Paid Bookings
Set custom prices on your TidyCal booking types and collect payments through Stripe or PayPal. Learn how payments work with group bookings, guest invites, and multiple attendees. Paid bookings are available on all plans, including the Free Plan.
Payment Options Overview
For each booking type, you can set a custom price and choose from two payment processors:
- Stripe (OAuth connection) — recommended
- PayPal (email-based connection)
You can connect both processors and select which one to use per booking type. Only one payment processor can be active per booking type.
Important: Set up your payment processor on the Payments page before enabling paid bookings. See Connect your Payment Services for the full setup guide.
Setting Up Paid Bookings
- Connect a payment processor at Payments (see Connect your Payment Services)
- Go to Booking types and edit (or create) a booking type
- In the drawer sidebar, click Pricing & Subscriptions, then select Per booking in the Pricing & Subscriptions tab
- Enter the price for the booking
- Select Stripe or PayPal as the payment processor
- Click Save
If you have not connected the selected processor, you will see a warning: "Required: Connect your Stripe account." or "Required: Connect your PayPal account." The currency for all payments is set in Settings → Preferences.
Paid Bookings with Multiple Attendees
TidyCal supports paid bookings with both Group Bookings and Guest Invites features. Here's how payments work with each:
Group Bookings + Paid Bookings
How it works: When Group Bookings are enabled, each person who books the same time slot pays separately.
Example scenario:
- You offer a yoga class for $20 per person
- Maximum capacity: 20 people
- 5 people book the same time slot
- Result: Each person pays $20 = $100 total revenue for that class
Important notes:
- Each attendee completes their own payment
- Each attendee receives their own confirmation email
- If one person cancels, only their payment is refunded (others stay booked)
- Perfect for: classes, workshops, webinars, group coaching
Guest Invites + Paid Bookings
How it works: The primary booker pays for ALL guests they bring to the booking.
Example scenario:
- You offer a consultation for $100 per booking
- Guest Invites enabled (max 2 guests)
- Client books and adds 2 guests
- Result: Primary booker pays $100 for the entire booking (not per person)
Important notes:
- Only the primary booker completes payment
- Primary booker pays once regardless of guest count
- All guests receive confirmation emails
- Perfect for: consultations, meetings where attendees bring colleagues or partners
Combining Both Features
You can enable BOTH Group Bookings and Guest Invites on the same paid booking type.
Example:
- Workshop priced at $50 per booking
- Group Bookings: 20 max attendees
- Guest Invites: 1 guest allowed per booking
- Result: Up to 20 people can book, each paying $50 and potentially bringing 1 free guest = up to 40 total attendees, $1000 revenue
Payment Processing
- Group Bookings: Each attendee pays through your Stripe or PayPal account separately
- Guest Invites: Primary booker pays once through your Stripe or PayPal account
- Only Stripe's or PayPal's standard processing fees apply — no additional TidyCal fees
Plan availability: All plans (Free, Individual, and Agency) can accept paid bookings.
Discount Codes and Coupons
You can create coupon codes to offer discounts on paid bookings. Coupons support percentage off, fixed amount off, or 100% free discounts. Bookers enter the coupon code during checkout on the booking confirmation modal.
To create and manage coupons, go to Coupons in the sidebar. You can also attach coupons to specific booking types from the Pricing & Subscriptions tab in the booking type editor.
Learn more: See our help article on Coupon Codes for full setup instructions.
Troubleshooting
Clients do not see a payment option on the booking page
- Confirm you toggled Per booking ON in the booking type settings
- Verify a payment processor (Stripe or PayPal) is connected at Payments
- Check that you selected a payment processor for the booking type
Wrong currency showing on the booking page
- Go to Settings → Preferences to check your currency selection
- The currency applies to all booking types — you cannot set different currencies per booking type
- Ensure your payment processor account supports the selected currency
Payment fails when client tries to book
- Verify your Stripe or PayPal account is active and in good standing
- Check that the currency in TidyCal matches what your payment processor supports
- If using Stripe, ensure you completed the full authorization flow (look for the green checkmark at Payments)
- Contact support@tidycal.com if the issue persists
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Free Plan users accept paid bookings?
Yes. Paid bookings are available on all plans, including the Free Plan. Connect Stripe or PayPal at Payments and enable payments on your booking types.
Note: New booking types default to Stripe as the payment processor. You can change this to PayPal in the Pricing & Subscriptions tab.
Can I use different payment processors for different booking types?
Yes. You can connect both Stripe and PayPal, then choose which processor to use for each booking type individually.
What fees apply to paid bookings?
Only your payment processor's standard fees apply. Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. PayPal charges their standard processing rate. TidyCal does not add any additional fees.
How do I refund a paid booking?
Refunds are processed through your payment processor's dashboard (Stripe Dashboard or PayPal). TidyCal does not process refunds directly. See Refunds for details.