Here's a quick guide to when you can get your lesson time back and how to request it.
When you can get your time back
| Situation | Time returned | How |
|---|---|---|
| You cancel more than 12 hours before the lesson | 100% | Automatic |
| You cancel less than 12 hours before the lesson starts | 50% | Automatic |
| Your tutor doesn't show up | 100% | Self-service (see below) |
| There was a Cambly technical issue during your lesson | 100% | Self-service, then contact support if needed |
| You missed the lesson without cancelling | None | — |
Your tutor didn't attend the lesson
If your tutor isn't there at the scheduled start time:
- Click Leave and follow the on-screen directions. Your minutes should be returned automatically.
- If your minutes aren't returned, go to Progress → Lesson History and click on the lesson.
- Click Help on the right-hand side and follow the steps.
There's no need to contact us — this can be resolved directly from your lesson history.
There was a technical issue during your lesson
If a technical problem — such as audio or video not working — prevented you from completing your lesson, here's how to get your time back:
- Go to Progress → Lesson History and click on the lesson.
- Click Help on the right-hand side and follow the steps.
If the self-service flow doesn't resolve it, submit a support request, fill out the form, and try to include screenshots of the error if possible.
My lesson disappeared from my history — I can't find it to report a problem
If the lesson is no longer showing in your Lesson History, you won't be able to use the self-service Help button. In this case, submit a support request and include the date, time, and tutor name to help our team find the lost lesson.
You missed your lesson or cancelled late
If you missed your lesson without cancelling, or cancelled less than 12 hours before the start time, lesson minutes are not fully returned..
- Cancelled less than 12 hours before the lesson: 50% of your time is returned automatically.
- Didn't show up at all: No time is returned.
If you believe your absence was due to a Cambly technical issue, submit a support request.
FAQ
When do my returned minutes expire?
Returned minutes go back into your weekly balance and expire when weekly minutes refresh on Monday at 3:00 AM your local time. Be sure to use them before then.
The self-service Help button isn't working — what do I do?
If the Help button isn't appearing or isn't processing your request, submit a support request with an explanation of what happened.
Can I get my time back if I simply forgot about my lesson?
Unfortunately, no. When you schedule a lesson, your tutor reserves that time for you. Tutors will wait for you during the first 10 minutes of the lesson before it is cancelled automatically. If you know you won't be able to make it, please cancel as early as possible — ideally more than 12 hours in advance to get all your time back.
My tutor left the lesson early, can I get my time back?
Yes. If the system doesn't automatically return your minutes, go to Progress → Lesson History, click on the lesson, then click Help, and follow the steps to request your time back. If the self-service flow doesn't resolve it, contact our support team.
I rescheduled my lesson to a different week — what happens to my original minutes?
When you reschedule to a different week, you are now using next week's minutes. The minutes used to schedule the original lesson will be returned to your account in order to be used this week. Be sure to use them before the weekly refresh on Monday at 3:00 AM, or they will expire.