Start Booking Team

<h4>Online scheduling and booking plugin</h4>
<p>At Start Booking, we believe that a simple online booking experience is critical to any highly converting website. <a href="https://www.startbooking.com/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" title="Start Booking" rel="friend nofollow ugc">Start Booking</a> is a WordPress booking plugin that is focused on helping individuals and businesses manage customers, book more appointments, and sell their services.</p>
<p>The appointment scheduling plugin seamlessly connects with the Start Booking cloud platform to power your online booking and display your services or classes anywhere on your WordPress site. The plugin has been developed to adopt and inherit your WordPress theme styles, so minimal (if any) updates are needed to give your website a performant and professional looking booking calendar.</p>
<p>With appointment booking from Start Booking, you will find a nice balance between the booking tools available to you straight from the WordPress admin and that which is available from within the Start Booking platform itself. From our experience, most businesses don’t want to run the day-day of their business directly within their WordPress admin. Because of this, we developed the Start Booking <a href="https://www.startbooking.com/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" title="online scheduling software" rel="friend nofollow ugc">online scheduling software</a> to help you manage your services, appointments, classes and business better while leveraging your WordPress website as a tool and integral part of the experience.</p>
<h3>Embedding the booking system</h3>
<p>Once the plugin is installed, there are a few options for displaying your booking calendar. If you are using the Gutenberg editor (WordPress 5.0+), you will have the option to use our blocks to embed your booking form. If you are not using Gutenber, we still support shortcodes for the legacy booking experience.</p>
<h4>Gutenberg Blocks</h4>
<p>To use the Gutenberg blocks, navigate to any page or post that you want to display your booking form.</p>
<h4>Services Block</h4>
<p>The first and most popular option is the services block. This block will display a booking flow (which is configurable) for a user to select a service and date they want to book and the plugin will return available openings based on your Start Booking settings.</p>
<h4>Single Service Availability</h4>
<p>The second appointment booking option is a lot like the services block except with the single service availability shortcode, you predefine what service you want selected so that the user skips selecting a service and only selects a date & time.</p>
<p>Example usage for this would be if you have single pages on your website for each of your services. You could embed the single service availability shortcode directly into each page so your user could book that service in context. This really helps your user by not having to search for the service in the general service availability booking experience.</p>
<p>To use this shortcode, place <code>[startbooking_cta services="YOUR SERVICE ID" ]Book Now[/startbooking_cta]</code> shortcode in your post, page, widget etc. Be sure to replace “YOUR SERVICE ID” with your actual service ID. You can view your service ID’s directly from the plugin wp-admin settings page. Lastly, you can add multiple service ID’s (comma separated) to have a bundle of services preselected for booking appointments.</p>
<h4>Class & Group Booking Block</h4>
<p>The third booking calendar option is to display a list of your classes that your users can join. Classes can be anything from yoga classes to group meetups. The main difference between the service and class booking experiences is that services will display to your customers available openings (times that you have open) where as the classes experience displays times that were predefined and can support multiple users joining a class.</p>
<p>To use the the classes block, add the block in any of your posts or pages that you want.</p>
<p>For each of these options, there are additional settings such as the ability to change the booking button colors so they better match the look of your online calendar, changing the text in the flow, etc. To learn more about the available options of the <a href="https://www.startbooking.com/wordpress-booking-plugin/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" title="WordPress booking plugin" rel="friend nofollow ugc">WordPress booking plugin</a> please visit the <a href="https://help.startbooking.com/category/5-wordpress?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" title="Start Booking WordPress Articles" rel="friend nofollow ugc">Start Booking WordPress plugin knowledge base</a>.</p>
<h3>Booking Integrations</h3>
<h4>Google Analytics</h4>
<p>With the Google Analytics integration, you’ll be able to understand how and when customers are booking appointments with you.</p>
<h4>Google Calendar (Two-way Sync)</h4>
<p>The <a href="https://help.startbooking.com/article/44-google-integration-overview?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" title="Google Calendar Integration" rel="friend nofollow ugc">Google Calendar integration</a> takes all your appointments and pushes them (including a brief description) directly into your Google Calendar.</p>
<h4>Stripe Payments</h4>
<p>Accepting payments from your customers has never been easier with the Start Booking Stripe integration.</p>
<p>The Stripe integration enables you to accept payments from customers directly from your website and gives you the flexibility to require payment to book appointments if you want. In addition, the Stripe Booking integration gives you the ability to review customer payments, storing customer credit cards all from your own Stripe account.</p>
<p>Learn more about <a href="https://help.startbooking.com/article/36-how-to-setup-stripe-payments-for-online-booking?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" title="how to setup Stripe payments for online booking" rel="friend nofollow ugc">how to setup Stripe payments for online booking</a>.</p>
<h4>Mailchimp</h4>
<p>With the Mailchimp integration, all your customers will be automatically added to the Mailchimp list of your choosing.</p>
<h4>Webhooks</h4>
<p>As a developer, you have the option to configure webhooks for your online booking, which makes it incredibly easy to integrate the scheduling plugin with other systems and applications. This feature enables developers to receive real-time notifications as soon as events occur, such as new bookings or cancellations. The webhooks are straightforward to set up and can be customized to meet individual requirements. As a result, developers can create a booking system that caters to their specific needs and integrates smoothly with their existing systems and workflows. You can learn more from the <a href="https://developers.startbooking.com/" title="Online Booking Developer Center" rel="friend nofollow ugc">Start Booking developer center</a>.</p>
<h4>Zapier</h4>
<p>Start Booking is seamlessly linked to over 5,000 applications and services through Zapier. These include CRM systems, payment gateways, communication apps, and more. Enhance your Start Booking experience by integrating it with the tools you’re already accustomed to, simplifying the management of your bookings within your established workflow.</p>
<h4>Zoom</h4>
<p>Automatically create Zoom meetings with the Start Booking Zoom integration. Stay connected with Zoom meetings and start offering virtual appointments. Learn more about the <a href="https://www.startbooking.com/blog/introducing-the-zoom-and-start-booking-integration/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" rel="friend nofollow ugc">Zoom and Start Booking integration</a>.</p>
<h3>Online Booking Feature List</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p><a href="https://www.startbooking.com/features/online-booking?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" rel="nofollow ugc">Streamlined Online Booking</a>: Start Booking offers a user-friendly and intuitive booking process, allowing customers to easily schedule appointments and services.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Calendar Integration: Seamlessly integrate Start Booking with popular calendar platforms, such as Google Calendar, ensuring accurate scheduling and preventing double bookings.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Multiple Service Offerings: Efficiently manage and offer a wide range of services with different durations, prices, and availability.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Automated Notifications: Keep customers informed with automated email and SMS notifications for appointment reminders, confirmations, and rescheduling updates.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Resource Management: Easily allocate and manage resources, such as staff members or rooms, to ensure efficient scheduling and utilization.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://www.startbooking.com/features/online-payments?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" rel="nofollow ugc">Payment Integration</a>: Integrate with Stripe payment gateway, enabling secure and hassle-free online payments during the booking process.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Reporting and Analytics: Gain valuable insights into your business performance with comprehensive reporting and analytics features, allowing you to make data-driven decisions.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>CRM Integration: Connect Start Booking with your CRM system to streamline customer management, capture client information, and enhance personalized customer experiences.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://zapier.com/apps/start-booking/integrations" rel="nofollow ugc">Zapier Integration</a>: Seamlessly connect Start Booking with over 5,000 applications and services via Zapier, expanding its capabilities and integrating it into your existing workflow.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Mobile-Friendly: Access Start Booking and manage appointments on the go with a responsive and mobile-friendly interface.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Customizable Booking Rules: Set specific rules and restrictions for your bookings, such as minimum or maximum lead times, cancellation policies, or booking prerequisites.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="https://www.startbooking.com/features/integrations?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" rel="nofollow ugc">Booking Integrations</a>: Integrate Start Booking with other third-party software, such as communication tools, marketing platforms, or project management systems, to create a seamless workflow.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Custom Fields: Collect additional information from customers during the booking process, providing a personalized experience for you and your customers.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>What’s Next</h4>
<p>The team at Start Booking have assembled an aggressive roadmap and look to provide you and your customers the best <a href="https://www.startbooking.com/wordpress-booking-plugin/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" title="WordPress booking plugin" rel="friend nofollow ugc">WordPress booking plugin</a> on the market.</p>
<p>While we strive to provide the best calendar booking plugin, we know sometimes issues happen. During those times we will do everything we can to resolve your issues and problems as quick as possible. You can find us at the Start Booking <a href="https://help.startbooking.com/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plugindescription" title="support center" rel="friend nofollow ugc">help center</a>.</p>


Scheduling Plugin – Online Booking for WordPress

Online booking and scheduling for WordPress. Book services or classes with a modern and easy appointment booking calendar.

DOTonPAPER

<p>If you have a service (accommodation, event or anything else) or product that has to be booked in advance, the Pinpoint Booking System is the best way to help your clients make a reservation – directly from your WordPress website. The booking calendar can be customized in any way you like, from the design to its functionalities, with add-ons.</p>
<p>It’s never been easier to schedule a service – with this booking system, your clients can book an appointment directly from your website, with the help of an AJAX powered, clean and intuitive calendar, with a responsive interface. This booking system makes renting a product a matter or a couple of clicks – all in one page.</p>
<p>If you’re in the accommodations business, this booking system is perfect for you. Reservations can be customized by days or by nights – with morning check-outs. You can add extra amenities or services to your client’s bookings, or offer them discounts and vouchers.</p>
<p>Being an administrator of this booking calendar is just as easy. Pinpoint Booking System is a match for both big and small companies, due to its easily manageable, flexible and intuitive administration area.</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote>
<p>
        <a href="https://pinpoint.world/wordpress-booking?utm_source=WordPress&utm_medium=Plugin%20FREE%20repository" rel="nofollow ugc">Plugin website</a> | <a href="https://pinpoint.world/shop?utm_source=WordPress&utm_medium=Plugin%20FREE%20repository" rel="nofollow ugc">PRO version</a> | <a href="https://pinpoint.world/docs/legacy-booking/wordpress?utm_source=WordPress&utm_medium=Plugin%20FREE%20repository" rel="nofollow ugc">Documentation</a> | <a href="https://pinpoint.world/contact" rel="nofollow ugc">Support</a>
    </p>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>FREE vs PRO</strong></p>
<p>The FREE version is limited to 1 calendar. Some functionality is limited by this restriction, but almost all features are available.</p>
<h3>Responsive Booking Calendar</h3>
<p>With this WordPress booking calendar plugin, your clients will be able to book your services and check for their availability directly from your WordPress website. This AJAX simple calendar makes it easier for your clients to make appointments because there is no need to refresh the page to make any updates.</p>
<p>This user friendly WordPress booking calendar is perfect for any of your clients – it’s responsive, so it can be viewed on any device and it adapts to your customer’s time zones.</p>
<p>The Pinpoint booking calendar can be customized to a great extent: the client can select how many months to view in the calendar and there is a sidebar, where your customers can search for availability, select the number of rooms or items that they need, use coupons or select extras.</p>
<p>Your client is able to see a summary of their reservation and, if necessary, you can add a custom form that they can fill in – directly in the booking calendar.</p>
<h4>Book Days</h4>
<p>In your booking calendar, days are displayed with one out of 5 types of availability: none, available, booked, special or unavailable. You can set a special price for groups of days, or select the minimum or the maximum number of days that can be booked.</p>
<h4>Book Nights</h4>
<p>This feature is perfect for you if you’re in the accommodation business. The booking calendar offers support for morning check-outs. Your clients will have the option of checking-in in the afternoons and checking-out in the mornings – and the prices and availability will be displayed accordingly.</p>
<h4>Book Hours</h4>
<p>With Pinpoint, you can control your reservations by hours. Hours are treated exactly the same as days, with 5 types of availability, special prices for groups of hours or a minimum or a maximum number of bookable hours.</p>
<h4>Book Hours Intervals</h4>
<p>Pinpoint booking calendar lets you adjust the reservation time interval even more – with the help of the time slot. You can set hour intervals for your bookings, down to the minute. This gives you increased precision and control over your client’s reservations.</p>
<h3>Reservations management</h3>
<p>Booking management has never been easier. Booking calendar administrators can add, cancel, edit, reject or delete reservation requests. Bookings can be instantly approved or rejected, but can never overlap – and the booking calendar will update accordingly.</p>
<p>You can choose between a list view or a calendar view to display your clients’ reservations, and they can be printed or exported in 4 types of formats – CSV, XLS, JSON, and ICS.</p>
<h3>BOOKING CALENDAR EXTENSIONS</h3>
<h4>Extras</h4>
<p>With Pinpoint, you can add extra amenities, services or others to your client’s bookings, either with a price or for free. You can set default values for the extras, and whether they are mandatory or not. Also, multiple extras groups can be made to be used with your booking calendar.</p>
<h4>Forms</h4>
<p>In case you need more information from your clients, you can create a custom form that your customers can fill in directly in the booking calendar. You can have text fields, text areas, checkboxes, dropdowns and even custom fields in your form. It’s worth knowing that you can create an unlimited number of custom forms for your calendar.</p>
<h4>Discounts</h4>
<p>In this booking calendar, you can create discounts according to the time interval the reservation is made for. You can decide how the discounts will be calculated – once by day or hour, fixed or a percent – and their default amount.</p>
<h4>Taxes and fees</h4>
<p>If reserving your product or service comes with extra taxes or fees – you can add them to your booking calendar. You can decide their value, and if they will be included or not in the overall reservation price.</p>
<h4>Coupons</h4>
<p>Another useful feature Pinpoint has is the creating of vouchers or coupons for your customers. You can set their default value, the terms and conditions of how they can be used and add them directly into the booking calendar.</p>
<h3>WooCommerce Bookings</h3>
<p>This booking calendar can be greatly extended with the WooCommerce plug-in. With this, you can make the most of the shopping cart, the specific payment gateways and all the other extra features that come with the WooCommerce WordPress plug-in. Additionally, all your reservations data is saved both in Pinpoint and WooCommerce orders.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>
        <a href="https://pinpoint.world/woocommerce-booking?utm_source=WordPress&utm_medium=Plugin%20FREE%20repository" rel="nofollow ugc">Learn more</a>
    </p>
</blockquote>
<h3>Other WordPress Booking System Features</h3>
<h4>Synchronization via iCal files</h4>
<p>For better reservation management, the Pinpoint Booking Calendar can be synchronized with other calendars – Mac Calendar, Outlook, Google Calendar, iCalendar or Airbnb, via iCal format data.</p>
<h4>Notifications for Booking Requests</h4>
<p>You can send your clients’ reminders and notifications form your booking calendar, either by email or SMS.  You can set up text messages to be sent, either to you or your customers – with Clickatell SMS gateway. For an email notification, you can create custom templates for any type of notice or language, and they will be sent with STMP, PHPMailer class or PHP mail function.</p>
<h4>Support for multiple languages</h4>
<p>If your local language is different from English, or you need to offer your services in multiple languages, the Pinpoint booking system offers support for a couple of languages already. However, if you find that yours is not, you can modify or translate your own texts with a simple “to-do” tool.</p>
<h4>Support for multiple currencies</h4>
<p>You can use any currency with our Pinpoint booking system. However, if you need to, you can customize your own currency to fit your needs, using hooks.</p>
<h4>Online Payment Getaways</h4>
<p>Even though payment cannot be mandatory when a client makes a reservation, it can be an option. With this booking calendar, PayPal is the default payment method, but if you have another preference, you can change that with add-ons. There are 6 payment gateways to choose from  – Stripe, WePay, 2Checkout, Authorize.Net, Braintree, ICEPAY and Mollie.</p>


Pinpoint Booking System – Version 2

The plugin has major problems with multilingual sites.
I bought the PRO version and technical support never responds.
The worst technical support!

Customer support non-existent


I think the only thing still functioning with this organization is their ability to take your money. While the plugin works fairly well if you don't want to accept payments on its own, its paid Authorize.net plugin is broken, as is its included PayPal functionality. The changelog for the plugin was last updated in 2018 and it relies on an obsolete version of omnipay.



Multiple support requests to try to get it working went unanswered.



Plugins die, I get that, but if the thing doesn't work, don't accept money for it. That's why I consider Pinpoint, "The #1 WordPress Booking Plugin," fradulent. If you find yourself in our position its worth it to call your bank and try to claw your money back.



It's a shame too, because there's a lot to be said for the UX of this plugin. The UI is out-dated and not super accessible, but you can tell that at some point a talented team cared about this plugin.






Scheduling Plugin – Online Booking for WordPress vs Pinpoint Booking System – Version 2