A practice by some booking platforms where the platform keeps its transaction fee even when a booking is cancelled and the operator issues a refund. This creates a direct cost to the operator for cancelled transactions: the operator must either absorb the platform fee themselves (reducing the effective refund to their guest) or pass the fee to the guest and risk a negative experience. Operators in high-cancellation scenarios — weather-dependent outdoor attractions, for example — are disproportionately exposed to this cost.