds and Credits

• Cancellation >48 hours: Full refund processed within 5-7 business days
• Cancellation <48 hours: 100% cancellation fee applies, no refund
• Session cancellations: Therapist cancellations result in no charge to you

Questions About Your Charge?

If you have questions about when you were charged:

📧 Email: hello@mindaporter.com 📞 Phone: 020 7183 6757 🕐 Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm GMT

Technical Notes

• Charges are processed by Stripe, our secure payment processor
• All transactions are encrypted and PCI-compliant
• Your payment details are never stored on our servers
• You can update your payment method anytime in your account settings