Collect payments for appointments using Stripe, Square, or PayPal.
To start accepting payments for appointments in Acuity, connect at least one payment processor. You can connect to Stripe, Square, or PayPal. It's not possible to connect to any other payment processors, such as Afterpay, but in certain circumstances your clients might have the option to pay with Venmo if you integrate with PayPal.
Squarespace doesn't charge any transaction fees, but each payment processor has its own processing fees.
Choosing which payment processor to use for Acuity depends on which payment methods you want to offer. This guide explains the differences between the three processors and how to connect them. If you get started and decide you want more hands-on help setting up Acuity Scheduling, you can hire a vetted expert.
Payment processors in Acuity are separate from commerce payment processors.
Tip: Register for our Acuity webinar series where we'll teach you how to use Acuity. The Fundamentals webinar is ideal if you’re new to Acuity. The Next Steps webinar includes topics like customizing a scheduler and appointment notifications, using multiple staff members, syncing third-party calendars, and more.
Before you begin
You'll need an account with Stripe, PayPal, or Square before connecting it to Acuity.
Each of these payment processors is a third-party service, and as such you’ll need to create an account with the payment processor of your choice, including agreeing to their terms and conditions. Managing your account and relationship with the payment processor may be done through your payment processor’s online portal and/or mobile app.
It's not possible to connect to more than one account for each payment processor. And if you connect multiple payment processors, it's not possible to control the payment processor clients use to pay.
You can sell gift certificates through Acuity, but it's not possible for clients to redeem payment processor-issued gift cards through Acuity.
Stripe
With Stripe, clients can pay directly on the scheduling page. You can also use Stripe to collect the remaining amount owed on appointments or to vault a card to charge later. With Stripe, you can save credit cards and debit cards on file that carry the logo of a major credit card company.
You can also collect payments for appointments in person using Stripe with the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app.
Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is automatically enabled for all Acuity payments made through Stripe. To learn more, visit Strong Customer Authentication (SCA).
Note: If your currency is set to United States dollars, Stripe will complete transactions of $1.01 and above. Transactions of $1 and under will cause Stripe to verify and vault the card, but the charges won't be completed. Stripe may treat small transactions in other currencies similarly.
Square
With Square, clients can pay directly on the scheduling page. You can also use Square to collect the remainder owed on appointments or to vault a card to charge later.
If you're in the United States, you can use Square hardware to accept card swipes or taps in person with the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app.
It's not possible to use Acuity with the Squarespace point of sale.
PayPal
PayPal redirects clients from your scheduler to PayPal.com to complete payment. After they log into their PayPal account and pay, PayPal directs them back to the Acuity confirmation page.
We recommend connecting PayPal along with Stripe or Square. If you only connect PayPal, you can't:
- Vault cards
- Collect payment through Acuity after booking
- Offer subscriptions
- Accept tips
If you connect PayPal in combination with another payment processor, clients will only have the option to leave a tip if they select the other payment processor.
Venmo
If you integrate with PayPal, customers who book through a mobile browser will have the option to pay with Venmo if they meet these criteria:
- They enabled mobile web purchases in the Venmo app
- They're using a supported mobile browser to book
They'll have the option to Pay with PayPal or Pay with Venmo. For help enabling mobile web purchases in Venmo, your customers can contact Venmo support.
Using multiple payment processors
You can connect PayPal with either Stripe or Square. Stripe and Square can't be connected at the same time.
When you connect multiple processors, keep in mind:
- It's not possible to specify which payment processor clients use for individual appointment types.
- If you have options enabled that PayPal can't support, these options are only offered if the client chooses the other processor you offer.
- It's not possible to split payments between multiple payment processor accounts.
- If you combine PayPal with another processor, you won’t have the option to vault cards.
Payment processor features
Each payment processor has different features:
|
Payment feature |
Stripe |
Square |
PayPal |
|
Pay on scheduling page |
Yes |
Yes |
No (redirected to PayPal.com) |
|
Pay after booking |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Accept tips |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Offer subscriptions |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Vault cards for later |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Use a card reader |
No |
Yes* |
No |
* Card readers can only be used in the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app and only by businesses with Square accounts based in the United States. To learn more, visit Accepting Acuity payments in person with Square.
Data sent to payment processors
To facilitate payment transactions and to allow you to manage those payments with the payment processor of your choice, we may send, on your behalf, these types of information to your payment processor (and any other data you provide permission to your payment processor to receive from Squarespace):
• Full name on payment card
• Expiration date of payment card
• Billing zip/postal code associated with the payment card
• Charges for the appointment
• Appointment date and time
Choose a currency
Before connecting a payment processor, choose the currency that clients will use to pay you. If you've added Acuity to a Squarespace website, your currency for Acuity is the same as the one you set for Commerce. Even if your site doesn't include a store, you'll still choose a currency in Commerce settings:
- Open the Store payments panel.
- Click Store currency.
- Select an available currency from the drop-down menu.
- Click Save.
If your Acuity subscription isn't attached to a Squarespace website:
- In Acuity, click Payment settings.
- Use the Currency drop-down menu to select a currency, then click Save settings.
Acuity supports the same currencies as Squarespace Commerce.
Connect a payment processor
Connect your processor to Acuity:
- In Acuity, click Payment settings.
- In the Payment processors section, click Connect for one of the payment processors, then follow the instructions for connecting your account.
- Choose your payment policy from the Payment terms drop-down menu. To learn more, visit Managing payments in Acuity.
- To accept tips, turn on Clients can tip extra when they pay in full. If Acuity is connected to PayPal, this option isn't available.
- Click Save.
Note: If your clients have active subscriptions, changing your payment processor will cause automated payments to fail until you or your clients re-enter their card numbers.
Saving card details
Only Stripe and Square save your clients' card details. PayPal doesn't.
If you use Stripe or Square, you can require clients to provide a valid card at booking for you to charge later.
The details of which transactions save card details and whether clients can remove the saved details vary based on your payment processor and Acuity settings. To learn more, visit Managing Payments in Acuity Scheduling.
Processing fees
Squarespace doesn’t charge any additional fees when you collect payment, but each payment processor has its own fees.
Stripe
Stripe’s processing fees vary by country. Visit Stripe’s documentation for details:
If you don’t see your country listed above, contact Stripe for help.
Square
Square’s processing fees vary based on how the payment is made. Visit Square’s documentation to learn more.
PayPal
Visit PayPal’s documentation for details.
Disconnect a payment processor
To disconnect a payment processor:
- In Acuity, click Payment Settings.
- Scroll to the Payment Processors section, then click Disconnect for the payment processor you want to disconnect.
- Click Disconnect to confirm.
PayPal encrypted website payments error
Paypal may display this error message for your clients if you changed your PayPal settings to require encrypted buttons: "The seller accepts encrypted website payments only. You cannot pay the seller through un-encrypted buttons. Please contact your seller for more details".
When you require encrypted buttons, it's not possible for Acuity to create dynamic buttons needed to connect to PayPal. Keep in mind, your Acuity and PayPal connection is always encrypted and secure, even without encrypted buttons.
To enable dynamic buttons, go to your PayPal website preferences section, find the Encrypted Website Payments setting, then click Off. For more detailed steps, visit Paypal's documentation.
PayPal appointments don’t appear
If clients’ payments are appearing in PayPal, but the matching appointments aren’t appearing in Acuity, PayPal may have disabled instant payment notification (IPN). When IPN is off, Acuity isn’t notified when clients complete the payment process.
To re-enable instant payment notification, update your instant payment notification settings. Depending on your version of PayPal, this will be in PayPal’s My selling tools or My selling preferences panel. If PayPal asks for an IPN URL, use https://secure.acuityscheduling.com/scheduleIPN.php.