For any service-based business, managing appointments can quickly become a huge hassle, eating up far too much of your valuable time. Fortunately, modern tools enable you to improve the efficiency and functionality of your appointment and reminder process. One such option is Square Appointments. 

This service is part of Square, the company that primarily offers point-of-sale systems and payment processing for merchants. In this Square Appointments review, we will go over the most important details of this service, to help you decide whether it’s a good fit for you and your business. 

Square Appointments overview

Square Appointments is an appointment management software that makes it easy to make appointments, manage staff calendars, send reminders, and process payments. Everything is integrated into one app, making the process simple for business owners. 

Square Appointments can be used via the dedicated Square Appointments app on Android and iOS devices. Or, it can be integrated into Square point-of-sale (POS) systems. The software is slick, simple, and feature-packed. 

Square Appointments is also free for individuals and solo service providers. For teams, pricing starts at just $50 per month. 

Check out our roundup of the Best POS Systems

How Square Appointments is different

There are many appointment management apps and services out there. What makes Square Appointments different from the competition? 

• Integrates directly with the Square payment processing ecosystem
• Usable on most devices – Android, iOS, computers, and Square-enabled POS systems
• Free for individuals
• Square Messages feature makes it easy to communicate with clients
• Automated email and text message reminders for clients
• Free customer booking website
• Supports cancellation fees and no-show fees
• Comes with tools to build a free Square website

Square does a lot to distinguish itself from other appointment scheduling tools, like Acuity Scheduling, Schedulicity, and basic options like Google Calendar. Better yet, Square is always adding features, as the company is rapidly growing and expanding its user base and feature set. 

Who Square Appointments is best for

Square Appointments is best for any business or individual that needs to manage appointments for clients or customers. Some examples of businesses that may benefit from Square Appointments include:

• Barbershops and salons
• Auto mechanics
• Personal trainers
• Massage therapists
• Chiropractors
• Health care and wellness providers
• Accountants and professional service providers
• Home cleaning and repair businesses
• Tutoring providers
• Many more

The tools and features that Square Appointments offer are the same, regardless of the industry or business type. Essentially, this service is useful for just about anyone who needs to make appointments with clients and manage calendars, appointment reminders, etc. 

Square Appointments features

Square Appointments has a feature-rich lineup of tools for business owners. Together, these features make the service incredibly useful and versatile, whether your business is a one-woman stylist or a mechanic business with three locations. Here are some key features:

Scheduling features

• Mobile app to manage upcoming appointments on the go
• Manage appointments via online Square dashboard
• Free customer booking website
• Automated reminders to clients via either email or SMS
• Accept online bookings
• Customers can call in, or use online tools to book appointments
• Manage recurring appointments
• Manage multiple locations and staff calendars
• Set custom business hours and booking requirements
• Use appointments dashboard to monitor or change booked appointments
• Implement no-show fees and cancellation fees with custom cancellation policy
• Integrates with Google and Instagram
• Integrate booking form onto an existing website

Point-of-sale features

• Low-cost payment processing
• Integrates with Square Register systems
• Contactless payments in-person
• Accept payments via credit card, cash, etc. 
• Works on existing Square POS systems, or iPad/Android tablet systems
• Store cards on file for repeat clients
• Send professional invoices
• Issue gift cards
• Prepayment options

Employee and customer management features

• Integrated time tracking for employees
• Exports for payroll
• Customer profiles
• Customer reminders and notes
• Integrated customer loyalty program

Business growth features

• Custom report creation
• Email marketing
• Free Square Online website
• Integration with Instagram
• Inventory management
• Manage online store and sell goods for pickup or shipping

The core features of Square Appointments relate to the functionality of booking and managing appointments, while the other features are just icing on the cake. And in terms of scheduling features, Square offers quite a bit.

This system makes it very easy to manage appointments. Many Square Appointments clients have described the ease of setting the system up and noted that they have seen a drop in no-shows (likely due to automated reminders!) Square also makes it simpler for customers to book appointments on their own terms, using simple online tools. This frees up your time, as well as the time of front desk staff, to focus on higher-value tasks. 

Square Appointments is a simple app that’s easy to use. At the same time, it offers powerful features and tons of customization options. Square realizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, simply because every business is different. As such, Square Appointments can be customized to match the needs of just about any company, whether it’s a one-man operation or a large firm with several locations. 

If you’re already using Square’s other products, then the functionality of Square Appointments is even more powerful. Every service from Square is designed to integrate seamlessly, enhancing efficiency and functionality to meet the needs of your business. 

Square Appointments pricing

Square Appointments is free for one staff calendar. If you’re a solo practitioner or service provider, you can use Square Appointments completely for free! Of course, if you’re also using Square for payment processing, you’ll pay the standard payment processing fees. If you have more than one employee/staff member/service provider, you will need to pay a monthly fee, starting at $50 per month. Here is the full pricing structure:

One staff calendar – $0 per month – 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction

• Good for one staff calendar/one service provider
• No monthly fee
• No commitment
• Pay just 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction, for in-person payments
• For non-in-person payments, see card-not-present rates for payment processing costs

Two to five staff calendars – $50 per month – 2.5% + 10¢ per transaction

• Good for 2-5 staff calendars/service providers
• $50 monthly fee
• No commitment
• Pay just 2.5% + 10 cents per transaction, for in-person payments
• For non-in-person payments, see card-not-present rates for payment processing costs

Six to ten staff calendars – $90 per month – 2.5% + 10¢ per transaction

• Good for 6-10 staff calendars/service providers
• $90 monthly fee
• No commitment
• Pay just 2.5% + 10 cents per transaction, for in-person payments
• For non-in-person payments, see card-not-present rates for payment processing costs

Eleven+ staff calendars – contact for custom quote

• Good for 11+ staff calendars/service providers
• Contact Square for a custom quote

Overall, the Square Appointments costs are quite reasonable. It’s great that their basic plan for one staff calendar has no monthly fee. And even the multi-provider plans offer great value, at just $50-$90 per month. 

Square Appointments customer service

Square offers customer support, but they can be difficult to reach. The company does not list a customer support phone number in an accessible way on their website, so customers have to dig to find out how to contact them. In some cases, it’s necessary to schedule an appointment for a customer support call.

This is one of the biggest downsides of Square. If you read Square Appointments reviews, you’ll see that most people love the service, but don’t like the fact that it’s difficult to connect with a support rep.

On the plus side, Square is easy to use and doesn’t typically have many issues. There is an extensive knowledge base and FAQ section that can help solve common problems. Finally, there is also a support chatbot that can help point you in the right direction. 

Pros and cons of Square Appointments

Most small businesses will want to choose a single appointment management system and scheduling software to use for the long term. As such, it’s important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of any given system. Here are some of the key pros and cons of Square Appointments:

Pros

• Makes it simple to make appointments, manage calendars, and more
• Automatically send appointment reminders (text or email)
• Flexible plans for businesses of any size
• No monthly fees for 1 staff calendar 
• Competitive pricing for businesses with 2-10 staff members
• Integrates seamlessly with Square payment processing
• Time tracking and other employee management tools
• Square Messaging makes it easy to stay in touch with clients, manage cancellations, etc.
• Manage multiple staff calendars in one place
• No commitment or contracts

Cons

• Customer service is difficult to get ahold of
• Card-not-present payments are charged a higher rate than in-person transactions

The main downside of Square is that customer service can be difficult to contact. Other than that, there are few complaints about the service. Its tools provide simple yet powerful solutions to the needs of modern businesses. 

Square Appointments is one of the best tools on the market to book and manage appointments, track employee time, send appointment reminders, and much more. It offers competitive pricing (free for 1-person operations) and a very simple interface that will feel intuitive for almost anyone.