Managing payments in Acuity Scheduling

This guide explains how to charge and view client payments for appointments.

To start accepting payments, first connect at least one payment processor.

Note: The instructions below include links to Acuity settings separated by the kind of account you use to log into Acuity. Which kind of account do I have?

Before you begin

• If you offer free appointments, clients can always book them without entering their card number. To prevent this, give all your appointment types a price.
• You can accept tip payments of up to 50% of the appointment cost.
• When accepting payment after booking, you can collect up to 150% of the appointment cost.
• Acuity doesn't calculate tax.

Choose how clients pay

Choose which payment processor clients will use and how they'll pay for their appointments:

1. Open the Payment settings panel: I log in with an Acuity account | I log in with a Squarespace account.
2. To set payment terms for all your appointment types, set the Use the same method for all appointment types toggle to On. To set payment terms for one appointment type, set the Use the same method for all appointment types toggle to Off and click an appointment type.
3. Select Collect deposits or full payment, Collect and save card details, or Payment information is not required.
4. Use the menu options that appear to customize how clients pay. To learn more about your options, visit Payment customizations below.
5. Click Save.

Tip: To learn how to choose your currency, visit Connecting payment processors to Acuity.

Payment customizations

You can customize whether and how clients are required to pay. You can choose one policy for all appointments, or customize by appointment type. Either way, when you're configuring your payment settings, you'll be asked to choose one of these options:

• Full payment and deposits
• Collect and save card details
• Payment information is not required

Read below to learn more about each.

Full payment and deposits

Use this setting to require clients to pay some or all of the appointment cost at booking.

You'll use the Type of payment field to choose the details:

• Full payment - Clients must pay the full amount to book.
• Full payment + allow clients to pay extra - Clients can pay more than the full amount. Visit Offering clients pay-what-you-want-pricing to learn more.
• Deposit amount ($) - Clients pay a deposit of a set amount that's the same for all your appointment types. Deposits are only required for appointment types that have a price set.
• Deposit amount (%) - Clients pay a deposit, which is a percentage of the appointment cost, including any add-ons the client chooses. For example, a 10% deposit on a $100 appointment with a $50 add-on is $15. Deposits are only required for appointment types that have a price set.

If you require deposits, the Clients can pay full amount in advance toggle appears. With this option, clients can choose to pay the entire cost at booking instead of paying a deposit and booking and the balance later.

If you enable Clients can pay full amount in advance, the Clients can tip when they pay in full toggle appears. Turning that toggle on lets clients tip.

Notes:

• If the client pays in full at booking, Stripe will save their payment details, but Square won't.
• If you book an appointment that requires a deposit for a client, they won't be able to pay the deposit later using the link in their confirmation email. But if you've turned on Clients can pay the full amount in advance, they can use the link to pay the full amount. You can always collect payments after booking.

Collect and save card details

Use this setting to require clients to save their payment details at booking without being charged.

When your client enters their card details at booking, your payment processor submits a small pre-authorization charge to validate the card. Later, you'll charge the card for the full amount, automatically canceling the pre-authorization charge.

When you select this option, the Clients can pay full amount in advance toggle appears. With this option, clients can choose to pay at booking instead of giving card details and waiting to be charged later.

If you choose Collect and save card details, then enable Clients can pay full amount in advance, the Clients can tip when they pay in full toggle appears. Turning that toggle on lets clients tip.

Payment information is not required

Use this setting to let clients book without paying. This setting is enabled by default if you haven't connected a payment processor.

When you connect a payment processor, you can still use this setting if you want to collect payments manually through the scheduling panel.

When you select this option, the Clients can pay full amount in advance toggle appears. With this option, clients can choose to pay at booking instead of waiting for you to collect payment. 

If you choose Payment  information is not required, then enable Clients can pay full amount in advance, the Clients can tip when they pay in full toggle appears. Turning that toggle on lets clients tip.

Tips

The Clients can tip when they pay in full toggle appears when you select a payment option that allows clients to pay in full at booking (except Full payment + allow clients to pay extra). Switch the toggle On to allow tipping. You can also access this setting from the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app. 

When you allow tipping, clients can choose to tip up to 50% of the appointment cost. Clients can only leave a tip if they're paying in full.

Clients can tip for appointments. They can't tip when purchasing packages, gift certificates or subscriptions.

Your tipping setting applies to all appointment types. It's not possible to accept tips for certain appointment types and not others.

You must use Stripe or Square as your payment processor to accept tips.

Note: If you're booking an appointment for a client and manually entering their payment information, Square won't vault clients' cards if they're affected by SCA. Square will vault SCA-affected cards that clients enter through the scheduler.

View payments

When clients book, they'll pay, give their card details to charge later, or not pay at all, depending on your settings. If they have a balance to pay after booking, clients can use the link in their confirmation email to pay the remaining amount, or you can charge them at any time from the appointment details. Squarespace doesn't automatically bill clients for unpaid appointments.

View the the payments and outstanding balances for each appointment in its appointment details.

Check an appointment's payment status

To see how much a client paid:

1. Open the Calendar panel: I log in with an Acuity account | I log in with a Squarespace account.
2. Click the appointment to open the appointment details.
3. The Payment section shows the total cost, any payments already made, and the amount still owed.

Change an appointment's price

You can change the price of an individual appointment that's been booked and is on your Acuity calendar. Changing the price won't change the price of new appointments.

To change the price of an appointment that's already booked:

1. Open the Calendar panel: I log in with an Acuity account | I log in with a Squarespace account.
2. Click the appointment to open the appointment details.
3. Click Edit and enter a new price in the Total price ($) field.
4. Click Save.

Collect payments after booking

If you don't require clients to pay in full when booking an appointment, you can charge them for their remaining balance separately.

You can:

• Enter a card payment to charge them through the payment processor you integrated with Acuity. If you’re using Square or Stripe, you can also collect payments using the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app.
• Record a cash payment.
• Send an invoice.
• Mark an appointment as paid. This is helpful if the client paid you through your payment processor without using Acuity, or paid through an Acuity invoice.

Note: It's not possible to use payment after booking for packages, gift certificates, or subscriptions. Instead, create a free code, then take payment outside Acuity.

To enter a card payment:

1. Open the Calendar panel: I log in with an Acuity account | I log in with a Squarespace account.
2. Click the appointment to open the appointment details.
3. Click Make payment.
4. Select a card already on file, or enter a new card.
5. Enter the amount, then click Pay.

Tip: If PayPal is your only payment processor, you can't charge a client's remaining amount to a card. Instead, arrange payment outside of Squarespace, then record the payment by selecting Cash and entering a note about how the client paid.

To enter a cash payment:

1. Open the Calendar panel: I log in with an Acuity account | I log in with a Squarespace account.
2. Click the appointment to open the appointment details.
3. Click Make payment.
4. Select Cash.
5. Enter the amount, then click Pay.

Cash payments are recorded in Acuity, but not in your payment processor.

To mark an appointment as paid:

1. Open the Calendar panel: I log in with an Acuity account | I log in with a Squarespace account.
2. Click the appointment to open the appointment details.
3. Click Edit.
4. Check the box for Paid(yes).
5. Click Save.

Send payment links to clients

To make it easier for clients to pay for an appointment after booking, you can include a payment link in your automated client notifications. To include the link, edit any of your email templates to include the tag %paylink%. When Acuity sends the email, it will convert the tag into a link inviting clients to pay.

You can also edit your email templates to include a "Pay for appointment" button by clicking Add button, then Pay for appointment.

If a specific client needs to know how to pay you, you can manually send them a link to their confirmation page. From that page, they can follow the prompts to enter payment.

To find the link to a client's confirmation page:

1. Open the Calendar panel: I log in with an Acuity account | I log in with a Squarespace account.
2. Click the appointment to open the appointment details.
3. Click , then click Client's confirmation page.
4. Copy the URL from your browser and send it to the client.

You can also share a payment link using your device’s built-in share apps with the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app.

Find a payment in your payment processor

To find a payment in your payment processor:

1. Click the paid appointment to open the appointment details.
2. On the Paid line, click the name of your payment processor.

If you're having difficulty finding a payment in your payment processor, contact their support team:

• Stripe
• Square
• PayPal

Your payment processor's support team may find it helpful if you include the link to the payment. To get that link:

1. Click the paid appointment to open the appointment details.
2. On the Paid line, right-click the name of your payment processor.
3. Click Copy link address.

The link is now copied to your clipboard.

Refund a client

It's not possible to issue a refund through Acuity.

When a paid appointment is canceled, Acuity will send you an email with a direct link to the client's payment. You can use the link to issue a refund through your payment processor.

Follow the links below to learn the refund steps for your payment processor:

• Stripe
• Square
• PayPal

Refunds issued in your payment processor aren't reflected in Acuity, including in any reports.

Saving card details

Your client's card details are saved for you to charge later if they:

• Enter payment details to be charged later through Stripe or Square.
• Pay a deposit on an appointment through Stripe or Square.
• Pay in full through Stripe.

Your client's card details aren't saved if they:

• Pay through PayPal.
• Pay in full through Square.

You can charge a client using a save card by following the steps to collect payments after booking.

When Square saves a client's card information, it also sends your client an email allowing them to remove the saved card. Removing the card won't cancel their appointment, but it will prevent you from charging that card for their unpaid balance.

Cards are saved separately for appointments and for packages, gift certificates, and subscriptions. If a client uses a card while buying a package, gift certificate, or subscription, the number won't automatically become available in Acuity to be charged for appointments.

Remove a card on file

It's not possible to remove the card on file for one of your clients from within Acuity. Instead, go to your payment processor dashboard and manually remove it from the payment processor's file for the client.