How online bookings work

Online bookings let customers choose a service, a day and a time on your site, without calling. Online bookings are an add-on. If your site doesn't have them yet, ask us about adding them; we quote it in writing first.

What your customer does

1. They open the booking calendar on your site and choose a service. If you offer more than one person, they can choose who they want.
2. They pick a date and time from the calendar.
3. They answer the questions you set, and pay if the service has a price. Paid services are charged straight away, even when you still have to approve the request.
4. A confirmation appears on screen with the service, the people, the date and time (with the time zone), their name and email, and the place.
5. They get the same details by email. From that email, or from the confirmation on screen, they can reschedule or cancel.

If you ask to approve each request, the customer is told it has been sent to you. They get the confirmation email only after you accept. If you decline, they get a cancellation email. For a video appointment, the join link is in the confirmation email.

What you manage

• Services: the name, length and place of each thing people can book, plus other settings for it. See Add a service people can book.
• People and hours: who takes bookings, and the days and times they're free.
• The look of the calendar: see Change how the booking calendar looks.
• Requests: accept or decline requests, and manage the appointments that are booked. See See and manage your bookings.

Good to know

• Online bookings work best for time with people: haircuts, treatments, visits, lessons, consultations. They aren't a good fit for hotel rooms, rentals or restaurant tables. For tables, see Add an OpenTable reservation button.
• They work with the built-in online store. They can't be added to a site that uses a different kind of store.
• A coupon you make for the store can be used on both products and bookings.
• If you charge for bookings, Stripe lets customers pay by credit card or with a digital wallet.

Need a hand?

If your site doesn't have this yet, ask us about adding it. We quote it in writing first, and nothing is billed unless you approve. Email hello@zossoz.com.