Setting Up Online Payments for Your Service Business

If you are still collecting payment in person after every appointment — cash, card terminal, fumbling with receipts — you are making more work for yourself and your clients. Online payments simplify everything. Clients pay when they book or after their appointment with a single click. You spend less time on admin and more time on what you do best.

Here is how to set up online payments and why it is worth doing now.

Why Accept Payments Online?

Reduce No-Shows Dramatically

When clients pay upfront — even a partial deposit — they are far more committed to showing up. Prepayment is the single most effective no-show prevention tool available. Businesses that require deposits report up to 90 percent fewer missed appointments.

Improve Your Cash Flow

When clients pay at the time of booking, you know exactly what your revenue looks like for the week ahead. No more chasing late payments, dealing with forgotten wallets, or waiting for bank transfers. Money arrives in your account predictably.

Save Time on Admin

Manual payment processing involves receipts, reconciliation, trips to the bank, and tracking who paid what. Online payments automate all of this. Every transaction is recorded, linked to the right client, and deposited automatically.

Create a Better Client Experience

Modern clients expect seamless digital experiences. Paying online is something they do dozens of times a day — for food delivery, streaming services, ride-sharing. Paying for your service should be just as easy.

How It Works with Bokably

Bokably integrates with Stripe, one of the world's most trusted payment platforms. Stripe handles the security, compliance, and processing while Bokably connects it to your booking workflow. Here is what setup looks like:

Step 1: Create a Stripe Account

If you do not have one already, create a free account at stripe.com. You will need your business details, bank account information, and identification. The process takes about ten minutes.

Step 2: Connect Stripe to Bokably

In Bokably, go to Settings > Payments and click connect. You will be redirected to Stripe to authorize the connection. Once connected, Bokably can process payments on your behalf.

Step 3: Configure Your Payment Settings

Decide how you want to handle payments:

• Full prepayment — Clients pay the entire service amount when booking. Best for high-value services or businesses with frequent no-shows.
• Deposit — Clients pay a percentage upfront (e.g., 20-50 percent) and the remainder at the appointment. A good middle ground that reduces no-shows without creating a barrier to booking.
• Pay later — Clients book for free and pay after the service. Lowest friction for booking but does not help with no-shows.

You can set different payment rules for different services. For example, require full prepayment for premium treatments but only a deposit for standard appointments.

Step 4: Start Accepting Payments

Once configured, payments happen automatically as part of the booking flow. Clients select their service, choose a time, and pay securely through Stripe's checkout — all without leaving your booking page.

What About Fees?

Stripe charges a small processing fee per transaction — typically around 1.4 percent plus a fixed fee for European cards. There are no monthly fees or hidden costs. You only pay when you process a payment.

For most service businesses, the fees are trivially small compared to the revenue saved from fewer no-shows and the time saved on manual payment processing.

Handling Refunds and Cancellations

Things happen. Clients cancel, appointments need to be rescheduled, and sometimes refunds are appropriate. Bokably makes this straightforward:

• When a client cancels within your policy window, refunds can be processed directly
• Deposits can be applied to rescheduled appointments
• Partial refunds are easy to issue when needed

Having clear cancellation and refund policies on your booking page prevents most disputes before they start.

Security and Trust

Clients are sometimes cautious about paying online, especially for a new business. A few things help build trust:

• Stripe is PCI-DSS compliant, meaning card data is handled to the highest security standards
• Your booking page uses HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• Clients receive an immediate receipt via email after payment
• Familiar payment methods like Visa, Mastercard, and Apple Pay are supported

You never see or store client card details — Stripe handles that entirely. This protects both you and your clients.

Start Small

If you are hesitant about requiring payment upfront, start with deposits. Even a small deposit changes client behavior without creating too much friction. As you see the results — fewer no-shows, better cash flow, less admin — you can adjust your approach.

The businesses that make this switch rarely go back. Once you experience the simplicity of automated payments, manual processing feels like going back to paper calendars. Set it up once and let the system work for you.