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Booking, Payment & Cancellation Terms

Last updated: May 2026 (v2026.05)

These Booking, Payment & Cancellation Terms (the "Booking Terms") apply to every Booking made through the Docking platform (the "Platform") operated by Docking, LDA. ("Docking"). They form an integral part of the Docking Terms of Service and must be read together with them. By confirming a Booking, the Yacht User acknowledges and accepts these Booking Terms together with the Marina-specific deposit refundability and no-show policy disclosed at checkout. Capitalised terms used herein and not otherwise defined have the meaning given to them in the Terms of Service.

Article 1 - Scope and Acceptance

These Booking Terms govern (i) the conditions under which a Booking is formed; (ii) the pricing structure and payment flow applied through the Platform; (iii) the rules applicable to deposits, balances and the Service Fee; (iv) the rules applicable to cancellations, no-shows and Marina-initiated cancellations; (v) the rules applicable to refunds; and (vi) the dispute and decision-making process for the purposes of payment allocation on the Platform.

To submit a Booking Request, the Yacht User must (a) hold an active Account, (b) maintain a valid payment card on file with Stripe, and (c) explicitly accept these Booking Terms together with the Marina-specific policy disclosed at checkout. A Booking is confirmed only upon acceptance of the Booking Request by the Marina through the Platform. Until such acceptance, no berthing contract is formed and no charge other than any pre-authorisation expressly disclosed shall be triggered.

Article 2 - Net Rate, Service Fee and Total Price

The Marina sets a Net Rate for berthing services on the Platform, expressed per night and per vessel category, which represents the amount the Marina wishes to receive net of platform fees. Docking adds the Service Fee on top of the Net Rate to produce the all-inclusive Total Price displayed to the Yacht User. The breakdown between Net Rate and Service Fee is shown to the Yacht User at checkout and on the booking summary.

The Service Fee is calculated as a percentage of the Net Rate, as displayed and accepted by the Yacht User at checkout. The Service Fee is the only fee charged by Docking to the Yacht User in connection with a Booking. Docking does not charge any subscription, listing or commission fee to Yacht Users for using the Platform.

In consideration of the Service Fee, Docking provides the Yacht User, in particular, with: (i) access to the Platform and the operation of the Stripe Connect payment infrastructure used to process the Booking, including secure card handling, the staged capture of amounts in accordance with the charging schedule set out in Article 4, the holding of the Marina Deposit and the Balance until they are due, and the processing of refunds; (ii) the absorption by Docking of Stripe transaction and refund fees triggered by force majeure-related refunds, as set out in Article 11 below; (iii) the entitlement to a full refund of all amounts paid in respect of a Booking — including the Service Fee itself — where the Marina cancels the confirmed Booking, as set out in Article 10 below; and (iv) user support and the dispute and decision-making mechanism described in these Booking Terms and in the Terms of Service.

Stripe transaction fees applicable to charges and refunds are borne by Docking. The Yacht User is not charged any payment-processing fee on top of the Total Price.

Article 3 - Payment Options

At checkout, the Yacht User selects between the following payment options, where both are made available by the Marina:

  • Pay-in-Full: the Total Price is charged at the time of Booking confirmation.

  • Two-Part Payment: the Total Price is split between (i) a deposit comprising the Service Fee and the Marina Deposit, and (ii) a balance equal to the remainder of the Net Rate, charged on the day of arrival. Where the Marina Deposit is set at thirty per cent (30%) of the Net Rate, the deposit charge corresponds to one-third (1/3) of the Total Price and the balance to two-thirds (2/3) of the Total Price.

Once a payment option has been selected at checkout, it cannot be modified unilaterally by the Yacht User after Booking confirmation.

Article 4 - Charging Schedule

Subject to Article 3, the charging schedule applied through Stripe is as follows:

  • Pay-in-Full: the Total Price is captured at the time of Booking confirmation.

  • Two-Part Payment, Booking made more than sixty (60) days before arrival: (i) the Service Fee is captured at the time of Booking confirmation; (ii) the Marina Deposit is captured automatically approximately sixty (60) days before the arrival date; (iii) the Balance is captured on the arrival date.

  • Two-Part Payment, Booking made sixty (60) days or fewer before arrival: (i) the Service Fee and the Marina Deposit are captured together at the time of Booking confirmation; (ii) the Balance is captured on the arrival date.

The Yacht User shall receive a notification through the email address registered with the Account in advance of any automatic charge processed by the Platform. The Yacht User is responsible for ensuring that the registered payment card remains valid and adequately funded at the time each charge is due. In the event of a failed charge, Docking may retry the charge through Stripe and, if the charge cannot be successfully processed within a reasonable period, the Marina or Docking may treat the Booking as cancelled or as a no-show in accordance with these Booking Terms.

Article 5 - Currency

Bookings are processed in the currency selected by the Marina, which is displayed prior to Booking confirmation and fixed at the time of confirmation. Where the Yacht User’s payment card is denominated in a different currency, currency conversion shall be performed by the card issuer or by Stripe in accordance with their applicable rates and policies. The Yacht User remains liable for any foreign-transaction fees, currency-conversion charges or local taxes that the card issuer or bank may apply to the charges processed in connection with the Booking.

Article 6 - Service Fee – Refundability

The Service Fee is owed and charged only in respect of a confirmed Booking. A Booking Request that is withdrawn by the Yacht User before acceptance by the Marina does not give rise to any Service Fee or other charge, and any pre-authorisation placed on the Yacht User’s payment card shall be released in accordance with Stripe’s standard timelines.

Once a Booking has been confirmed, the Service Fee is earned by Docking in consideration of the use of the Platform. Accordingly:

  • the Service Fee is non-refundable in all cases of cancellation initiated by the Yacht User after Booking confirmation, regardless of timing or motive;

  • the Service Fee is non-refundable in cases of no-show by the Yacht User, regardless of motive;

  • the Service Fee is fully refunded to the Yacht User where the Booking is cancelled by the Marina in accordance with Article 10 below.

Article 7 - Marina Deposit – Refundability

The refundability of the Marina Deposit depends on the Marina-specific policy disclosed and accepted at checkout. The Platform supports two policies:

  • Refundable Deposit (default policy): the Marina Deposit is refundable in full, save for the Service Fee, where the Yacht User cancels more than thirty (30) days before the arrival date. Where the Yacht User cancels within thirty (30) days of the arrival date, the Marina Deposit is non-refundable by default.

  • Non-Refundable Deposit (optional policy): the Marina Deposit is non-refundable from the moment it is captured by the Platform, that is, from sixty (60) days before the arrival date for Bookings made more than sixty (60) days before arrival, and from the time of Booking confirmation for Bookings made sixty (60) days or fewer before arrival.

The applicable policy is clearly displayed to the Yacht User during the Booking flow and at checkout, is shown in the booking summary, and must be expressly accepted by the Yacht User before the Booking is confirmed. Once accepted, the policy is fixed for that Booking and cannot be unilaterally modified by either party.

Article 8 - Cancellations Initiated by the Yacht User

A Booking Request that has not yet been accepted by the Marina may be withdrawn by the Yacht User at any time, free of charge, through the Platform. The provisions of this Article apply only to Bookings that have been confirmed by Marina acceptance.

Once a Booking has been confirmed, the Yacht User may cancel it at any time before the arrival date through the Platform. The cancellation flow displays the financial consequences of the cancellation based on the cancellation date and the Marina-specific policy applicable to the Booking.

Where the Marina Deposit is non-refundable in accordance with the accepted policy, the Yacht User may include a written explanation when submitting the cancellation. The Marina may, at its sole and exclusive discretion, grant a partial or full refund of the Marina Deposit. Any such refund is voluntary, exceptional, non-binding, non-precedent-setting, not guaranteed and not enforceable by the Yacht User. Docking is under no obligation to negotiate, encourage or enforce such discretionary refunds. The Service Fee remains non-refundable in any event from the moment of Booking confirmation onwards.

Article 9 - No-Show

A no-show is defined as failure of the Yacht User to arrive at the Marina on the booked arrival date without a valid cancellation submitted through the Platform. The financial consequences of a no-show are governed by the Marina-specific no-show policy disclosed and accepted at checkout. The Platform supports two no-show policies:

  • Deposit-Only Charge (default policy): the Marina charges and retains the Marina Deposit only; the Balance is not captured.

  • Full-Charge No-Show (optional policy): the Marina charges and retains the Marina Deposit and the Balance, up to one hundred per cent (100%) of the Net Rate of the Booking.

In all cases, the Service Fee remains non-refundable. Where the Marina voluntarily agrees to refund any amount after a no-show, such refund is at the Marina’s sole and exclusive discretion, voluntary, exceptional, not guaranteed, not precedent-setting and not enforceable by the Yacht User.

Article 10 - Cancellation Initiated by the Marina

Where a Marina cancels a confirmed Booking, the Yacht User shall be entitled to a full refund of all amounts paid in respect of that Booking, including the Service Fee and the Marina Deposit. Refunds are processed by Docking through Stripe to the original payment card. The time required for the refunded amounts to appear on the Yacht User’s payment instrument is determined by Stripe and the relevant card issuer.

Marina-initiated cancellations do not give rise to any compensation, damages or further liability of Docking towards the Yacht User. Docking will use reasonable endeavours to assist the Yacht User in identifying alternative berthing options on the Platform, without any obligation of result.

Article 11 - Force Majeure (Yacht User)

Failure of the Yacht User to arrive at the Marina due to events of force majeure, including but not limited to severe weather conditions, port closures, navigation restrictions, instructions from maritime authorities, mechanical failure caused by external events, or other unforeseeable and unavoidable events, does not automatically entitle the Yacht User to a refund. The Booking remains subject to the cancellation or no-show consequences provided by these Booking Terms and by the accepted Marina-specific policy.

The Yacht User may submit any supporting information to the Marina through the Platform messaging tools. Any refund or rescheduling granted in such circumstances is at the Marina’s sole and exclusive discretion, voluntary, exceptional, not guaranteed and not precedent-setting. Docking is not responsible for verifying maritime conditions, weather events or navigation decisions and does not act as an insurer of the Booking, of the voyage or of the vessel.

Where the Marina exceptionally agrees to grant a partial or full refund in connection with a force majeure event, any Stripe transaction or refund fees triggered by such refund shall be borne by Docking, in accordance with Article 2 above. Neither the Yacht User nor the Marina shall be charged for the Stripe processing costs associated with such a discretionary refund.

Article 12 - Final Balance and Departure

Save where the Yacht User has selected Pay-in-Full, the Balance is automatically captured on the arrival date through Stripe. No manual payment is required at the Marina, save where the Marina expressly notifies the Yacht User of additional on-site charges (for example, in respect of consumption of water, electricity, additional services or local taxes not included in the Net Rate). Such additional charges are agreed and settled directly between the Yacht User and the Marina, outside the Platform, unless they are made available as add-on items through the Platform.

Article 13 - Modifications to a Confirmed Booking

Modifications to a confirmed Booking, including changes to the arrival date, departure date, duration or vessel, may be requested through the Platform and require the express acceptance of the Marina to take effect. Where a modification results in a change of the Net Rate or of the Total Price, the corresponding adjustment shall be processed through Stripe in accordance with the charging schedule set out in Article 4. Where a modification has the effect of a cancellation followed by a new Booking, the cancellation rules of Articles 6 to 9 shall apply to the cancelled portion.

Article 14 - Refund Mechanics and Timing

All refunds are processed by Docking through Stripe to the original payment card used at the time of Booking, unless this is technically impossible, in which case Docking will agree an alternative refund mechanism with the Yacht User. The processing time required for refunded amounts to appear on the Yacht User’s payment instrument is determined by Stripe and by the relevant card issuer, and is generally between five (5) and ten (10) business days. Docking does not control and is not responsible for delays attributable to Stripe or to card issuers.

Article 15 - Invoicing

Docking issues an invoice in respect of the Service Fee in the name of the Billing Entity associated with the relevant vessel profile, as identified by the Yacht User on the Platform. Upon confirmation of the Booking, Docking sends an email notification to the email address registered with the Yacht User’s Account, containing a personalised link through which the Yacht User and the Billing Entity may access and download the Docking invoice for the Service Fee. The Yacht User undertakes to ensure that the Billing Entity details (legal name, registered or domicile address and, where applicable, VAT or other tax identification number) entered on the vessel profile are accurate, complete and up-to-date at the time of Booking confirmation. Where such details are updated after a Booking has been confirmed, Docking is not required to reissue or amend invoices already generated.

The Marina is solely responsible for the issuance of its own invoice in respect of the Net Rate and any on-site charges payable to the Marina, in accordance with applicable tax and accounting rules of the jurisdiction in which the Marina operates. To enable the Marina to issue a correct invoice, Docking transmits the Billing Entity details to the Marina through the Platform at the time of Booking confirmation. Any question concerning the Marina’s invoice, including its format, content, timing or any tax matters arising from it, shall be addressed by the Yacht User or the Billing Entity directly to the Marina. Docking is not a party to, and has no authority over, the Marina’s invoicing process, save in respect of the transmission of the Billing Entity details described above.

Stripe issues payment receipts and refund confirmations to the Yacht User in accordance with its own terms. Such Stripe-issued documents do not replace, and are independent of, the Docking invoice for the Service Fee and the Marina’s invoice for the Net Rate.

Article 16 - Disputes with the Card Issuer (Chargebacks)

The Yacht User is encouraged to use the in-Platform dispute mechanism described in Article 17 below before initiating any chargeback procedure with the card issuer. The initiation of a chargeback in respect of a charge that is consistent with these Booking Terms and with the Marina-specific policy accepted at checkout, or in respect of services that have been duly rendered, may be considered an abuse and may, without prejudice to any other remedy, result in the suspension or termination of the Yacht User’s Account in accordance with the Terms of Service. Docking reserves the right to contest such chargebacks with the card issuer and to seek the recovery of any chargeback fees and reversed amounts from the Yacht User.

Article 17 - Disputes and Decision Authority

Any dispute arising in connection with a Booking, including in respect of payments, deposits, cancellations, no-shows or refunds, shall first be addressed amicably between the Yacht User and the Marina through the in-Platform messaging tools. Where no amicable resolution is reached, Docking acts as the final decision authority for the purposes of payment allocation and Platform enforcement.

Docking’s decisions are based on (i) the Booking Terms and the Marina-specific policy accepted at checkout; (ii) the data, timestamps, communications and logs available on the Platform; and (iii) the evidence submitted by both parties through the Platform. By confirming a Booking, the Yacht User expressly authorises Docking to apply charges, retain funds and issue refunds in accordance with such decisions. Such decisions are binding for the purposes of the Platform but do not constitute legal advice and do not replace the judicial remedies available under applicable law as set out in the Terms of Service.

Article 18 - Acceptance

By confirming a Booking, the Yacht User confirms that they have read, understood and accepted these Booking Terms together with the Marina-specific deposit refundability and no-show policy disclosed at checkout. The Yacht User acknowledges that the Service Fee, the deposit conditions and the no-show conditions accepted at the time of Booking confirmation cannot be subsequently disputed or overridden, save in the cases expressly provided for by these Booking Terms.

Contact

Docking, LDA.

Rua do Outeiro 2, 2F S7, 4050-452 Porto, Portugal

Email: general@docking.app

Website: https://docking.app