Massage Software: The Best Solutions for Scheduling and Billing

Simplify booking and administrative tasks so you can devote more time and energy to your clients

In a service-oriented business like massage therapy, client needs should come first and foremost. Unfortunately, all the other stuff that comes with running a successful business — like scheduling, managing inventory, sending invoices, paying taxes, and so on — tends to pile up, leaving an endless string of administrative tasks to take up most of your time, energy, and headspace.

Luckily, massage software solutions can automate and track many of these tasks for you, leaving you to focus on the thing that matters most: making your clients happy. Read on to learn about all the software a massage business needs to simplify booking, automate invoicing, and manage client information. 

Self-booking features are a must for any massage software solution

When investigating massage business software, ensure that it comes with robust self-booking features. Clients have grown accustomed to making appointments online, and spas that do not offer the ability to set up scheduled appointment times through an online form or mobile app could be leaving money on the table. In fact, nearly half of spa appointments are booked online when spas are closed and desk staff wouldn’t otherwise be available to set them up — a massive proportion of appointments to potentially lose.

A robust self-booking solution also creates an opportunity to process intake forms in advance instead of slowing down the initial appointment. Ideally, software should provide customizable templates that can fit your brand logo and color scheme. These forms can be delivered to clients via email or an app, which lets therapists account for the following details in advance:

• Basic identifiers such as name, email address, and pronouns.

• Whether the client prefers a male or female masseuse.

• Prior experiences with massage therapy and how recently they occured.

• Pain hotspots.

• Medical information, such as allergies or historical injuries.

Self-booking massage therapy software should be intuitive and mobile-friendly, as many clients prefer to use smart devices to book appointments online. Ensure you’re asking for all necessary information upfront to avoid annoying follow-up questions. Clients should also be able to quickly reschedule, submit additional notes, or even cancel directly from their appointment listings. By reducing the total intake time, you can focus more on optimizing schedules and resources for your specialists.

When choosing a booking platform, look for software that includes the following features:

• Optimized scheduling: Self-booking tools can offer clients a range of optimal appointment times based on their preferences and therapist availability. If no convenient times are available, the broader schedule or a waitlist can be made available.

• Appointment stages:Massage software needs to account for time spent on each step of an appointment, including cleaning, sanitation, and room prep.

• Resource management tools: Each appointment requires a therapist, a room, and occasionally specialized equipment — these details must be accounted for to prevent double-booking of resources.

• Client management tools: Profiles can summarize treatment histories, unique needs, or personal notes so that every therapist is prepared for a return client.

To be even better prepared for choosing your massage business’ scheduling solution, read What to Include in Your Massage Intake Form and The Ultimate Guide to Massage Scheduling Software.

Manage more than payments with a modern POS solution

The point-of-sale is a core element of the massage business’ tech stack, and modern massage business management software platforms can do much more than process credit card payments. The right platform can provide insight into client preferences for recommending products, analyze data to optimize schedules and inventory management, and even act as client relationship management (CRM) software. For these reasons, it’s vital to find a feature-rich POS platform that seamlessly manages transactions and scales with businesses of any size.

While reviewing any software for massage business purposes, be on the lookout for the following POS essentials:

• All-in-one payments: Supported payment categories shouldn’t end at paper or plastic. Platforms should account for all transactions, whether cash, credit, debit, gift cards, Venmo, or any range of digital wallets.

• Transaction security: With an emphasis on digital payments, transaction security is a non-negotiable requirement. Work with certified payment facilitators wherever possible to ensure a high level of protection.

• Multi-merchant payments: Along with receiving incoming payments, massage businesses need to pay their employees and partners. Including easy-to-use multi-merchant tools in your financial software can ward off logistical headaches before they begin.

• Real-time dashboards: Need to quickly look up payment histories or a product order from three months ago? Real-time dashboards and reporting tools make it possible to review all financial details at a glance.

Discover more features to optimize payment processing and manage customer information with our guide, Choosing Massage POS Software: A Guide for Savvy Wellness Businesses.

The ideal massage software solution will support your business in myriad ways, from self-booking to POS transactions, and Boulevard is ready to help your business grow. Our self-booking tools leverage Precision Scheduling to optimize calendars while eliminating unwanted downtime. Meanwhile, our POS offering provides an all-in-one payment solution perfectly tailored for wellness businesses. Even better, all Boulevard features seamlessly integrate for a high-end tech stack that scales to meet your operation — both where it is and where you want it to be.

Want to modernize your massage business’ processes for a more effective workflow from top to bottom? Read our guide to Building Your Beauty Tech Stack today.