Yes. Bookitly has a free plan that lets you take up to 20 appointments per month with no credit card required. It's genuinely free — not a free trial that expires. When your business grows and you need unlimited appointments, SMS reminders, and full client management, you can upgrade to Pro at R249 per month. If you have a team, Studio is R449 per month and includes five team members.

No. Your clients don't download anything. You share your personal Bookitly booking link — on WhatsApp, in your Instagram bio, or on Facebook — and they tap it, pick a service, choose a time, and confirm. It works on any phone and any browser. If they can order from Takealot they can book with Bookitly.

Two things stand out. First, Bookitly charges a flat monthly fee with zero commission on bookings — Fresha charges a percentage fee on new clients discovered through their marketplace. Second, Bookitly is built specifically for South African service providers, priced in Rand, with local payment support built in. No dollar pricing. No foreign fees. No surprises.

Deposit collection is coming soon. Bookitly already uses PayFast — the same payment gateway trusted by Takealot and major South African e-commerce sites — for billing. We're extending that to let you require a deposit at booking time to secure a client's slot, supporting credit cards, debit cards, Instant EFT, and Capitec Pay.

Bookitly sends your clients an automatic SMS reminder before their appointment so they don't forget and don't leave you with an empty slot. Your Pro plan includes 100 SMS credits per month, so your regulars get a nudge without you lifting a finger.

Bookitly works for any appointment-based service business. Hair salons and stylists, nail technicians, beauty therapists, lash and brow studios, massage therapists, wellness practitioners, body alignment specialists, physiotherapists, barbers, and more. Solo operator or small team — if you run a service business where clients book time with you, Bookitly was built for you.

Most providers are live in under 5 minutes. You add your services, set your working hours, and share your booking link. There's no manual to read, no technical knowledge needed, and no one to call. If you can use WhatsApp you can set up Bookitly.

Right now, clients don't have a self-service way to cancel through Bookitly — if they need to cancel, they'll usually reach out to you directly (a call or WhatsApp), and you can update your schedule in a couple of taps. Once you mark a booking as cancelled or no-show, that slot opens back up automatically so someone else can book it. You can also manually block or open slots from the app at any time.

Absolutely. Tap New booking from your home screen, enter the client's name and number, pick a service and time, and you're done — the same quick flow you'd use for any appointment, no separate process needed. Walk-ins and booked appointments live side by side in your schedule.

Yes on both. Your client list belongs to you — not Bookitly. Every client profile, booking history, phone number, and note you add is yours. We don't sell your data or use it to market to your clients. If you ever leave Bookitly you can export your full client list. Your data is stored securely and we comply with POPIA — South Africa's data protection law.

Yes. Your dashboard automatically flags clients who haven't been in for a while, so you can send them a quick WhatsApp nudge to book again — no spreadsheets, no guesswork. It's one tap from your dashboard, and you're always in control of who gets contacted and when.

Yes. The Bookitly web app is available at app.getbookitly.com and works on any laptop or desktop browser. It's designed for providers who prefer managing their schedule, client list, and services on a bigger screen — especially useful for setting up services, reviewing your revenue, and managing your client profiles. The Android app remains the primary tool for day-to-day use on your phone.

You'll see a counter on your dashboard as you approach the limit. Once you hit 20 appointments for the month your booking link will pause accepting new bookings until the next month resets — or until you upgrade to Pro. Your existing data stays exactly as it is. Upgrading to Pro takes about 60 seconds and unlocks unlimited appointments immediately.

Yes. Your clients can select more than one service when booking — for example, nails and lashes in the same visit. The total duration and price update automatically as they add services. You can also set add-ons for services that are commonly booked together, so clients can build their appointment in one go without needing to contact you.

When a client books an appointment, Bookitly automatically schedules an SMS reminder to go out before their appointment time. It goes out without you doing anything — no manual sends, no remembering. Your Pro plan includes 100 SMS credits per month. If you need more, you can top up at R45 for 100 credits and they never expire. Free plan users receive push notifications instead of SMS.

No. Most Bookitly providers have no website at all — just an Instagram page and a WhatsApp number. Your Bookitly booking link and public profile page at getbookitly.com/book/your-name works as your online presence. Share the link in your Instagram bio, your WhatsApp status, or on Facebook — that is everything your clients need to find you and book.

Yes. Under your working hours settings you can add break windows to any day — for lunch, school pickup, or anything else. Those times are automatically blocked in your booking calendar so clients cannot book into them. You can also manually block individual slots directly from your schedule view at any time.

No. Your clients can book on any phone — Android or iPhone — through their browser. When you share your Bookitly booking link on WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook, they tap it, pick their service and time, enter their details, and confirm. The whole process takes under a minute and works on any device without downloading anything. The Android app is for you as the provider — it's how you manage your schedule, clients, and business from your phone. Your clients never need to download or install anything to book with you.

No contract. Cancel anytime. If you cancel your Pro subscription you drop back to the free plan — your data, your client list, and your booking history stay exactly as they are. Nothing gets deleted. We don't believe in locking anyone in.

The two most requested features in development are PayFast deposit collection — so you can require a deposit at booking time to reduce no-shows — and WhatsApp Business reminders as an alternative to SMS. Team accounts are already here as the Studio plan, for providers who work with other stylists. If there's something specific you'd like to see, reply to any email from us or reach out directly — feature requests from real users shape what gets built next.