# Paid Service (Pay to book)

Use **Pay to book** when you want customers to confirm their appointment only after they pay.\
The app connects your booking flow with Shopify checkout so you get confirmed, paid bookings.

### 💡 When to use “Pay to book”

Perfect for services where payment is required or recommended:

* **Salon & spa appointments**
* **Classes & workshops** (yoga, dance, courses)
* **Consultations & sessions** (therapy, coaching, beauty)
* **Events with limited seats** where no-shows are costly
* **Tours, rentals, or experiences** requiring upfront payment or deposit

If you don’t want to charge online, use **Free booking (no payment)** instead.

***

### ⚙️ How to set up a Paid service (Pay to book)

#### Step 1: Open Services <a href="#step-1-open-services" id="step-1-open-services"></a>

* Open the app > click **Services**
* Click **New service** button

<figure><img src="https://docs.tipo.io/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F2420234940-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252F1ux6d1pfkKFKCAAHuj8H%252Fuploads%252FlASe8qs1MDHUBriOdBjs%252F2025-12-10_16-25-41.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D944cc7aa-8a6c-4071-94ff-828b2a07a354&#x26;width=768&#x26;dpr=4&#x26;quality=100&#x26;sign=7ad3ccae&#x26;sv=2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

#### Steps 2: Choose a service type <a href="#steps-2-choose-a-service-type" id="steps-2-choose-a-service-type"></a>

<figure><img src="/files/5qEP0n7ZhV5KsZd3tIlF" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**A. Book by Time Slot**

Best for services that happen within a day and have a set duration.

* Examples: \* Barber Shop: 30-minute haircut slots.
* Customer View: A list of specific times (e.g., 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM) showing available slots.

**B. Book for a Full Day**

Used for services where the customer occupies the entire date from start to finish.

* Examples: \* Photography Studio: Renting the space for a full day shoot.
  * Car Rental: Hiring a vehicle for a 24-hour period.
* Customer View: A calendar where they select one specific day.

**C. Book Across Multiple Days**

Best for services that span several consecutive days.

* Examples: \* Summer Camp: A 5-day youth program.
* Customer View: A date-range picker where they select a Start Date and End Date.

***

#### Step 3: Create the service product in Shopify <a href="#step-3-create-the-service-product-in-shopify" id="step-3-create-the-service-product-in-shopify"></a>

The app creates/uses a Shopify Product for your service. In the **Add product** screen:

* **Title**: e.g., Cycling
* **Status**: Active
* **Category**: choose the closest match (optional)
* **Price**: set your service price (for checkout services)

Click **Save**.

<figure><img src="/files/jkdcCCohd2xvaa10bb2q" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Step 4: Configure service settings <a href="#step-4-configure-service-settings" id="step-4-configure-service-settings"></a>

**👥 Capacity**

Set how many people can book the same time slot.

* Example: `1` for 1-on-1 appointments
* Example: `5` for group sessions

**⏱️ Duration**

Choose how long each booking takes:

* Quick buttons (30, 60, 90, 120 min…)
* Or **Custom**
* If your service supports it, you can choose:
  * **Less than a day**
  * **Multiple days**

**Example**: Haircut = `60 min`

***

#### Step 5: Choose payment type <a href="#step-5-choose-payment-type" id="step-5-choose-payment-type"></a>

Select one of the option below: &#x20;

You’ll see these options under it:

* **Pay now** – customer must pay immediately at checkout
* **Pay later** – a draft order & invoice are created; customer pays later
* **Allow customer to choose pay now or pay later** – customer picks at booking time

<figure><img src="/files/HTAtg9u22scRhosA5Z9Q" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

#### Step 6: Set Availability <a href="#step-6-set-availability" id="step-6-set-availability"></a>

In the **Availability** section, click **Manage**

* Assign team members to this service (required). If you have not had a team member, create a new one.
* Their schedules determine what time slots are available

[Learn more](https://docs.tipo.io/tipo-appointment-booking/availability-team-members/set-availability-for-services#how-to-set-availability)

<figure><img src="/files/wInQ4rFO9Q23Xttmp6e4" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

#### Step 7: Customize more settings (Optional) <a href="#step-7-customize-more-settings-optional" id="step-7-customize-more-settings-optional"></a>

* In **Location** field, enter the location of the service
* **Color**: helps identify bookings in the calendar
* **Questions & Add-ons**: collect info (name, preferences) or sell add-ons
* **Advanced settings**: booking rules, lead time, buffer time, etc. (if available)

<figure><img src="https://docs.tipo.io/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F2420234940-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252F1ux6d1pfkKFKCAAHuj8H%252Fuploads%252Fb5hhCSDyiPCv9ETBeuWh%252F2025-12-10_16-33-21.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D935e8f6a-e347-4668-87e1-4a18493e5980&#x26;width=768&#x26;dpr=4&#x26;quality=100&#x26;sign=bdf1f9ef&#x26;sv=2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Step 8: Save the service.&#x20;

Click **Save** at the top right of the service page.\
Your service is now a paid service (Pay to book).

***

#### ✅ How your service works on your online store <a href="#how-your-service-works-on-your-online-store" id="how-your-service-works-on-your-online-store"></a>

* Customer opens the service product page.
* Clicks the **Book now / Schedule** button.
* Selects a date, time, and fills in required details.
* Payment step:
  * If **Pay now:** they are redirected to **Shopify checkout** to pay
  * If **Pay later:** booking is confirmed, and they receive an invoice
  * If **Customer chooses: t**hey pick **Pay now** or **Pay later** in the booking popup

<figure><img src="/files/exl19a1ObFXZJjzlGdqe" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Once complete:

* The appointment appears in the **Appointments** list in the Tipo app.
* A corresponding **order or draft order** appears in Shopify (depending on the payment option).

Video

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHdH6gW25fc>" %}

***

### 📋 How it looks in admin

After a customer books a paid service:

* In **Tipo app > Appointments**, you’ll see the booking with its status and payment note.
* In **Shopify Orders**
  * **Pay now** → a regular **paid order** is created.
  * **Pay later** → a **draft order / invoice** is created, awaiting payment.

You can still:

* Reschedule or cancel appointments
* Manually mark payments as received (for Pay later)
* Communicate with the customer as usual

***

### ✅ Quick comparison: Free service vs Paid service

| Type                        | Payment step                                  | Booking status                     | Best for                                        |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **No payment required**     | No payment – booking only                     | Appointment created, no order      | Free                                            |
| **Pay to book – Pay now**   | Checkout immediately after booking            | Appointment + **paid** order       | Online paid services, deposits, no-show control |
| **Pay to book – Pay later** | Invoice / draft order sent after booking      | Appointment + draft order (unpaid) | Invoice workflows, offline payments             |
| **Customer chooses**        | Customer selects **Pay now** or **Pay later** | Depends on selected option         | Flexible or mixed payment models                |

***

### ❓ FAQ

#### **Q: Can I switch a service from free to paid later?**

Yes. Edit the service, change Choose payment type from Book without payment to Pay to book, set a price, and save.

#### **Q: What happens if a customer abandons checkout (Pay now)?**

The appointment is not confirmed until payment succeeds. You’ll see the status/order in Shopify if they complete payment.

***

**🙋 Still need support?**

If you still need help, please feel free to contact us at <hi@tipo.io>. We’ll be happy to assist you further.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.tipo.io/tipo-appointment-booking/service-setup/paid-service-pay-to-book.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.