What's in this article:
This article covers five features that help you manage bookings and grow repeat business: adding clients to a Waitlist when your schedule is full, setting Pre-Payment requirements, holding credit cards on file through MassageBook Pay, running Gift Certificates and Promotions, and using Marketing and Autopilot emails to stay in touch with clients.
- Waitlist
- Pre-Payment Requirements (your "no-show" protection)
- Hold Credit Cards on File (MassageBook Pay)
- Gift Certificates and Promotions
- Marketing Emails and Autopilot Emails
1. Waitlist
This section covers the Waitlist, a feature that automatically emails clients when new availability opens up for their preferred Staff Member, Service, and duration. It's triggered by cancellations, rescheduling, or newly added availability, so you can fill last-minute openings without lifting a finger.
Key things to know:
- Waitlist emails trigger: when an appointment is canceled/rescheduled, blocked time is removed, or new availability is added — but only if Online Booking is enabled
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Choose how clients are notified:
1. in the order they joined,
2. by highest-paid appointment,
3. first to confirm,
4. manually selected by you - Clients can join themselves: during online booking (if allowed) or be added manually from their Client record
- Clients who join online: are automatically removed after 30 days or once they book; those added manually stay until they book or are removed
Additional resources in the Help Center:
Enabling and Adjusting Waitlist Settings
Adding a client to the Waitlist
2. Pre-Payment Requirements
This section covers Pre-Payment Requirements, which let you decide whether clients need to pay in full, leave a deposit, or place a card on file before an online appointment is confirmed. These rules can be set separately for new and existing clients and work alongside your Cancellation Policy.
Key things to know:
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Three main options:
1. Place a card on file for late cancellation/no-show (MassageBook Pay only)
2. Pre-pay a minimum deposit
3. Pre-pay in full - New clients booking via MassageBook's Search Directory and Reserve with Google integration are always required to prepay in full, regardless of your other settings.
- Pairs with a customizable Cancellation Policy: customize your cancellation window and the client-facing text that appears during online booking (MassageBook Pay only)
Additional resources in the Help Center:
Activating Prepayment, Deposit, and Card on File Requirements
Customizing your Cancellation Policy
3. Holding Credit Cards on File (MassageBook Pay)
This section covers how cards get saved on file through MassageBook Pay, and — importantly — when a saved card can actually be charged. There are a few different ways a card can end up on file, and each one comes with its own rules about where and when it's usable.
Key things to know:
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MassageBook Pay exclusively offers: 2 ways to handle cards on file:
(1) requiring a card on file during Online Booking for late cancellation/no-show
(2) saving a card on file directly in the Client's Record - A card saved for late cancellation/no-show: can only be used to charge a late cancel or no-show fee — it can't be used for any other future transactions
- A card saved in the Client's Record: (or through Membership enrollment*) can be used for other future transactions, like checkout or Cash Register sales
*Saving a card through Membership enrollment is available for both MassageBook Pay and Square users.
Card-on-File Tile of a particular Client Record:
Additional resources in the Help Center:
Managing Cards on File in a Client's Record
Enabling Card on File Requirements and Customizing Your Cancellation Policy
Enrolling a Client in a Membership
4. Gift Certificates and Promotions
This section covers two connected tools for growing revenue: Gift Certificates, which clients can purchase and redeem toward services, and Promotions, which let you run limited-time discounts on services or gift certificates through a shareable link.
Key things to know:
- Gift Certificates: can be Service-based or Custom dollar amounts, sold online or in the Cash Register, and redeemed like any other payment method at checkout
- Promotions: can be public (shown on your website) or private (shared only via a direct link, e.g. in a Campaign or Autopilot email) — useful for exclusive offers
- Requirements: both require the Amplify plan, and Gift Certificates/Promotions need a connected Square or Stripe/MassageBook Pay account to sell online
Additional resources in the Help Center:
Understanding Gift Certificates in MassageBook
5. Marketing Emails and Autopilot Emails
This section covers two ways to stay in touch with clients by email: Campaigns, which are one-off or scheduled emails you design and send yourself, and Autopilot, which sends pre-built automated emails triggered by client behavior like birthdays or referrals — with no manual work required.
Key things to know:
- Campaigns: are built from templates (or fully custom), can be sent to all clients or a targeted group, and include performance tracking (open rate, click-through rate)
- Autopilot: includes several pre-built automations (Birthday Greeting, Bring 'Em Back, Referral Thank You, Facebook Like, Encourage Referrals, New Client Thank You, Weekly Availability Announcement) with fixed, non-customizable sending criteria
Additional resources in the Help Center: