Add a public holiday surcharge to online bookings
Add a public holiday surcharge, or charge more at busy times, and show it before clients book. New Zealand and Australian holidays are built in.
To add a public holiday surcharge, make a rule in Settings, Surcharges. Bookatu marks every time it covers and shows the extra before the client books. Until you add a rule, prices are the same on every day and at every time.
Tell clients before they book
A surcharged time shows a badge, such as +15%, with a line saying what it is for. The review shows the surcharge on its own line before the total, and your website widget shows the total with it too. It is then on the confirmation, the reminder and the receipt.
If a time now costs more than the page showed, say because you added a rule while the client was booking, the booking is refused with a reason. Nothing is charged. It is still worth checking the consumer rules where you are.
How to switch it on
- 01Open Surcharges
Go to Settings, open Surcharges and press Add a surcharge.
- 02Name it
Name clients see is shown beside the price, like Public holiday surcharge.
- 03Set the amount
Under Kind, choose Percent of the price or Fixed amount, then enter it.
- 04Choose when
Pick Dates on the calendar, tick Use public holidays and choose your country, or add a weekly time under Every week, such as Sunday afternoons.
- 05Check and save
Keep Every service ticked or choose services. Read the preview, then press Add surcharge.
Press Switch off to pause a rule and keep it. Changing rules needs Manage the business.
Which public holidays are included
Use public holidays covers the national public holidays of New Zealand or Australia, 2026 to 2028, with the Mondayised and observed days. Regional anniversary days and state holidays are not on the list, so pick those on the calendar. Clients are told which holiday it is, like Public holiday surcharge (Christmas Day). Outside New Zealand and Australia, pick your own dates.
How the amount is worked out
- When two surcharges cover the same time, only the higher one applies.
- A percent is of your list price before any promo code, and a code never comes off the surcharge.
- A fixed amount is added once per booking.
- A booking that costs nothing is never surcharged.
- A percent deposit is worked out on the total, surcharge included. A flat deposit stays the same.
Questions owners ask
If I add a Christmas surcharge now, do bookings already made change?
No. Bookings already made keep the price they were made with, even when you change or switch off a rule.
What if a client moves their booking onto a public holiday?
Nothing is added. A moved booking keeps the smaller of its old surcharge and the new time's, so a move off a holiday drops it.
Can my team waive the surcharge?
Yes, on the New booking form, if their role has Refund orders. The waiver is recorded in the audit trail with their name.
Where to start
Add one rule for the next public holiday and check the preview. If you would rather close that day, our post Close on public holidays and set holiday hours shows how. Our help article Deposits covers deposits, and our post How to Price Your Services Without Guessing helps with the price underneath.
