Add a booking for a customer

Sometimes a customer books over the phone, walks in on the day, or you want to comp someone a free space. You can add the booking for them in a few clicks - using a customer you already have or a brand-new one. Admin-created bookings don't charge a card, so they're free by default, but you can record what someone paid on your own card machine or in cash, or share a link so they pay online. This sits alongside everything else on the bookings page.

Open the Add booking panel

You can start a manual booking from two places, depending on where you are.

1. 1
   Open Bookings and pick the session up top, or open Sessions and click the session you want.
2. 2
   Select Add booking to open the panel.

The panel header shows the session name, time and how many spaces are still free, so you always know what you're booking onto.

Choose the customer

You can book in someone you already have, or add a new person without leaving the panel.

1. 1
   In the User field, search by name or email. Matching customers appear as you type - click one to select them.
2. 2
   No match? Click Add as new user, then enter their email and (optionally) first and last name.

A new email creates a guest customer - no account or password needed. If the email already belongs to someone, Session tells you and asks you to search for them instead, so you never create a duplicate. To swap to a different person, click Change.

Set the spaces

Use the Spaces stepper to choose how many spaces the booking takes. For a part-session (a session sold as shorter and longer slots), a Window picker also appears so you can place the booking in the right half.

Record a payment (optional)

Adding a booking here never charges a card. Under Payment you choose what happened:

• Not taken - the default. No payment is recorded, so the booking stays free. Use this for comps or when the customer will pay another way.
• Paid - record what the customer paid you on-site (on your own card machine, in cash, by bank transfer, or another method). Enter the Amount and pick the Method - the options are card machine, cash, bank transfer, and other.

A recorded payment is a note for your own records and your reports - Session doesn't process it. The money goes through your own till or terminal, not Stripe, so there's nothing to reconcile. If you cancel or reduce the booking later, you can record a refund the same way (you action it on your terminal). See record an offline or walk-in payment for the full picture and refunds for adjusting one.

Add notes and send a confirmation

Two final options before you save:

• Notes - jot down anything useful (a phone number, a special request). These stay on the booking for your team.
• Send booking confirmation email - on by default. It sends the customer the same confirmation email an online booking gets, including their booking reference and a link to manage it. Untick it for a quiet comp or if you'd rather not email them.

Then click Add booking to finish.

Let the customer pay online instead

If you'd rather the customer pay themselves, don't record a payment - share the booking link instead. The panel shows an Or have them pay online section with a copyable link that deep-links the customer to this exact time, so they book the slot and pay at checkout. It's the same kind of link covered in booking links.

Common questions

1. Does adding a booking charge the customer? No. Admin-created bookings are free by default and never touch a card. To take payment, either record what they paid you on-site under Payment, or share the pay-online link so they pay at checkout.

2. What does recording a payment actually do? It saves what the customer paid and how, so your records and reports are accurate. Session doesn't move any money for an offline payment - you collect it on your own terminal or in cash.

3. Can I book past the session's capacity? Yes. You'll get an overbooking warning, but you can always add the booking - admins aren't held to the shared capacity limit.

4. The email belongs to an existing user - what now? Search for that person in the User field and select them, rather than adding them as new. This keeps their booking history in one place. See customers.

5. Will the customer get an email? Only if Send booking confirmation email is ticked (it is by default). Untick it to add the booking quietly.

6. How do I refund an on-site payment? Cancel or reduce the booking and record the refund amount - you then return the money on your own terminal. See refunds and manage bookings.