Online booking for massage therapists
Sixty and ninety minute treatments look tidy on a price list. The fifteen minutes of changing, showering and remaking the table is invisible to the client and is the reason your day runs late.
An event type per treatment length, a fifteen-minute buffer after each, payment online, and a full refund only outside twenty-four hours.
Two costs nobody puts in the price list#
The first is turnaround. Book treatments back to back on the hour and by the third client you are working through your own break. A buffer is not a luxury; it is the job.
The second is the no-show. A ninety-minute slot lost at short notice is not recoverable — nobody books a massage at forty minutes’ notice — and if nothing was paid, it cost the client nothing to cause.
The setup to start from#
Sixty and ninety minute treatments sold back to back, where the fifteen minutes of changing, showering and remaking the table is invisible to the client and very real to you.
| Duration | 60 or 90 minutes — a separate event type for each |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 4 hours |
| Buffer | 15 minutes after, for the room |
| Max bookings per day | Six treatments a day before the work suffers |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Paid online — it is the single most effective thing against no-shows |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 24 hours before, 50% inside that |
Worth asking on the booking form: First visit? · Any areas to focus on or avoid? · Pressure preference
Anma, massage and shiatsu are licensed practices in Japan while relaxation massage is not, and clients looking for English-speaking therapists usually want to know which one you are. Say it plainly in the description.
Put the turnaround in the booking#
Set Buffer after to fifteen minutes. It is invisible to the client, it is not added to their treatment, and nothing can be booked into it. A 60-minute massage at 10:00 means the next offered slot is 11:15, which is when you are actually ready.
Charge when they book#
Paid bookings are only confirmed once the card payment clears, and a full refund outside twenty-four hours with fifty per cent inside it is the policy most therapists settle on. The client sees it before booking and sees the exact refund before cancelling, so you never have to have the conversation. Charging for bookings
Let regulars rebook themselves#
Most of your diary is people who come every three or four weeks. Every confirmation email carries a link to book again, and a booking page they can keep. That is most of your admin gone.
Getting started#
- Sign in at app.marubox.jp with Google or Microsoft. There is no card and no trial clock.
- Create an event type with the settings above. Event types explained
- Connect your calendar so your treatment room never gets double booked. Google · Outlook
- Set your real hours, and close Japanese public holidays in one tick. Availability
- Put the link in your bio, or the widget on your site. Adding it to your website
Common questions
How do I get time between clients to change the sheets?
Set Buffer after on the event type — fifteen minutes is typical. The client never sees it and nothing can be booked into it, so your next slot is offered when you are genuinely ready.
How do I stop no-shows?
Take payment when the booking is made. The slot is only confirmed once the card clears, and your cancellation policy decides what they get back. It is the single most effective change most therapists make.
Can I offer 60 and 90 minute treatments at different prices?
Yes — one event type for each, with its own duration and price. Both appear on your booking page as separate choices.
Set this up in about ten minutes
Business Box is free for as long as you like, with no card required — booking pages, Google and Outlook calendar sync, availability, Japanese public holidays and the website widget. Taking card payment for bookings is ¥1,200 a month, tax included, with no commission on what you sell.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026.