What a free plugin should already do
Taking bookings, counting places, sending confirmations, letting customers cancel: that is the heart of the job. If that heart is restricted, it isn't a free offer, it's a demo.
Limits to look out for
- A number of bookings per month, or of activities, beyond which nothing more can be booked.
- A number of places per session, smaller than the one you need.
- A trial period presented as a free offer: after a few weeks, you have to pay to carry on.
- A compulsory account with the vendor, or your customers' data sent to its servers.
What is worth paying for
What earns you money or saves you time every week:
- Payment at booking, a deposit or the full amount: fewer no-shows, less chasing.
- An inventory, when you rent out equipment: what goes out, what comes back, what is being repaired.
- Reports: what has been booked and collected, and a file for your accountant.
- An automatic reminder sent to your customers before their booking.
Four questions before you choose
- What is limited in the free offer, and from when?
- How much does the paid offer cost, and is the price the same in the second year?
- If I stop paying, what stops, and what stays?
- Where is my customers' data kept?