What's in this article:
This article covers key features to help you manage refunds, control how clients book online, accept payments with MassageBook Pay, get discovered by new clients through MassageBook, understand marketing fees, and keep your account secure.
- Processing Refunds
- Online Booking Rules
- MassageBook Pay (Setup, Card Readers, HSA/FSA, Payouts...)
- Getting New Clients from MassageBook.com
- 15% Marketing Fee + Dispute options
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
1. Processing Refunds
This section covers how to issue refunds to clients, whether an appointment was checked out, canceled, or marked as a no-show. Refunds can be processed from the Schedule on desktop or from MassageBook Manager on mobile, and the right path depends on the appointment's status.
Key things to know:
- Option 1: you can refund a client either during the appointment cancellation / no-show process
- Option 2: or afterward from Sales > Sales Activity > locate the receipt > select the Refund button
- Credit card refunds: typically take 3–5 business days to reach the client (up to 7-10 days)
- Partial refunds: you can keep part of a prepayment as a cancellation fee instead of refunding in full
Additional resources in the Help Center:
How to manage cancellations, no-shows, and refunds (full overview video)
Canceling and Refunding a Pre-paid Appointment
Charging for a Late Cancel / No-Show
2. Online Booking Rules
This section covers Online Booking Rules, which control who can book appointments online and how. These settings apply business-wide and determine whether new and existing clients can book through your website, the MassageBook Directory, or Reserve with Google.
Key things to know:
- Rules apply to the whole Business — they can't be set differently per Staff Member
- New clients booking through the MassageBook Directory or Reserve with Google are subject to a one-time marketing fee
- You control how far in advance clients can book, how much notice is required, and appointment start-time intervals
- Online booking and email booking requests are mutually exclusive — a Business uses one or the other
Additional resources in the Help Center:
Activating and Adjusting Online Booking Rules
Activating Prepayment, Deposit, and Card on File Requirements
3. MassageBook Pay
This section briefly covers MassageBook Pay, MassageBook's built-in payment processor powered by Stripe — including how to connect, compatible card readers, accepting FSA/HSA cards, and how payouts work.
Key things to know:
- Connecting to MassageBook Pay: under Settings > Credit Card Payments
- Card Readers: Stripe Terminal M2 (mobile, Bluetooth, MassageBook Manager app only) and Stripe Reader S700 (works on both mobile and desktop), plus Tap to Pay built into the mobile app
- FSA/HSA acceptance: please contact MassageBook Support Team to update your account's Merchant Classification Code so that you can accept FSA/HSA payments
- Payouts: follow Stripe's standard 2-business-day schedule; an instant payout option is available for a 1.75% fee
Additional resources in the Help Center:
MassageBook Pay Overview + FAQs
What readers are compatible with MassageBook Pay?
HSA/FSA Eligibility Requirements
4. Getting new clients from MassageBook.com
This section covers your Business Listing in the MassageBook Search Directory. MassageBook doesn't send clients your way directly — it gives your business a platform to advertise itself to people searching nearby, and how well that works depends on how you present your business.
Key things to know:
- Business Listing: shows in the Search Directory automatically once your account setup is complete; but you can toggle it off/on anytime under Business Listing settings
- Activate Directory Bookings: to let brand-new clients book directly through your listing, you separately need to enable "Accept new clients coming directly from MassageBook's national search directory" under Settings > Online Booking Rules
- When it works best: attracting clients through the directory works best when you follow a few best practices: use professional photos, price competitively, run deals/promotions, and build a strong base of 5-star reviews
-
15% marketing fee: applies only to a client's first appointment booked this way — it's a one-time fee per new client, not charged again on repeat bookings
Additional resources in the Help Center:
Getting New Clients from the Search Directory on MassageBook.com
5. 15% Marketing Fee + Dispute options
This section covers the one-time marketing fee charged when a new client books their first appointment with you through the MassageBook Search Directory or Reserve with Google, and how to dispute a fee you believe was applied incorrectly.
Key things to know:
- When fee is applied: the fee only applies to a NEW CLIENT's FIRST APPOINTMENT booked through the Search Directory or Reserve with Google. One time per new client.
- How "New Client" is determined: by looking at their email address — if the email isn't already in your Client list, MassageBook treats them as a new client and applies 15% Marketing Fee.
- Dispute scenario: if an existing client books using a different email than the one on file, they may get flagged as a new client by mistake — in that case, you can dispute the fee.
- To dispute: go to Sales > Reports > Marketing Fees, find the appointment, and submit your dispute
Additional resources in the Help Center:
Understanding New Client Marketing Fees (Video)
Understanding the Icons on Appointment Blocks
6. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
This section covers Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), a simple extra step at login that helps keep your account secure. It's there to protect you and your clients' information, even if a password is ever guessed or stolen.
Key things to know:
- What is 2FA: one extra step at sign-in: verifying your identity with a one-time code sent to your email
- Business Owner can turn 2FA on: and can decide whether Staff are required to use it too
- Once verified: you won't need to do it again every time, only every so often (30 days by default)
-
No apps or special setup needed: it's just checking your email for a code every once in a while
Additional resources in the Help Center:
What to Expect with Two-Factor Authentication