How To Add Offline Appointments

How to Manually Book a New Appointment for a Client Using PhotoBiz Scheduler

Overview

A client may arrange an appointment with you by phone, email, text message, in person, or through another method instead of booking through your PhotoBiz Scheduler. You can complete the service’s booking form on the client’s behalf so the appointment appears in your Scheduler Dashboard.

This guide explains how to add a new appointment that was arranged outside PhotoBiz Scheduler. It also explains how to handle services that require payment, including appointments that were already paid for outside PhotoBiz.

Adding a New Appointment vs. Rescheduling

Use this guide when the client did not complete the online booking process and the appointment does not already appear in your Scheduler Dashboard.

Do not create another booking when the client already has an appointment and only needs to change the date or time. Creating a new booking will add a separate appointment instead of updating the existing one.

To move an existing appointment, see How Can I Reschedule a Client Appointment?.

Before Booking a Service That Requires Payment

Review the service’s payment settings before completing the booking.

Each Scheduler service includes an Active setting with these options:

Yes, for booking only: Clients can book the service without completing checkout.
Yes, for booking and payment: Clients must complete checkout as part of the booking process.
No: The service is inactive and cannot be booked.

Review this setting before adding the appointment.

If the client has already paid outside PhotoBiz and you do not want to use a gift card, coupon, or payment method during checkout, temporarily select Yes, for booking only.

After you add the appointment, change the setting back to Yes, for booking and payment so future clients are still required to pay when booking online.

STEP ONE

This opens the Scheduler Dashboard, where you can manage your appointments, services, availability, and Scheduler settings.

STEP TWO

Click SERVICES at the top of the Scheduler Dashboard.

STEP THREE

Find the service the client booked, then click the service name.

The Edit Service panel will open on the right side of the screen.

If the client already paid outside PhotoBiz and you do not want to complete checkout, locate the Active setting and select Yes, for booking only before continuing.

If you plan to process a payment, apply a gift card, or apply a coupon during checkout, leave the service set to Yes, for booking and payment.

STEP FOUR

In the Edit Service panel on the right side of the screen, locate MANAGE YOUR DETAILS near the top of the panel. Click MANAGE YOUR DETAILS to open the public booking page for the selected service.

This is the same booking page clients use when scheduling the service through your website. Because the appointment was arranged outside your PhotoBiz Scheduler, you will complete the booking page on the client’s behalf.

STEP FIVE

Use the calendar on the service booking page to select the date and time you arranged with the client.

The calendar only displays times available under the service’s current availability settings. If the agreed-upon time does not appear, return to Scheduler and review the service’s availability, booking restrictions, and existing appointments before continuing.

Select any required service options or add-ons that apply to the appointment.

FINAL STEP

Enter the client’s name, email address, phone number, and any other information required by the service. Use the client’s email address so appointment confirmations, reminders, receipts, and connected automation emails are sent to the correct person.

Review the appointment details, then click BOOK NOW.

If the service is set to Yes, for booking only, the appointment will be added to your Scheduler Dashboard without checkout.

If the service is set to Yes, for booking and payment, click ADD TO CART continue to checkout and complete the payment process.

After completing the booking, confirm that the appointment appears in your Scheduler Dashboard on the correct date and time. The client will receive a confirmation email. If an email automation is connected to the service, the client will also be added to that workflow.

Restore the Service to Booking & Payment

If you temporarily changed the Active setting to Yes, for booking only, return to the service settings immediately after adding the appointment.

Change Active back to Yes, for booking and payment so clients who book the service through your website are still required to complete checkout.

Leaving the service set to Yes, for booking only will allow other clients to schedule that service without paying during the booking process.

Handling a Service That Requires Payment

If the service is set to Yes, for booking and payment, PhotoBiz will direct you to checkout after you click ADD TO CART.

You can complete checkout by:

Entering the client’s payment information with their permission
Applying a gift card
Applying a coupon for 100% off

Any service options, sales tax, or additional charges configured for the service will apply during checkout.

Handling an Appointment Paid Outside PhotoBiz

When the client has already paid outside PhotoBiz, choose the method that matches how you want to complete the booking and report the amount.

Temporarily Use Booking Only

Select Yes, for booking only when you do not want to process a payment, apply a gift card, or use a coupon during checkout.

The payment collected outside PhotoBiz will not be included in your PhotoBiz sales totals.

Remember to change the service back to Yes, for booking and payment immediately after adding the appointment.

Apply a Gift Card

Apply a gift card when you want the prepaid amount included in your PhotoBiz sales totals.

Create the gift card in the ECommerce Dashboard before beginning the booking process. Apply it when you reach checkout.

The redeemed gift card amount will be included in your PhotoBiz sales reporting.

See How To Create a Gift Card for complete instructions.

Apply a 100% Off Coupon

Apply a coupon for 100% off when the payment was recorded outside PhotoBiz and you do not want the amount included in your PhotoBiz sales totals.

Create the coupon in the ECommerce Dashboard before beginning the booking process. Apply it during checkout to reduce the amount due to zero.

The discounted amount will not be included in your PhotoBiz sales reporting.

See, How To Create a Coupon for full instructions.

Choosing the Correct Method

The method you choose affects how the appointment is recorded in your PhotoBiz sales totals:

Process a payment: The payment is processed through your connected merchant account and included in your PhotoBiz sales totals.
Apply a gift card: The redeemed gift card amount is included in your PhotoBiz sales totals.
Apply a 100% off coupon: The discounted amount is not included in your PhotoBiz sales totals.
Use Yes, for booking only: No checkout is completed, and the payment collected outside PhotoBiz is not included in your PhotoBiz sales totals.

Helpful Notes

When you add an appointment on a client’s behalf, you are completing the same public booking process your clients use. The service’s existing settings still apply, including:

Available dates and times
Required client information
Service options and add-ons
Pricing
Sales tax
Payment requirements
Confirmation emails
Connected email automations

This process does not override unavailable dates or times.

Always enter the client’s email address unless you specifically want the booking emails sent somewhere else. The email address entered during booking determines where the confirmation, receipt, reminders, and connected automation emails are delivered.

Always confirm that the appointment appears in your Scheduler Dashboard after completing the booking.

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