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Get Started with Square Appointments

Square Appointments — scheduling that puts time in your hands

Simplify scheduling, maximize your POS, and prioritize your customers and staff.

Square Appointments is a flexible scheduling system for your business, and a simple booking tool for your clients. This guide will help you set up, operate, and get the most out of your Square Appointments account.

Features and Pricing

When you sign up for Square Appointments, you gain access to Square scheduling tools. New and existing clients can easily find details about your services, view availability, and book appointments from your website or from your free Square online booking site.

You can access Square Appointments Free, Plus, or Premium features with a 30-day free trial to see which plan is best suited for your business.

Square Appointments Plan Monthly Cost Locations Staff
Free $0 per month for a single location. One location only Unlimited
Plus $29 per month, per location. Unlimited Unlimited
Premium $69 per month, per location. Unlimited Unlimited
Custom Pricing* Contact sales Unlimited Unlimited

Learn more about Square payment processing fees and Square Appointments plans and features.

Use Square Appointments

Square Appointments app can be used on compatible iOS devices and Square Register.

Learn how to manage Square Appointments

Download Square Appointments on iOS

If you are using a compatible iPhone or iPad, you can download the Square Appointments app for free from the App Store your iOS mobile device.

Learn more about the Square Appointments iPhone and iPad App.

Download Square Appointments on Android

If you are using a compatible Android device running the most recent version of Android, you can download the Square Appointments app for free from the Google Play Store.

Learn more about the Square Appointments Android App.

Use Square Appointments on Square Register

  1. Sign in to Square Register: To get started for the first time with Square Appointments on Square Register, power on Square Register and sign in using your email and password. You can create or select an existing profile. Note: Signing in using a device code is not yet supported with Square Appointments.
  2. If this is your first time using Square Register and you’ve already completed setup, make sure to check for an update by tapping Settings > Hardware > General > About Register > Software Update.
  3. If you have already been accepting payments on Square Register using Square Point of Sale, simply sign out of your device. Next, sign in using your email and password and select Square Appointments.

Learn how to get started with Square Appointments on Square Register.

Set up multiple locations

If your business has multiple locations, you can create separate location profiles to help organise your staff and booking information per location.

Learn how to manage multiple locations with Square.

Staff

The first step towards setting up online booking is creating Square Appointments profiles for you and your staff. On each profile, you’re able to set up hours of availability, services offered, and general permissions.

Create Staff

When you create staff members, you can edit access to their calendar, set their availability for booking, and manage their notification settings. Allow different levels of access when you create a staff profile and assign staff to a specific permission group. If you have multiple locations, you can assign staff to one, or all locations.

Learn more on how to create staff.

Set Staff Hours

You can set distinct hours for each staff member, independent from the location business hours. Clients can only book an appointment with a staff member during the hours they are available.

Learn more on how to set staff hours.

Timecards

Create a staff member and assign a passcode to track your staff member’s hours. With Square Timecard Reports, you’ll save time calculating staff member’s hours and running payroll.

Learn more on how to use Timecard Reports.

Adjust Staff Visibility

If you’d like to add or remove a staff member from your online booking site, you can do so from their staff profile. Clients won’t see staff members unless they are enabled for online booking.

Learn more on how to adjust staff visibility.

Commission Tracking

Offer your staff more ways to earn money. You can assign your staff unique commission rates based on tenure and apply a flat commission rate for all retail items sold. Incentivize your staff by setting up tiered commission rates.

Learn more about commission tracking.

Learn how to manage Square Appointments and create staff members.

Services

The next step to accepting appointments through your Square account is creating bookable services. You can enable services for online booking and choose which staff can offer specific services.

You have two options for creating your services:

Upload an existing list of services: This option is best if you already have your services listed on your website or in a file saved to your computer. This option requires access to your Square Dashboard on a desktop or laptop computer.

Manually create services: This option is best if you don’t have an existing list of your services or would like to start from scratch. You can manually create services from either the Items section of your online Square Dashboard or from your Square Appointments POS app.

When creating services, in addition to setting the price and duration, make sure to enable them for online booking if you would like them to appear on your online booking flow.

Learn more about creating and editing your services.

Assign Colors to Services

Upload an Existing List of Services

To upload an existing menu, you need access to your Square Dashboard and a CSV file of your existing services list.

  1. Sign in to your Square Dashboard and click Appointments.
  2. Select Create your services from the setup guide.
  3. Click Let us build your service library.
  4. Follow the prompts to share your list of services using a supported file type.
  5. Click Save to begin importing your services to Square.

Square will send you an email when your services finish importing to your service library. For best results, limit your import to 100 services, and be sure your file or website includes the following information:

  • Service name
  • Duration
  • Price

Create Services Manually from Square Dashboard

  1. Sign in to your Square Dashboard and click Items > Service library.
  2. Click Create Service.
  3. Enter a name and other attributes for your new service, such as a description, pricing, and online booking visibility.
  4. Click Save.

Create Services Manually from the Square Appointments App

Before you begin, download the Square Appointments app.

  1. Open Square Appointments POS app and tap More > Items & Services > All Services.
  2. Select Create Service.
  3. Enter a name and other attributes for your new service, such as a description, pricing, and online booking visibility.
  4. Tap Save.

Services Pricing

There are a few options for pricing your services. You can choose to either make a service a Fixed Price or a Variable Price to handle pricing on a case-by-case basis. You can also provide a Display Price, which will appear next to the service during online booking.

Learn how to add pricing to services.

Enable Services for Online Booking

Once you create services, you can enable or disable visibility for online booking. If you have a seasonal service, or maybe just unavailable for a limited time, you can hide your services without deleting them by disabling Online Booking Visibility.

Learn how to enable services for online booking.

Assign Services to Staff

Not all staff members offer the same services. Tailor the service listing for each staff member on their individual profile. The services you enable for a specific staff member will appear when your clients go to your free online booking site.

Learn how to assign services to staff members.

Edit Display Order of Services

You have complete control over the order in which your services appear. By default, your services will appear in the order in which you create them. Try putting your most popular services at the top of the list featuring specialty services, or simply use the default listing order.

Learn how to edit the display order of services.

Assign colors to services

You can assign a color to each service and view your calendar by service instead of by staff member. If there are multiple services for an appointment, the appointment will show multiple colors on your calendar.

Online Booking

Using a unique Appointments online booking site allows your business to go digital. Use the following tools to manage your booking site seamlessly.

Set up your Square Appointments Booking Site

You have access to a free online booking site for your clients to schedule appointments with you and your staff. If you have multiple locations, each location will have a unique URL.

Learn how to set up online bookings with Square Appointments.

Set up a Booking Site QR code

You can send your clients a digital QR code, or print out your QR code and display it on your shopfront or countertop so customers can scan it and be taken directly to your online booking site to book their own appointments.

Learn how to set up your unique QR code via the Square Appointments dashboard.

Make a Test Appointment

Once you create your services and staff members, it’s helpful to go through and book a test appointment. To get comfortable adding events to your calendar, head to your online Square Appointments dashboard and create a test appointment. Test appointments are helpful since the process will be the same if you decide to book an appointment for a client on your end, rather than directing them to your booking site.

Create a Personal Event

In addition to client appointments, you can add personal events to help keep your schedule centralized. Booking a personal event, like a lunch, will update your status to unavailable for online booking during the length of the event.

Accept Appointments Manually or Automatically

Depending on your preference, you can review each requested appointment from your clients before accepting, or automatically accept all appointments when they are requested. Configure your settings via your online Square Dashboard.

Set Billing Requirements for Booking

Select from three payment options for booking online: No Requirements to Book Appointment, Hold a Card for No-Show Protection, and Require Prepayment.

Read more about payment requirements for booking.

Hold Card for No-Show Protection

Enabling No-Show Protection will require clients enter their card information before the appointment is successfully booked. When you enable No-Show Protection, you can set the minimum amount of time you require for a cancellation and also the dollar or percentage to charge if your client cancels outside of your cut-off time.

Customise Your Profile

Edit your business information for a single or multiple locations. The name, location, and contact details in your location profile will appear on your booking site, website widget, and email communications.

Embed Appointments Booking on Your Website

If you already have a website, embed a booking button or widget by inserting your unique HTML code that is generated automatically for each Appointments account. You can also customize the text and color of your booking button to make sure it fits your website’s design.

Read more about using the booking embed widget.

Set Your Cancellation Policy and Fee

Every business is different, so being clear about your cancellation policy can help your customers understand your needs for operating your day-to-day. When you set your cancellation policy, choose the amount you’d like to charge your client if they cancel their appointment past your cut-off time.
In addition to the required cancellation policy, write an optional note for further instructions or requirements. The cancellation policy is visible to your client at the time of their booking.

Schedule Appointments with Multiple Staff Members

Your clients can book a single appointment with your business that contains multiple services assigned to different staff members.

Learn more about scheduling appointments with multiple staff members.

Clients

Creating and maintaining a client base is a key part of operating your business. Square Appointments has tools designed to help manage your clients’ contact information, past appointments, and market your services to targeted groups.

Bulk Import Your Client List

If you already have a client list, bulk import their information directly into your Square account. If you don’t have a client list, you’ll be able to invite clients to your directory or create client profiles manually. Clients will also be automatically added to your directory once they successfully book an appointment.

Read more about importing your client list.

Create Clients

Create clients manually from your online Square Dashboard. When you create a client, you can enter their contact information and assign them to specific groups to help you stay organized.

Grouping clients is also helpful for sending marketing campaigns — communicating upcoming events and discounts to specific groups of customers. Read more about Square Marketing.

Send Contracts

With Square Appointments, you can create and send contactless agreements from your online Square Dashboard for free, automatically send them to your customers when an appointment is booked, and get their signatures via email before their next service.

Manage Appointment Communications

Appointments Communications include customizable email reminders that are sent out automatically. Choose the time frame to send a message leading up to the next appointment.

Invite Clients

When you add your customer’s name and email address, they’ll receive your customised message letting them know that you’re providing online booking through Square Appointments. Entering their information will also create a client profile in the Customers tab of your online Square Dashboard.

Manage or Delete Clients

Ensure your contact list is up to date by deleting clients you haven’t seen for a while. Although you can create and delete customers from the Customers tab in your online Square Dashboard. You’re also able to take bulk actions such as importing, exporting, and grouping.

Calendar

Your calendar helps you manage your day, week, or month at a glance. Filter your view by time frame, staff, and location.

Navigate Your Calendar

Personalize your calendar by using the filters at the top of the page of your online Square Dashboard. View only your appointments, or you and your staff’s appointments side-by-side. Appointments are color coded by staff and you can update color preferences by selecting from the color grid at the bottom of each individual staff profile.

Sync Your Personal Calendar

Import your personal or business Google Calendar with your Square Appointments calendar to manage your schedule in one place. Both you and your staff are able to sync your Google calendars — you can refresh, delete, or reset your preferences at any time.

Read more about syncing your personal or business calendar.

Schedule a Client’s Appointment

Add a client’s appointment any time — by selecting a time slot directly on your calendar or clicking Create Appointment, you can add your customer’s information, book with a staff member, and select the upcoming services.

Learn more about using your Appointments calendar.

Navigate to your calendar

Personalize your calendar by using the filters at the top of the page of your online Square Dashboard. View only your appointments, or you and your staff’s appointments side-by-side. Appointments are color coded by staff by default, and you can update color preferences by selecting from the color grid at the bottom of each individual staff profile. You can also manage Square Appointments by assigning a color to each service from your Service Library.

Payments and Reporting

Checkout with the Appointments App

The Square Appointments app lets you view, create, edit, and accept appointments. You can also view your client information and charge customers for appointments directly from the app. When your customer is ready to pay, just select Review and Check Out. Services and items will automatically populate from the appointment details.

Read more about checking out with the Appointments app.

View Transactions and Reports

Square offers powerful reporting tools to give you insights into how your business is growing. View individual transactions or reports by a weekly, monthly, or yearly breakdown. Read more about using Square’s reporting features.

Track Staff Sales

With your Square Appointments subscription, you’ll have the ability to track staff sales once you create a staff profile from your online Square Dashboard. When you complete a transaction, the sale will be associated with the staff member with whom the appointment was booked.

If you process a payment without a booked appointments, the sale will be attributed to the staff member logged in.
Read more about checking out with Square Appointments and Team Management.

View Appointment History

View your entire appointment history at any time. Appointments history allows you to search by client name, service, or staff. You can also have the ability to export this information into a CSV file.

View and Track Team Performance

With Square Appointments Plus you also have access to Square Appointments reporting in your online Square Dashboard, which includes a team performance report. Your team performance report shows details on client retention, pre-booking rates, and schedule utilization by your staff. Learn more about team performance reporting.