Guides, how-tos, and reference docs for Bookchair.
Visit bookchair.co.uk/signup and follow the 3-step wizard. Choose your business type, select your region, enter your business name and account details. Ready in under 2 minutes - no credit card required.
Your business type drives which features you see and what compliance rules apply. Hair salons get the Colour Lab; aesthetics clinics get age-restriction enforcement. Change it anytime in Settings.
Your region determines the compliance laws applied. Supported: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
Add a staff member and a service, then go to Bookings and click New Booking. Select a client, pick a service and staff, choose a date and time, and save. Your client gets an automatic confirmation.
Every Bookchair account includes a client-facing online booking portal. Find your link in Settings or share it from the dashboard. Clients can book 24/7 without calling.
Go to Bookings and click New Booking. The multi-step form guides you through client, services, staff, and time slot. Compliance checks run automatically.
On the calendar, drag any booking to a new slot or staff column. The booking updates instantly and a reschedule notification goes to your client.
Automatic reminders fire before each appointment. Configure timing in Settings. SMS credits are purchased separately; email reminders are included.
Click an empty calendar slot and choose Block time to mark a period unavailable without creating an appointment.
Open any booking and use the status dropdown to mark it cancelled or no-show. Cancelled slots free immediately for rebooking.
Go to Clients and click Add Client. All bookings, consultations, photos, and formulas are stored on the client profile.
Forms capture medical history, allergies, and GDPR consent. Bookchair warns or blocks a booking if no signed form is on file for services that require one.
Record patch test dates on the consultation record. Bookchair checks the validity window automatically and flags issues at the point of booking.
For hair salons and barbershops. Record colour formulas, processing times, and notes after each visit. Full history is visible on the client profile.
Every consultation captures consent date and version. Records are retained automatically per your region requirements.
Go to Staff and click Add Staff. Each member gets their own calendar column and can be assigned to specific services. No per-staff fees.
Define each staff member weekly hours in their profile. These hours control online booking availability.
Add exception days to block off holidays or training. Exceptions override the weekly schedule for that date only.
Go to Services to add treatments with name, duration, price, and category. Tick requires patch test or requires consultation to enable compliance checks.
Staff log in with limited access - they view their calendar and mark bookings complete. Financial reports require admin access.
UK Cosmetics Regulation requires patch tests at least 48 hours before colour, tinting, or chemical services. Bookchair warns if a test is missing or expired. Admins can override with a documented reason.
Under the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021, certain aesthetic treatments cannot be given to under-18s. Bookchair hard-blocks these bookings and this cannot be overridden.
Consultation forms capture GDPR consent with wording tailored to your region. Consent timestamps are stored against the client record.
UK law requires 7 years; US state boards typically require 3 years. Bookchair shows the correct retention period in Settings.
England uses Local Authority/CQC; Scotland uses Care Inspectorate; Wales uses CIW; NI uses RQIA. Bookchair applies region-specific rules automatically.
Bookchair integrates with Stripe. Connect it in Settings. Charge clients at booking time or mark bookings paid manually.
Go to Reports for a revenue breakdown by period, staff, and service category. Charts show your earnings trend over the last 30 or 90 days.
Bookchair generates a branded PDF invoice for each completed booking. Your logo and brand colour are applied automatically. Clients download receipts from the portal.
Open the booking, click Refund, and choose a full or partial amount. The refund returns to the client card within 5-10 business days.
All report data exports to CSV from the Reports page, ready to import into your accounting software.
Still have questions? Check the FAQ or start a free trial to explore the software yourself.
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