> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://partner-help.letsdothis.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deferring Bookings

> Set up deferral on your event so participants can move their entry to a future occurrence.

Deferral lets participants move their booking to a future occurrence of your event rather than withdrawing entirely. Once you configure the rules, participants can defer themselves — no manual intervention required from you.

## Setting up deferral

Deferral is configured per event in the participant settings.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the participant settings">
    In your dashboard, open the event and select **Participant settings** from the left-hand sidebar. Find the **Deferrals** section.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable deferral">
    Toggle deferral on. Additional configuration fields appear.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set which tickets can be deferred">
    Choose whether deferral applies to **all tickets** on the event or only **specific tickets**. If you choose specific tickets, select them — each ticket group can have its own deadline, reasons, and custom message.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set a deadline">
    Enter the latest date and time by which a participant can request a deferral. After this deadline, the option is no longer available to them.

    The deadline only applies to participants deferring themselves. You can still defer an entry on a participant's behalf after the deadline has passed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a policy URL (optional)">
    Link to a page on your site that explains your deferral policy. Participants see this when they go through the deferral flow.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add deferral reasons">
    Add the reasons participants can choose from when they defer. At least one reason is required — participants select one as part of the deferral flow.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a custom message (optional)">
    Write a message to show participants when they defer their entry. It replaces the standard message at the top of the deferral page. We recommend keeping it short — a word counter helps you stay within the suggested 150 words.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Save the event settings. Participants can now defer their entries up to the deadline you set.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What participants see

Once deferral is configured, participants see the deferral option in their booking management page. The deferral page shows your custom message if you've set one, or a standard message otherwise. They select a reason, confirm, and their entry is marked as deferred.

## Deferred entries in the Startlist

Deferred entries appear in the event Startlist with a **Deferred** status. You can filter or export by status to get a list of all deferred participants at any time.

## Deferral and payment plans

An active payment plan should be resolved before a participant defers. The plan does not carry over to the new entry. If a participant on an active plan wants to defer, contact Let's Do This support before the deferral is processed.