Collect payments for appointments using Stripe, Square, or PayPal.
To start accepting payments for appointments in Squarespace Scheduling, connect at least one payment processor. You can connect to Stripe, Square, or PayPal. Squarespace doesn't charge any transaction fees, but each payment processor has its own processing fees.
Choosing which payment processor to use for Scheduling depends which payment methods you want to offer. This guide explains the differences between the three processors and how to connect them.
Payment processors in Scheduling are separate from commerce payment processors.
We've merged the Acuity Scheduling Help Center with the Squarespace Help Center. This guide applies to both versions of Scheduling.
Tip: Register for our Squarespace Scheduling webinar series where we'll teach you how to use Scheduling. The Fundamentals webinar is ideal if you’re new to Scheduling. The Next Steps webinar includes topics like customizing a scheduler and appointment notifications, using multiple staff members, syncing third-party calendars, and more.
Before you begin
You'll need an account with Stripe, PayPal, or Square before connecting it to Scheduling.
Each of these payment processors is a third-party service, and as such you’ll need to create an account with the payment processor of your choice, including agreeing to their terms and conditions. Managing your account and relationship with the payment processor may be done through your payment processor’s online portal and/or mobile app.
It's not possible to connect to more than one account for each payment processor. And if you connect multiple payment processors, it's not possible to control the payment processor clients use to pay.
Stripe
With Stripe, clients can pay directly on the scheduling page. You can also use Stripe to collect the remaining amount owed on appointments or to vault a card to charge later.
Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is automatically enabled for all Scheduling payments made through Stripe. To learn more, visit Strong Customer Authentication (SCA).
Stripe can vault credit cards and debit cards that carry the logo of a major credit card company.
Note: If your currency is set to United States dollars, Stripe will complete transactions of $1.01 and above. Transactions of $1 and under will cause Stripe to verify and vault the card, but the charges won't be completed. Stripe may treat small transactions in other currencies similarly.
Square
With Square, clients can pay directly on the scheduling page. You can also use Square to collect the remainder owed on appointments or to vault a card to charge later.
With the Scheduling mobile admin app, you can use Square hardware to accept card swipes or taps in person.
It's not possible to use Scheduling with the Squarespace point of sale.
PayPal
PayPal redirects clients from your scheduler to PayPal.com to complete payment. After they log into their PayPal account and pay, PayPal directs them back to the Scheduling confirmation page.
We recommend connecting PayPal along with Stripe or Square. If you only connect PayPal, you can't:
- Vault cards
- Collect payment through Scheduling after booking
- Offer subscriptions
If you connect PayPal on its own or in combination with another payment processor, you won't be able to accept tips.
Using multiple payment processors
You can connect PayPal with either Stripe or Square. Stripe and Square can't be connected at the same time.
When you connect multiple processors, keep in mind:
- It's not possible to specify which payment processor clients use for individual appointment types.
- If you have options enabled that PayPal can't support, these options are only offered if the client chooses the other processor you offer.
- It's not possible to split payments between multiple payment processor accounts.
- If you combine PayPal with another processor, you won’t have the option to vault cards.
Payment processor features
Each payment processor has different features:
|
Payment feature |
Stripe |
Square |
PayPal |
|
Pay on scheduling page |
Yes |
Yes |
No (redirected to PayPal.com) |
|
Pay after booking |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Accept tips |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Offer subscriptions |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Vault cards for later |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Use a card reader |
No |
Yes* |
No |
* Card readers can only be used in the Squarespace Scheduling mobile admin app and only by businesses with Square accounts based in the United States. To learn more, visit Accepting Scheduling payments in person with Square.
Data sent to payment processors
To facilitate payment transactions and to allow you to manage those payments with the payment processor of your choice, we may send, on your behalf, these types of information to your payment processor (and any other data you provide permission to your payment processor to receive from Squarespace):
• Full name on payment card
• Expiration date of payment card
• Billing zip/postal code associated with the payment card
• Charges for the appointment
• Appointment date and time
Choose a currency
Before connecting a payment processor, choose the currency that clients will use to pay you. If you've added Squarespace Scheduling to a Squarespace website, your currency for Scheduling is the same as the one you set for Commerce. Even if your site doesn't include a store, you'll still choose a currency in Commerce settings:
- Open the Store payments panel.
- Click Store currency.
- Select an available currency from the drop-down menu.
- Click Save.
If you're using Scheduling as a standalone product, without a Squarespace website, or if you're using Acuity Scheduling:
- In Scheduling, click Payment settings.
- Use the Currency drop-down menu to select a currency, then click Save settings.
Squarespace Scheduling supports the same currencies as Squarespace Commerce.
Connect a payment processor
Connect your processor to Scheduling:
- In Scheduling, click Payment settings.
- In the Payment processors section, click Connect for one of the payment processors, then follow the instructions for connecting your account.
- Choose your payment policy from the Payment terms drop-down menu. To learn more, visit Managing payments in Scheduling.
- To accept tips, turn on Clients can tip extra when they pay in full. If Scheduling is connected to PayPal, this option isn't available.
- Click Save.
Note: If your clients have active subscriptions, changing your payment processor will cause automated payments to fail until you or your clients re-enter their card numbers.
Vaulting cards
When your clients book appointments, they can pay the full cost at booking—and leave a tip, if you've enabled that setting—or they can "vault" their card for future payment. Vaulting is only available for clients who pay with a card through Stripe or Square; Paypal doesn't support vaulting cards.
To vault a card, your client enters their card details at booking. The processor then validates the card by submitting a small pre-authorization charge. At a later date, you'll charge the vaulted card for the full amount, automatically canceling the pre-authorization charge.
When Square vaults a client's card, it also sends an email allowing the client to unvault the card. By unvaulting their card, their appointment isn't affected, but you won't be able to charge the client later. If the client pays in full at booking, Square won't vault the card.
Note: Cards are vaulted separately for appointments and for packages, gift certificates, and subscriptions. If a client vaults a card while buying a package, gift certificate, or subscription, the number won't automatically become available in Scheduling to be charged for appointments.
Processing fees
Squarespace doesn’t charge any additional fees when you collect payment, but each payment processor has its own fees.
Stripe
Stripe’s processing fees vary by country. Visit Stripe’s documentation for details:
If you don’t see your country listed above, contact Stripe for help.
Square
Square’s processing fees vary based on how the payment is made. Visit Square’s documentation to learn more.
PayPal
Visit PayPal’s documentation for details.
PayPal encrypted website payments error
Paypal may display this error message for your clients if you changed your PayPal settings to require encrypted buttons: "The seller accepts encrypted website payments only. You cannot pay the seller through un-encrypted buttons. Please contact your seller for more details".
When you require encrypted buttons, it's not possible for Scheduling to create dynamic buttons needed to connect to PayPal. Keep in mind, your Scheduling and PayPal connection is always encrypted and secure, even without encrypted buttons.
To enable dynamic buttons, go to your PayPal website preferences section, find the Encrypted Website Payments setting, then click Off. For more detailed steps, visit Paypal's documentation.
PayPal appointments don’t appear
If clients’ payments are appearing in PayPal, but the matching appointments aren’t appearing in Scheduling, PayPal may have disabled instant payment notification (IPN). When IPN is off, Scheduling isn’t notified when clients complete the payment process.
To re-enable instant payment notification, update your instant payment notification settings. Depending on your version of PayPal, this will be in PayPal’s My selling tools or My selling preferences panel. If PayPal asks for an IPN URL, use https://secure.acuityscheduling.com/scheduleIPN.php.