The Setup Wizard is a step-by-step guide that walks you through configuring your Reservai business for the first time. You can also return to any step later to update your configuration — the wizard stays available in your sidebar.
{info} The wizard is only visible to providers. Staff members don't see it.
The wizard is split into 8 steps displayed in a two-column layout.
The sidebar on the left lists all steps with their status:
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Completed (green check) | Step has been saved successfully |
| Active (highlighted) | Step you're currently on |
| Pending (grey) | Step not yet completed |
| Required badge | Step must be completed before going live |
| Optional badge | Step can be skipped |
A progress bar at the top shows your overall completion percentage. You can click any completed step in the sidebar to jump back to it.
The main panel shows the form for the current step. Each step has:
You can navigate back to any completed step to update it. The sidebar shows which steps are done, and clicking one loads its saved data.
This is the required first step — the foundation of your account.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name | Yes | Your company name. This appears on invoices, customer booking pages, and the public profile. |
| Phone Number | Yes | Your business contact number. |
| Email Address | Yes | The primary email for your business. Customers see this on their booking confirmations. |
| Website URL | No | Your business website. If set, a "Visit Website" link appears on your public profile. |
| Country | Yes | Your country of operation. This affects available payment options, tax rules, and currency. |
| Timezone | Yes | Your local timezone. All booking slots, schedules, and reports use this timezone. |
| Currency | Yes | The currency for all pricing — service prices, add-ons, and transaction amounts. |
| Language | No | The default interface language for your account. |
Saving this step creates your business profile and sets the defaults for timezone and currency used throughout the system. The wizard then advances to Step 2.
This step is optional but strongly recommended. Skip it if you want to set up payments later, or if you only want to accept Cash on Delivery.
Choose how you want to accept payments from customers:
You connect your own Stripe (or PayPal where supported) account. Customers pay you directly and the money settles in your gateway — Reservai tracks the booking, invoicing and commission, but never collects or holds your money.
{info} No merchant account yet? Skip this step and take cash or bank transfer at the appointment. You can connect a gateway at any time.
| Section | What to Enter |
|---|---|
| Country | Your payment processing country — determines the available gateways |
| Provider | Your gateway — Stripe, or PayPal where supported |
| Display Label | A label customers see at checkout (e.g., "Credit Card" or "Pay Online") |
| API Credentials | Your Stripe or PayPal public and secret keys |
| Webhook URLs | Webhook endpoints for payment events — you configure these in your Stripe or PayPal dashboard |
| Tax Registration Number | Your tax ID (e.g., VAT registration number) |
| Tax Rate | The tax percentage to apply on transactions |
The wizard shows the platform commission rate that applies to your bookings — the reduced provider-owned rate, since the money reaches you directly and Reservai charges no card-processing fee on top.
{primary} The commission settings are determined by your plan and country policy. See Plan & Billing for full details.
Click Skip for Now to move on. You can return to configure payments later from Business Setup. If you skip, only Cash on Delivery will be available as a payment method for your services until you configure online payments.
This required step sets up your physical or virtual locations.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Branch Name | Yes | A recognisable name for this location (e.g., "Downtown Salon", "Main Street Branch") |
| Address | Yes | The street address |
| Start Hour | Yes | When this branch opens each working day |
| End Hour | Yes | When this branch closes each working day |
| Working Days | Yes | Which days of the week the branch operates |
| Default Branch | No | Toggle to mark as your primary branch. The first branch is automatically the default. |
| Latitude / Longitude | No | Coordinates for the map pin on your public profile |
| Map | No | (If Google Maps is configured) A map where you can search, click, or drag a pin to set the branch location |
{warning} Branch working hours directly affect booking availability. If your branch is closed on Saturday, any resource schedule you set for Saturday will still result in no available slots — the system checks both the resource's schedule and the branch's operating hours. A booking is only available when the branch is open and the resource has schedule coverage. Set your branch hours carefully to avoid unexpected unavailability.
When picking working days, use these buttons:
After saving a branch, it appears listed below the form. You can select any existing branch to edit it.
{info} You manage branches later from Business Setup, where you can add more branches, edit details, or change the default.
This required step sets up the people, rooms, equipment, or vehicles needed to deliver your services.
{primary} Each resource you create here can later be linked to one or more services in Step 6. For a detailed guide on resource types, behaviour modes, and overlap settings, see Resources.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | A clear name (e.g., "Treatment Room A", "Captain Ahmed", "Yamaha Jet Ski") |
| Type | Yes | Staff, Room, Equipment, Vehicle, Facility, or Asset — each type has its own specification fields |
| Behaviour | Yes | Operational (one booking at a time) or Hub (multiple simultaneous bookings up to capacity) |
| Capacity | (Hub only) | Maximum simultaneous bookings this resource can handle |
| Overlap Mode | (Hub only) | Exclusive, Shared Session, or Rolling — controls how overlapping bookings interact |
| Status | Yes | Available, Unavailable, or Maintenance |
| Specifications | No | Type-specific fields (e.g., for Staff: Speciality, Qualifications, Years of Experience) |
| Image | No | A photo representing the resource |
| Behaviour | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Operational | Can only serve one booking at a time. Capacity is fixed at 1. | A hairstylist, a piece of equipment, a captain |
| Hub | Can handle multiple simultaneous bookings, up to capacity. | A yoga studio (capacity 20), a boat (capacity 12), a parking lot |
| Mode | How It Works | Real-Life Example |
|---|---|---|
| Exclusive | One booking locks the entire slot — no other booking can overlap | A private treatment room in a spa. Once a guest books the room for a massage at 10:00–11:00, no other guest can use it during that time, even though the room could technically fit multiple people. |
| Shared Session | Multiple bookings can share the exact same time window (identical start/end) | A yoga studio with capacity 20. Fifteen people can all book the same 10:00–11:00 class — they all start and end together. No one can book 10:15 because the session times must be identical. |
| Rolling | Bookings can overlap partially, as long as total concurrency stays within capacity | A co-working space with 5 desks. Someone books 9:00–12:00, another books 10:00–13:00, a third books 11:00–14:00. At 11:00 there are 3 people — still under the 5-desk limit. The system allows partial overlaps as long as the total at any moment doesn't exceed capacity. |
{info} You can also manage resources later from the full Resources management page, which has additional features like copying resources and bulk archive.
This required step defines when your resources are available for booking.
{primary} Each schedule entry controls the operating hours for a specific resource. For a full guide on schedule types, priority, closures, and how the system resolves conflicts, see Resource Scheduling.
| Type | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Repeats on the same days every week | Monday–Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM |
| Date Range | Applies every day within a date period | Summer hours: 1 June – 31 August, 8 AM – 6 PM |
| Specific Date | Applies only on a single date | Open for a public holiday: 1 May, 10 AM – 2 PM |
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resource | Yes | Which resource this schedule applies to |
| Schedule Type | Yes | Weekly, Date Range, or Specific Date |
| Days of Week | (Weekly only) | Which days the schedule covers — use quick selectors (Weekdays, Weekend, All Days) |
| Start Date / End Date | (Date Range/Specific Date) | The date range or specific date |
| Start Time | Yes | When availability begins each day |
| End Time | Yes | When availability ends each day |
| Scheduling Interval | Yes | How often booking start times appear (e.g., 30 min, 60 min). Also sets the slot duration. |
| Break Period | No | A break window within operating hours (e.g., lunch 12:00–13:00) |
| Blocks Availability | No | Toggle to mark this as a closure instead of available time |
| Priority | No | 1–100. Higher numbers override lower-priority schedules when they overlap (default: 1) |
If the selected resource is linked to a day-based service, time fields, interval, and breaks are hidden — the resource is treated as available for the full day.
This required step creates your first service — what customers actually book.
{primary} In the wizard, you define one initial service to get your business bookable. After the platform team reviews and approves it, you can create additional services at any time from the full Services page with all the same options.
{info} Reservai supports complex service setups — multi-resource services, recurring series, dynamic add-on pricing, and AI-driven booking flows. That's why there are many options. You don't need to configure everything at once. Start with the required fields (name, duration, price, resources) and your service will work for simple bookings. As you grow, revisit these options to unlock more advanced scenarios. The Services & Pricing guide explains each feature in depth.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Service Name | Yes | A clear name customers will recognise |
| Status | Yes | Draft saves without publishing; Active submits for platform review |
| Duration Value | Yes | How many units the service takes (e.g., 60) |
| Duration Unit | Yes | Minutes or Hours for appointments; Days for rentals |
| Buffer After Booking | Yes | Gap added after each booking for turnaround (0 min to 24 hours). For day rentals, this is turnaround days. |
| Base Price | Yes | The starting price in your currency |
| Invisible Custom Service | No | When enabled, the service won't appear on your public booking page. Use it for walk-in-only services created on the spot at your counter. |
Toggle Invisible Custom Service to make this service available only at your counter (point of sale), not on the public booking page. Use this for:
When enabled, the service won't appear on your public profile regardless of verification status. It can still be used at POS.
Buffer time — also called turnaround time — is a gap added after each booking so you have time to prepare for the next one. For example, a 15-minute buffer after a 60-minute massage means the next appointment on that resource can start at 10:15, not 10:00.
Once you set a buffer value on the service, a per-resource toggle called Applies Buffer After Booking appears in the resource selector:
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Enabled (default) | The resource's schedule includes the buffer gap after each booking |
| Disabled | The buffer is skipped — the next booking on that resource can start immediately |
Not every resource needs buffer. For example, a room might need 15 minutes to clean between clients, but a staff member can start immediately. The system requires at least one resource to have buffer enabled.
For day-based rentals, buffer represents turnaround days — the minimum gap between rentals. A 1-day buffer on a boat charter means a boat returning Monday is available from Tuesday.
{info} The total booking slot is: Service duration + sequential add-ons + buffer (if enabled for the resource). See Services & Pricing for full details.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Description | Full rich-text description — customers see this on the booking page |
| Short Description | Brief summary (max 500 characters) — shown in search results and cards |
| Includes | Bullet list of what's included — type each item and press Enter |
| Service Image | Optional photo (JPEG, PNG, or WebP) |
Select which branches offer this service. You must choose at least one. Only customers booking at an eligible branch will see this service.
Resources are the people, rooms, equipment, or vehicles needed to deliver your service. The resource selector is a searchable dropdown where you pick resources and optionally configure their role, buffer behaviour, and pool membership.
For each selected resource, two toggles and one text field appear:
Each resource you pick can play one of two roles:
| Role | Checkbox | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Primary (default) | Unchecked | The main resource. The customer sees and picks this when booking (depending on selection mode). At least one primary is required. |
| Support | Checked | A secondary resource that's hidden from customers and reserved automatically alongside the primary. The system checks this resource's availability too — it must be free and have schedule coverage. |
{info} In the UI, support resources are labelled "Use as relevant support resource" — the terms support and relevant mean the same thing.
Both roles affect availability. If a support resource is closed or already booked, the slot is blocked — even if the primary resource is free. You cannot mark all resources as support; at least one must remain primary.
When you set a buffer on the service (see Buffer & Per-Resource Toggle above), each selected resource shows an Applies Buffer After Booking checkbox:
Use this when some resources need turnaround time and others don't. For example, a treatment room may need 15 minutes to clean between clients (buffer), but the therapist can start with the next client right away (no buffer). At least one resource must have buffer enabled.
For support resources only, you can assign them to a named pool. A pool tells the system: "these resources are identical — I only need ONE of them free, not all of them."
Why pools matter. By default, every support resource must be free for the slot to be available. If you have 3 wash bays and any one is busy, all bookings get blocked — even if the other two are empty. Pooling them together fixes this.
Real-life example — Car Detailing Service:
Imagine you run a premium car detailing business. Your service is "Full Interior & Exterior Detail" which takes 2 hours.
| Setup | Behaviour | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Without a pool | Bay 1, Bay 2, and Bay 3 added as support resources, no pool name | The system reserves ALL THREE bays on every booking. If Bay 1 is occupied, the entire 10:00–12:00 slot is blocked — even though Bay 2 and Bay 3 are empty. |
| With "Wash bays" pool | All three bays assigned to a pool called "Wash bays" | The system only needs ONE free bay per booking. If Bay 1 is busy at 10:00, the system checks Bay 2 — if it's free, the booking goes ahead using Bay 2. The slot is blocked only when ALL THREE bays are occupied. |
| Scenario | Without Pool | With Pool |
|---|---|---|
| One bay busy, two free | ❌ Blocked (the busy bay blocks the slot) | ✅ Available (system picks a free bay) |
| Two bays busy, one free | ❌ Blocked | ✅ Available |
| All three bays busy | ❌ Blocked | ❌ Blocked (no free bay available) |
{primary} When to use pools: You own several identical units (wash bays, salon chairs, treatment rooms, rental vehicles) and any one of them will do. When NOT to use pools: The resource is unique or you want the customer to choose it — that should be a primary resource instead.
How to create a pool:
Existing pool names are suggested as you type. Leave the pool field empty if this support resource must always be reserved on its own — it will behave as an ungrouped support resource where every instance must be free.
Once a service is configured, here's what the availability engine checks for each time slot:
If any of these checks fail, the slot is unavailable.
Example — Spa Treatment:
For a booking at 2:00 PM to be available:
If Sarah is free but the hot stone warmer is in use → ❌ blocked. If Sarah is free, warmer is free, but all 3 rooms are occupied → ❌ blocked. If Sarah is free, warmer is free, Room A is busy but Room B is free → ✅ available (using Room B).
| Mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Required | Customer must pick a specific resource when booking |
| Optional | Customer can pick but doesn't have to — system auto-assigns |
| Hidden | System assigns behind the scenes — customer doesn't see the choice |
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Max Participants | Maximum people who can book this service in a single slot. Leave empty for one-person appointments. |
| Enable Group Bookings | Lets customers book for multiple guests at once. Also enables "per guest" add-on charge units. |
Enable recurring to let customers book a repeating series (e.g., 8 weekly sessions).
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Recurring Enabled | Turn on to allow recurring bookings |
| Recurring Intervals | Daily, Every Other Day, Weekly, Biweekly, or Monthly |
| Max Occurrences | Maximum number of sessions (2–52) |
| Payment Policy | Pay as you go (per session) or Full upfront (all at once) |
| Fixed Occurrences | Customer commits to exactly the set number of sessions |
| Toggle | Description |
|---|---|
| Accept Credit Card | Online card payment through the configured gateway |
| Cash on Delivery | Pay at the appointment. Disabled when a deposit is required. |
{info} The credit card option requires online payment setup (configured in Step 2 or later from Business Setup).
If you require a deposit:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Deposit Required | Turn on to collect a deposit at booking time |
| Deposit Type | Fixed (specific amount) or Percent (percentage of total) |
| Deposit Value | The amount or percentage |
Deposits require online payment. Enabling a deposit automatically disables Cash on Delivery for this service.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Cancellation Policy Text | Free-text policy customers see when booking |
| Free Cancellation Window | How long before the appointment customers can cancel for free (30 min to 30 days) |
| Total Fee Refund % Before Deadline | % refunded if cancelled within the free window |
| Total Fee Refund % After Deadline | % refunded after the free window |
| Allow Customer to Cancel | Let customers cancel from their account |
| Collect No-Show Fee | Charge a fee if the customer doesn't arrive |
| No-Show Retained % | % of the service fee charged on no-show |
This step is optional. Add-ons are extras customers can add when booking a service.
{primary} For complete details on add-on pricing, option groups, and charge units, see Services & Pricing.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A clear name (e.g., "Insurance", "Extra Waxing", "GPS Unit") |
| Price | The cost (hidden if using option groups) |
| Description | Optional explanation customers see during booking |
| Image | Optional photo |
Toggle Has Options to turn the add-on into a choice group:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Options | Each option has a label and a price (min 2 required) |
| Is Required | Customer must pick one of the options |
| Charge Unit | Once per booking, Per guest, Per day, or Per guest & day |
Only valid charge units appear based on your service configuration (group bookings enabled, day-based duration).
For appointment-based services (minutes/hours), add-ons can add time:
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Duration (minutes) | How much time the add-on adds (0–1440) |
| Parallel toggle ON (default) | Add-on runs at the same time — does not extend the booking |
| Parallel toggle OFF | Add-on runs after the main service — extends total booking time |
Day-based services don't show duration since add-ons are priced per day but don't extend the rental period.
Click Skip for Now to move on. You can add add-ons later from any service's detail page.
The final step shows a readiness summary before you complete setup.
| Section | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Readiness Status | Green "Ready to Go Live" or warnings about missing items |
| Missing Items | A list of required steps that aren't completed yet |
| Payment Limitations | Any restrictions on payment methods based on your current setup |
| Service Preview | A link to preview your public booking page (appears if you have a company slug set) |
Click Complete Setup to finalise. After this:
The wizard shows exactly what's blocking completion. Navigate back to the incomplete step using the sidebar, fix the issue, and return to the review step.
After completing setup, the Setup Wizard stays in your sidebar under Main — it reappears even after you've gone live. Use it any time to:
{info} For day-to-day management, you may prefer the individual pages: Business Setup, Resources, Services, and Resource Scheduling.