Free Service vs. Paid Service

This guide explains how Tipo Appointment Booking handles Free Services and Paid Services, how customers book them, and what happens inside your Shopify admin.

Overview

Tipo supports two types of services:

Feature	Paid Service	Free Service
Requires Customer Payment?	✔️ Yes (Customer must pay online)	❌ No (Booking is free)
Customer Redirected to Checkout?	✔️ Yes (Directed to cart or checkout page)	❌ No (Bypasses the checkout process)
Shopify Order Created?	✔️ Yes (A standard order is created upon purchase)	✔️ Yes (An order is created for tracking, usually a "Pay later" or "Test-mode" order)
Customer Flow	Must complete the standard Shopify purchase flow	Completes instantly after filling out a simple free form
Useful For	Classes, charged services, rentals, and services requiring payment upfront	Free trials, consultations, shop visits, and informational appointments

Detailed Customer Booking Flow

1. Paid Service Flow (Standard Checkout)

The Paid Service utilizes the full Shopify checkout system, treating the service as a standard product that must be purchased.

Step	Action	Outcome
Click Book	Customer selects a time slot and clicks the book button.
Redirect to Checkout	The customer is redirected to the cart page or checkout page.	The service product is added to their cart.
Purchase	The customer completes the payment and checkout process.	The customer is charged for the service.
Order Created	The purchase is finalized.	A standard Shopify order is created in your store.

2. Free Service Flow (Instant Booking)

The Free Service skips the payment and checkout steps entirely, allowing customers to book instantly after providing their details on a simple form.

Step	Action	Outcome
Click Book	Customer selects a time slot and clicks the book button.
Fill Form	The customer is presented with the Free Service form (e.g., Name, Email, Phone).	No payment details are required.
Confirm	The customer clicks Confirm button.	The booking completes instantly, directing them to a confirmation screen.
Order Created	no order	no order