A no-show will no longer cost you an empty table.
Card guarantee, a reminder the day before and one-click cancellation to cut your no-shows.Card guarantee, automatic reminder the day before, an add-to-calendar link, one-click cancellation: a complete toolkit so your booked tables end up as occupied tables, or recovered ones.
Why use it
No-shows plummet
The day-before reminder, the add-to-calendar link and the card guarantee work together. In Switzerland, about 1 booking in 50 (1.9%) ends in a no-show. Restaurants using these tools drop to 0.8%, which is 58% fewer (24 heures, TheFork). Each of these levers reduces them, and all three combined make them plummet.
Your losses are covered when it happens anyway
Food ordered, staff on shift: a no-show has a real cost. The no-show fee you set covers all or part of that loss. It is charged automatically, with nothing for you to do.
Cancellations recover tables instead of wasting them
If they can no longer make it, guests cancel in one click from the reminder email. No need to call. You get the table back straight away to rebook it, instead of leaving it empty.
Precise targeting and a solid legal footing
Turn protection on for all guests, only for groups above a certain size, or on specific days and services. The amount and the cancellation deadline are configurable. Every consent is timestamped: you have proof if there is a dispute.
How it works
The guest books: their card is saved, never charged
On confirmation, they receive a summary, an ICS file to add the booking to their calendar (iPhone, Gmail, Outlook) and, depending on your rules, an invitation to save their card. The consent and the fee amount are shown clearly: nothing hidden.
The day before, a reminder goes out automatically
The guest receives an email with their booking details and a one-click cancellation button. If something comes up, they cancel without calling, and the table is freed in your calendar straight away.
If they don't show, the charge happens on its own
If the guest doesn't turn up and hasn't cancelled within the deadline you set, the amount is charged automatically via Stripe. And if the situation justifies it, you can waive the fee in one click when you record the no-show.
A table of 6 on a Saturday night
Without protection, a table of 6 that doesn't show is a dead loss: food ordered, staff on shift, and a table left empty all evening. With the Couverty toolkit, either the guest gets their day-before reminder, cancels in one click and you offer the table again, or they don't show without warning and the no-show fee covers the loss automatically, with no action on your part.
What restaurant owners say
Restaurants in French-speaking Switzerland, just like yours.
I am delighted to be working with the Couverty app: this booking platform matches exactly what I need.
Marc
Café National, Martigny-Bourg
The tool meets a real need for managing bookings and organising our work: it helps us keep service flowing, anticipate busy periods and improve the guest experience.
Daniele Avitabile
La Vache qui Vole, Martigny
This solution really helps us manage bookings and organise our dining room: anticipating services better, managing tables more efficiently and working more smoothly. Real value for our team and for our guests.
Stéphane Délez
Le Lieu 23, Leytron
FAQFrequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about this feature.
In Switzerland, equipped restaurants go from 1.9% to 0.8% no-shows, which is 58% fewer.In Switzerland, the average no-show rate is about 1.9% (1 booking in 50, source 24 heures / TheFork). Restaurants using prevention tools (automatic reminder, add to calendar and card guarantee) bring it down to 0.8%, a 58% drop. The card guarantee is the most effective lever: on high-risk slots, some venues get close to zero no-shows (SevenRooms reports a drop from 15% to 1%).
No: the card isn't charged if all goes well, and you choose where to turn it on.The card is never charged if the guest turns up or cancels in time, which is what happens in the vast majority of cases. You can also restrict protection to groups, certain services or certain days, so a solo diner on a Tuesday lunchtime isn't asked for a card guarantee. The guest experience stays smooth for 99% of your bookings.
Yes, with explicit, timestamped consent kept as proof.Yes. The guest gives explicit consent when booking: the exact wording, the amount and the conditions are displayed clearly. Couverty keeps the timestamp of that consent as proof in case of a dispute. The practice is common in hotels and restaurants, and complies with Stripe's rules and GDPR practice.
Only for a no-show that wasn't cancelled, after the service.Only if the guest doesn't turn up and hasn't cancelled within the deadline you set (configurable). As long as they come or cancel in time, nothing is charged. You can also decide not to charge: a simple tick box when you record the no-show.
Couverty uses Stripe: card data never passes through our servers.Processing is handled by Stripe, the global benchmark for online payments, certified PCI-DSS Level 1. Neither Couverty nor your restaurant sees full card details: they are tokenised directly by Stripe. You get the same level of security as the big e-commerce platforms.
Yes: you choose by service, by day, or from a certain number of covers.You fine-tune it: turn it on for all guests, only for groups of N covers or more, only in the evening, only at weekends, or any combination of these. No need to put off your lunchtime regulars if your no-shows are concentrated on big Saturday-night tables.
A question? Contact us
Say goodbye to empty tables
Turn on no-show protection and secure every booking, starting tonight.
A question? contact@couverty.ch