Create and manage services
About services
A service appointment is a scheduled time when a service provider, such as a mechanic, technician or stylist, will perform a specific task or provide a service. This could range from routine maintenance (like oil changes or checkups) to more complex repairs or consultations. With Square, you can build and maintain a service library where you can add details about the services you offer, such as price, duration and more. You are also able to add variations and modifiers to your services. For example, as a hair stylist you can charge less for short vs long hair services.
Before you begin
Once you’ve subscribed to Square Appointments Plus or Premium, you can do the following with services:
Track the cost of providing the service. This includes both setting a service cost and deducting service cost from commissions.
Add a processing time during the service. Learn how to create and edit processing time with appointments.
Block extra time after an appointment.
You have three options for managing services:
Use variations to customise service duration and pricing from your Square Appointments POS app.
Assign a colour to each service to view your calendar by service instead of by staff member from your Square Appointments POS app. If there are multiple services for an appointment, the appointment will show multiple colours on your calendar.
Enable bookable services from your Square Dashboard or Square Appointments POS app.
You can create services from your Square Dashboard or Square Appointments POS app.
Create a service
You can create a service directly from the Square Appointments POS app or Square Dashboard.
- Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Items & services (or Items & menus or Items & inventory) > Items > Service library.
- Click Create service.
- Enter the service details, including name, image, location availability, and taxes (if applicable). Optionally, click Generate in the Description field to have a description automatically written using generative AI.
- Select a service category, if applicable.
- Select the price type and enter the price.
- Toggle on Track service cost if you want to track the cost of providing the service. If toggled on, enter the cost type and service cost.
- Enter the duration of the service.
- If applicable, toggle on Add processing time. By enabling processing time, you can add a block of time during the service, which is bookable by customers online.
- If applicable, toggle on Block extra time after appointment to add extra time at the end of the service time.
- Configure the online booking, resources, and variations as needed.
- Click Advanced settings to add modifiers and custom attributes as needed.
- Click Save.
From the Square POS app with mode enabled or from the Square Appointments POS app:
- Open your point of sale app.
- Tap ≡ More > Items & Services > All Services.
- Tap Create Service.
- Enter the service details, including name, duration time, etc.
- If applicable, toggle on Block Extra Time to add extra time at the end of the service time.
- Tap Save.
Convert items to services
Convert items in your item library into time-based services with a duration. Services can be made bookable by your customers through Square Appointments.
To convert items to services:
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Items & services (or Items & menus or Items & inventory) > Items > Service library.
Click Actions > Convert items to services.
Select items to convert to services, and apply the correct duration for each.
Click Convert > Confirm Conversion. This action cannot be undone.
To add or change pricing, set category/description, apply modifiers or edit online availability, click the new service(s) in the Service library to edit.
Add a variation to a service
You can use variations to customise service duration and pricing from your Square Dashboard or Square Appointments POS app.
- Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Items & services (or Items & menus or Items & inventory) > Items > Service library.
- Select a service you’d like to add a variation to then click Add within the Variations section.
- Enter your variation details.
- Click Online booking and choose whether or not the variation will be bookable online and what team members can preform the service variation for each variation.
- Click Locations and choose which locations this service is available at.
- Click Done or Create and add another, then click Save.
From the Square POS app with mode enabled or from the Square Appointments POS app:
- Open your point of sale app and tap ≡ More > Items & Services > All Services.
- Select a service you’d like to add a variation to then click New Variation.
- Enter your variation details.
- Toggle Bookable by Customers online to choose whether or not the variation will be bookable online, then tap Assigned Team Members to choose what team members can preform the service variation for each variation.
- Tap Save.
Add a colour to a service
You can assign a colour to each service to view your calendar by service instead of by staff member from your Square Dashboard or Square Appointments POS app. If there are multiple services for an appointment, the appointment will show multiple colours on your calendar.
- Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Items & services (or Items & menus or Items & inventory) > Items > Service library.
- Select one of your services.
- Click the item image and select the colour your want to assign to the service.
- Click Save.
- Go back to your Square Dashboard home page and click Payments > Appointments.
- Click Calendar then click the gear icon.
- Toggle on View calendar by service > Save.
From the Square POS app with mode enabled, or from the Square Appointments POS app:
- Open your point of sale app and tap ≡ More > Items & Services > All Services.
- Select one of your services.
- Tap the item image and select the colour you want to assign to the service.
- Tap Save.
- Tap Calendar > (•••) on the top left of the screen.
- Toggle on By Service > Done.
Enable bookable services
You can enable bookable services from your Square Dashboard or Square Appointments POS app.
- Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Staff > Team.
- Select the staff member.
- Click the Appointments tab.
- Toggle on Bookable by customers online.
- Click Edit to specify offered services, if required.
- Adjust staff members’ hours, if required.
From the Square POS app with mode enabled or from the Square Appointments POS app:
- Tap ≡ More > Items & Services > All Services.
- Tap the service you would like to edit.
- Toggle ON Bookable by Customers Online.
- Tap Assigned Team Members.
- Select/deselect relevant staff members.
- Tap the back arrow, then tap Save.