If you want to accept online payments for your bookings, you need your scheduling tool and your payment processor playing nice together. This guide is for small business owners, freelancers, and anyone using Setmore who wants to make booking and payment as painless as possible—for you and your customers. We’ll break down how to connect Setmore to Stripe, set up payments, and what to actually expect (no hand-wavy promises here).
Why use Stripe with Setmore?
Setmore handles your bookings and appointments, but payment isn’t built-in. Stripe is a well-known, reliable payment processor that works in a lot of countries. Put them together, and you can:
- Let customers pay when they book—no chasing invoices.
- Reduce no-shows (people are less likely to bail if they’ve paid).
- Keep all your bookings and payments in one place.
But: This only works if you set things up right. Let’s walk through it.
Step 1: Make sure you’ve got what you need
Before you dive in, double-check:
- Setmore account: Free or paid—Stripe integration is available on all plans.
- Stripe account: You’ll need a Stripe account that’s verified and ready to accept payments. If you don’t have one, sign up at stripe.com.
- Business bank account: Stripe will need somewhere to send your money.
- Admin access: You’ll need admin rights in Setmore to connect integrations.
Pro tip: Don’t try to set this up on your phone. Use a desktop browser for fewer headaches.
Step 2: Connect Stripe to Setmore
Here’s how to hook up Stripe to your Setmore account:
- Log in to Setmore on your desktop.
- Go to the “Apps & Integrations” section (usually in the left sidebar).
- Find Stripe in the list. Click it.
- Click “Connect” or “Enable” (the button text changes sometimes).
- You’ll get bounced to Stripe’s login page. Sign in with your Stripe credentials.
- Review the permissions. If everything looks right, click “Authorize access to this account.”
- You’ll land back in Setmore. If you see a confirmation, you’re good.
What if you hit a snag?
- If Setmore says “connection failed,” double-check your Stripe login.
- If Stripe asks for extra info, your Stripe account might not be fully set up. Finish that first.
- Sometimes browser pop-up blockers mess with the redirect—try turning them off if you get stuck.
Step 3: Set up your payment rules in Setmore
Now that Setmore and Stripe are talking, you need to decide how and when you want to collect payments.
Decide: When do you want to charge?
Setmore gives you a few options:
- Require payment at booking: Customers must pay to book. Best for reducing no-shows.
- Payment optional: Customers can pay online now, or in person later. Easier on fence-sitters.
- In-person only: Skip online payments (not really why you’re here).
How to set it:
- In Setmore, go to Settings > Payments.
- Choose Stripe as your payment processor.
- Pick your rule:
- Require full payment to book
- Make payment optional
- Only accept payments in person
Honest take: If you get a lot of flaky bookings, require payment up front. If you’re just starting out and want to keep things friendly, optional payment is fine—but you’ll chase more people.
Set your prices
Setmore lets you attach prices to your services. Make sure every bookable service has a price, or folks won’t be charged when they book.
- Go to Settings > Services.
- Edit each service and add a price.
- Save your changes.
Watch out: If you forget to set a price, Setmore can’t collect payment for that service.
Step 4: Test your booking and payment flow
Don’t just trust that it works—try it for yourself.
- Open your public booking page (Setmore gives you a link).
- Book a test appointment and go through the payment process as if you’re a customer.
- Use a real credit card for a small amount, or a Stripe test card if you’re still in test mode.
Check for:
- Clear payment prompt at checkout
- Confirmation email for both booking and payment
- Payment showing up in your Stripe dashboard
If something’s broken:
Go back to the Settings > Payments section and verify everything’s connected. If you’re stuck, Setmore’s help docs are decent, and Stripe’s support is usually quick for payment issues.
Step 5: Get paid (and keep your books straight)
Stripe handles the actual money movement:
- Payments go straight to your Stripe account.
- Stripe transfers funds to your bank account (usually every 2-7 days, depending on your country and Stripe’s rules).
- Setmore will show payments as “Paid” on your appointments.
What to remember:
- Stripe charges transaction fees (usually around 2.9% + 30¢ per payment, but check your country’s rates).
- Refunds and cancellations are handled through Stripe—not Setmore.
- For taxes, Stripe provides exportable reports, but talk to your accountant if you’re not sure what you need.
What works, what doesn’t, and what to ignore
What works well:
- Simplicity: Once connected, payments are pretty seamless for you and your customers.
- Security: Stripe handles the heavy lifting on payment security, so you don’t have to.
- Notifications: Both you and your customers get email confirmations (less confusion).
The catches:
- Limited payment options: Only card payments—no cash, PayPal, or other processors via Setmore/Stripe.
- No fancy automations: You won’t get advanced invoicing or partial payments. This is about simple, one-off payments tied to bookings.
- Customer experience: If your booking flow is clunky, customers might bail before paying. Test it on mobile and desktop.
Ignore the hype:
If someone tells you “Stripe and Setmore will automate all your billing and bookkeeping,” take it with a grain of salt. This combo is great for collecting straightforward payments at booking, but anything beyond that (like recurring payments or complex invoices) needs separate tools.
Tips for smoother payment experiences
- Keep your booking page short and sweet. Too many fields = more drop-offs.
- Communicate your policies. If you require payment up front, say so clearly on your website or booking page.
- Check your Stripe payouts regularly. Don’t assume money’s just showing up.
- Update your service prices as needed. If you change what you charge, update it in Setmore right away.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, iterate later
Getting Stripe and Setmore working together isn’t rocket science, but it’s not totally “set and forget” either. Start simple: connect Stripe, require payment if you’re tired of no-shows, and test everything yourself. Don’t overthink it. Once you’re comfortable, you can tweak things (like adding more services, adjusting prices, or upgrading plans).
Remember, the goal is to spend less time chasing money and more time doing your actual work. If you keep your setup simple, it’ll be a lot easier to fix problems when they pop up—and they will, eventually.
Good luck!