The Bookatu blog
Practical, no-nonsense advice for service businesses. Cutting no-shows, building steady income, getting found online, and keeping more of what you earn.
Booking software for photographers: book, deliver and get paid in one place
A plain guide to booking software for photographers: take deposits that stop no-shows, deliver private proofing galleries that sell the extra shots, and keep 100% of every booking with 0% commission.
Introducing Pay as you go: no monthly fee, pay only for active clients
A new way to pay for Bookatu, built for businesses that are just starting out, seasonal, or quiet some months. No subscription. Pay 50 cents per active client, with a small monthly minimum, and nothing in a month when no one books.
One Platform, Seven Trades: Who Bookatu Is For
Bookatu is one booking and payments platform that reshapes itself for your trade, whether you run a salon, a gym, a restaurant or a photography studio. Here is why a tailored tool beats a blank calendar, with a day-in-the-life example for each.
Preview, pick, pay, download: private galleries that sell your photos for you
A private online gallery lets clients browse a safe watermarked preview, choose their favourites, and pay for extras before they download. Here is how that one flow saves you hours and earns you more.
Photo Proofing That Protects Your Work: Watermarks, Low-Res Previews, and Pay-First Downloads
Proofing is where most photos quietly leak. Here is how watermarked low-res previews, baked-in marks, and payment-gated downloads keep your full-resolution work safe, plus the honest limits of stopping image theft.
Event-driven by design: how one payment becomes loyalty, retention, and a receipt
A booking platform lives or dies on consistency. Here is how a single Stripe payment fans out into loyalty points, retention, a receipt and a ledger entry, why every effect is gated on a real state change, and where we are taking the architecture next.
Set up payments for your salon: it really does take two minutes
Connecting payments sounds technical, but it isn't — it's a short, guided form from Stripe. Here is exactly what you will be asked, why, and how to get from "started" to "ready to take deposits" in one sitting.
Sell Session Packs and Stop Chasing Payments: A Calmer Money Setup for Trainers and Coaches
Per-session billing makes your income lumpy and your week stressful. Here is how prepaid session packs and a simple "who owes me" board help you get paid up front, keep clients showing up, and stop chasing cash.
Booking Software for Hair Salons: A Plain Guide
A plain guide to booking software for hair salons: your own branded booking page, synced stylist calendars, deposits that stop no-shows, and 0% commission.
Take Online Reservations and Design Your Floor Plan Online: Fewer Phone Calls, Fewer No-Shows
A visual floor plan plus online booking lets guests reserve a real table while you are busy, cuts the calls your host has to answer, and gives you the reminders that keep tables filled. Here is how it works and what the research says.
Booking Software for Barbershops: Keep 100% of Every Cut
A plain guide to booking software for barbershops: your own branded booking page, deposits that stop no-shows, payouts straight to your bank, and 0% commission.
Get paid into your own bank account: how 0% commission keeps the money yours
Booking marketplaces can take a cut of every appointment and sit on your cash for days. Here is how 0% commission and Stripe Connect put the money in your own bank account, in your own name, and clean for tax time.