Charging for bookings

Every event type is paid for in one of three ways, and you say which. Charging up front is the single most effective thing you can do about no-shows; charging in person costs nothing and needs no setup at all.

The three ways to be paid#

Free#

No payment, no price shown. The customer just books a time. This is the default, and the right choice for a first conversation or a discovery call.

Paid online, when booking#

Card payment through your Stripe account before the booking is confirmed. Needs a connected Stripe account approved for charges, and a subscription — see Connect your Stripe account.

1. Open the event type and choose the Payment tab.
2. Select Paid online, when booking.
3. Type the Price. For yen, whole numbers: 5500 means ¥5,500. The amount as your customer will see it is shown underneath.
4. Choose a Cancellation policy — see below.
5. Optionally write a Description on receipt: what appears on the customer's card statement and receipt. Per language.
6. Press Save.

A price of zero is not a way to make something free. Choose Free instead — otherwise you will see Enter a price, or choose Free.

What the customer experiences#

1. They pick a time. It is held for them for 30 minutes — longer than a free booking, because paying takes longer than typing a name.
2. They fill in the form and press Pay ¥5,500 and book.
3. They are taken to Stripe's secure payment page. Card details never touch Business Box or your website.
4. On success they land on their own booking page, briefly showing Payment received. Confirming your booking…, then confirmed.

Until the payment succeeds the booking is Awaiting payment: the time is reserved but not confirmed. If they abandon the payment, the hold expires and the time goes back on sale. If they close the tab mid-payment, the email they were sent contains a Pay now link so they can finish.

Payment is by card. Convenience store and PayPay payments are not available yet.

Your cancellation policy#

This is what happens automatically when the customer cancels. It is shown on the booking page before they book, so the terms are agreed up front, and the exact refund is previewed before they confirm the cancellation.

No refunds

They can still cancel, freeing the slot, but no money goes back.

Full refund if cancelled early enough

You set the number of hours before the start. Inside that window, nothing is refunded.

Full refund early, partial refund later

Two thresholds: a full refund at least so many hours before, and a partial refund — a percentage you choose — at least so many hours before. The partial cut-off must be closer to the start than the full one, or you will see The partial-refund cutoff must be closer to the start than the full-refund cutoff.

Paid in person, at the appointment#

The customer sees the price when booking but pays nothing then. You take the money face to face: cash, your own card reader, a QR code, or an invoice afterwards. Nothing goes through Stripe, so this needs no Stripe account and no subscription.

1. Open the event type and choose the Payment tab.
2. Select Paid in person, at the appointment.
3. Type the price. Leave it empty and it is simply a free booking.
4. Press Save.

Your customer sees the amount marked Payable at the appointment on the booking page and in their confirmation email, so there is no surprise on the day. Nothing is outstanding on our side, so there is nothing to refund and no payment badge on the booking.

Issuing a refund yourself#

You can refund any paid booking at any time, in full, whatever your policy says.

1. Open the booking from Booking → Bookings or from the Payments list.
2. Press Refund.
3. Confirm the amount, which is whatever is left unrefunded.

The refund is issued through Stripe to the original card. Your customer is emailed, and both the booking and the Payments list update to Refunded or Partially refunded. Refunds typically appear on a statement within 5 to 10 business days — that is the card networks, not Stripe.

Cancelling a paid booking yourself refunds it in full at the same time, so you do not need to do both.

If your subscription lapses#

Paid event types stop taking bookings, and their Payment tab says Paid bookings are not being taken while your subscription is inactive. Free event types carry on as normal, your prices and policies are kept, and existing bookings — including their refunds — are unaffected. Subscribing again switches paid bookings straight back on.

Last reviewed 28 September 2026.