# Enable appointment bookings

> Turn on appointments platform-wide, enable them for each store and check your reason-for-visit list so customers can book a time instead of queueing.

How-to guide · Appointment Bookings · Last updated 15 September 2026

URL: https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/appointment-bookings/enable-appointment-bookings/

Appointment bookings let a customer choose a time to visit a store, collect an order or check in on arrival, instead of waiting in the store's virtual queue. Setting it up takes 4 short procedures in HQ Admin and about 10 minutes: enable appointments in Platform Admin, enable them for each store, check your reason-for-visit list, and decide how you will block out dates and public holidays.

## Before you begin

- An HQ Admin account with the Admin role.
- Stores added with unique store codes. See [Add a store](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/stores-and-retail-data/add-a-store/).
- Correct opening hours for each store, because appointment slots are offered inside those hours. See [Update your store's opening hours (Retail Admin)](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/stores-and-retail-data/update-your-stores-opening-hours-retail-admin/).
- SMS sending approved in AWS and a **Platform SMS Sender ID** set, because customers confirm and are reminded of appointments by SMS. See [Update the platform's SMS sender ID](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/update-the-platform-s-sms-sender-id/).
- A **Privacy Policy URL** saved under **Company Settings → Platform Set-up** before you launch bookings to the public.

## Enable appointments for the platform

1. In the left navigation, select **Platform Admin**.
2. Under **Enabled Features**, select **Queueing / Appointments**.
3. Select the **Appointment Settings** tab.
4. Turn on **Enable Appointments**. The **APPOINTMENT SETTINGS** list shows 1 template, **Appointments Template (Default)**. Leave its settings as they are for now; you can tune them later using the [Appointment template settings reference](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/appointment-bookings/appointment-template-settings-reference/).

## Enable appointments for a store

1. In the left navigation, select **Stores / Branches**.
2. Select the store name, then the **Enabled Features** tab.
3. Turn on **Enable Store Appointments**.
4. In **Appointment Template assigned to this Store**, choose the template, for example **Appointments Template (DEFAULT)**.
5. Select **Save Changes**.
6. Repeat for each store that takes appointments.

## Check your reason-for-visit list

Customers choose a reason for visit when they book, and its **Time to Serve** sets how long the appointment is expected to take. The same list is used for queueing. Open **Platform Admin → Enabled Features → Queueing / Appointments → Shared Settings** and check the categories under **REASON FOR VISIT**. Add a category such as `Click & Collect` if you want customers to book a collection time. See [Add reason-for-visit categories and sub-categories](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/add-reason-for-visit-categories-and-sub-categories/).

## Plan calendar blocks and public holidays

Decide which dates and times must not accept bookings. Public-holiday hours and per-day slot counts are set on each store's **Store Hours**; one-off or recurring block-outs use calendar blocking. See [Block out dates and times for appointments](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/appointment-bookings/block-out-dates-and-times-for-appointments/).

## Verify it worked

In the **Stores / Branches** list, the store's **Enabled Features** column shows the appointments calendar icon. When a staff member refreshes the store's Retail Admin site, **Queueing & Appointments** shows an **APPOINTMENTS** tab with a month calendar and an **Add New Appointment** button, and the store can start accepting appointments.

## Next step

[Set appointment slots per store and per day](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/appointment-bookings/set-appointment-slots-per-store-and-per-day/)

## Related

- [Appointment template settings reference](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/appointment-bookings/appointment-template-settings-reference/)
- [Appointment SMS and email notifications](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/appointment-bookings/appointment-sms-and-email-notifications/)
- [Enable virtual store queueing](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/enable-virtual-store-queueing/)
- [Upload Retail Admin users for your stores](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/company-set-up-and-users/upload-retail-admin-users-for-your-stores/)