# Salon step 5: appointments, walk-ins and checkout

> Book salon and spa appointments, handle walk-in clients, move them through check-in and service, and check them out in the POS with deposits and products.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/salon-and-spa/step-5-appointments-walk-ins-and-checkout/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

This is the daily work at the front desk: booking clients, greeting walk-ins, moving each visit from **Confirmed** to **Completed**, and billing it in the POS so revenue, commission and the client's history all line up. It is for receptionists, managers and stylists who bill their own clients.

## Before you start

- Services, staff and hours are set up ([steps 2–3](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/salon-and-spa/step-2-service-menu/)).
- The cashier has opened their cash register (it opens the first time they open the POS each day).

## Book an appointment

1. Click **New appointment** on **Services › Overview** (or **New booking** on **Bookings**).
2. Search the client by name or phone, or type a new name and mobile number.
3. Choose a service. Click **Add another service** for more, for example a cut and a blow-dry.
4. For each service pick a stylist or **Any available staff**. The form shows **Total time** and **Total**.
5. Pick the day and a free time. Set the **Source** (**Phone**, **Walk-in**, **Online**, **POS** or **Other**), add a customer note (for example "Prefers a quiet room") and save.

The appointment appears on **Bookings** in **Calendar**, **Timeline** and **List** views, and on **Services › Staff calendar** in the stylist's row. Drag an appointment in the calendar to move it.

![Bookings page with counters for bookings today, still to come, awaiting confirmation, arrived, completed and waitlist, a week calendar of appointments and a Today's arrivals list with Check in buttons](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/bookings-calendar.0_QmZ_Fj.png) (web app page: `/bookings`)
*Bookings: the week at a glance, and today's arrivals with a Check in button.*

![Staff calendar timeline by staff with two appointments shown as bars for the time they take](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/staff-calendar.DEzuwwEP.png) (web app page: `/services/staff-calendar`)
*Services › Staff calendar: one row per stylist, so gaps for walk-ins are easy to see.*

## Walk-in clients

You have two ways to serve a client without an appointment:

| Way | When to use it | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| **New appointment** with source **Walk-in**, starting now, then **Check in**, **Start**, **Checkout** | Any service a stylist earns commission on | Commission, the client's visit history, the **Walk-in** count in reports |
| Sell the service straight from the **POS** and pick the stylist in **Select service staff** | Quick extras like a fringe trim when nobody tracks commission | The sale, with the stylist in **Reports › Service Staff Report** (needs the **Service staff** switch) |

## Move the visit along

Click an appointment (or **Check in** in **Today's arrivals**) to open it. The top buttons follow the visit:

1. **Check in** when the client arrives.
2. **Start** when the service begins.
3. **Checkout** when it is finished, to bill it (next section).
4. **No-show** or **Cancel booking** if the client does not come. **Reminder** and **Confirmation** send the email again; **Edit** changes services, staff or time.

![Appointment detail with Check in, Start, Complete, No-show and Cancel booking buttons, date and customer, a payment to confirm panel, the service with staff and price, notes, timeline, customer link and Checkout button](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/appointment-detail.euhL2PYG.png) (web app page: `/bookings`)
*An appointment: status buttons on top, deposit panel, services with staff, notes, history and Checkout.*

## Check out in the POS

1. Click **Checkout** on the appointment. The POS opens with a banner **Checkout appointment** and the client, services, prices and stylist already filled in.
2. Add retail products the client is buying, a discount, or another service.
3. If the banner shows **Deposit paid**, take that amount with the **Advance** payment method (see [advances](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/customer-credit-limits-and-advances/)).
4. Take payment with **Cash**, **Card** or **Multiple Pay**. Regular clients on account can use **Credit Sale** (see [credit and part payments](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/credit-and-partial-payments/)).
5. The receipt prints. If **Mark the appointment completed when its sale is paid in the POS** is on, the appointment becomes **Completed**, and commission is recorded for each stylist.

![POS with a Checkout appointment banner showing the reference, client and time, a bridal makeup service in the cart, the stylist in the service staff box and the total payable](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/pos-checkout-appointment.CwzwRSan.png) (web app page: `/pos/create`)
*Checkout from an appointment: client, service, price and stylist are already in the POS.*

**Note:** 
**Tips:** SmartPOS Hub has no tip amount in the POS. The **Salon & spa receipt** design in the [Invoice Designer](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/invoice-designer/) prints the stylist for each service, the next appointment and blank **Tip** and **Total with tip** lines.

## On a phone

The Services and Bookings pages work in a phone browser, and stylists can use **My day** in the SmartPOS Business app to mark **Client arrived** and **Finish**.

![Services overview in a phone browser with Copy booking link, Staff calendar and New appointment buttons, counters and the next appointments](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/services-overview-phone.BdhIoWRh.png)
*The Services overview at phone width.*

## Mistakes to avoid

- Billing an appointment by opening the POS directly. Always use **Checkout**, or commission and the appointment link are lost.
- Leaving yesterday's appointments as **Confirmed**. Mark them **Completed** or **No-show** so reports are right.
- Giving a walk-in to "Any available staff" when you know who did it. Pick the person, so their commission counts.

  - [POS overview](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/pos-overview/)
  - [Next: retail products](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/salon-and-spa/step-6-retail-products/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can one appointment have several services with different stylists?

Yes. In the appointment form click Add another service for each one. Each line has its own staff member, and the services run back to back.

### What happens if the stylist I pick is busy?

SmartPOS Hub checks working hours, breaks, time off, other appointments and buffers, and tells you that the person is not free for that service at that time. Choose another time or Any available staff.

### How should I handle walk-in clients?

Create a New appointment for now with the source Walk-in, then Check in, Start and Checkout. That keeps commission and the client's history. For a quick sale with no commission, sell the service straight from the POS.

### Can I add a shampoo to the same bill?

Yes. When the POS opens from Checkout, the services are already in the cart. Scan or tap any retail product to add it before you take payment.

### How do I use a deposit the client paid online?

The POS banner shows Deposit paid. The deposit is saved as the client's advance, so choose the Advance payment method for that amount and take the rest by cash or card.

### Is there a field for tips?

No. The POS has no tip amount. If you print with the Salon & spa receipt design from the Invoice Designer, the receipt has blank Tip and Total with tip lines for the client to fill in.

### What if a client does not show up?

Open the appointment and click No-show. No-shows count in Services › Reports and on the client's Appointments tab, so you can spot repeat no-shows and ask them for a deposit next time.