The foundation — every calendar needs this
- Verify your email. Nothing can be booked — not even a free consultation — until your email is verified.
- Turn on your working hours. In the app: Bookings → Calendar → Working hours. Enable at least one weekday and set the hours — until one day is on, your calendar doesn't exist to clients.
- Set your appointment length (Calendar → Appointment length) — this is what carves your working hours into bookable time slots.
- Decide how clients reach you first (Calendar → Consultations & approval) — the single biggest fork: consultation first (the default), consultation then direct booking, or direct booking only. The styles below are mostly built on this choice.
That gets you consult-bookable: clients can book free consultations with you today — no ID verification, no payment setup, no packages needed. Getting paid through Nalren takes three more pieces:
| To take consultations | To take paid bookings |
|---|---|
| Email verified | Everything on the left, plus: |
| At least one working weekday | Identity verified (ID front/back + live selfie) |
| Consultations turned on | Payouts connected (Stripe) · at least one priced service package |
Important: until identity and payouts are done, clients cannot see your packages at all — your profile shows consultations only. If you've built packages and wondered why nobody books them, this is almost always why.
Pick your calendar style
These aren't boxes — they're starting points. Plenty of pros run a mix: a consult-only pro who also sells one fixed package, an instant-book pro who collects job details up front. Pick the one closest to how you work, then borrow pieces from the others freely.
The Screener: consult-only, with pre-qualification
For pros who treat every job differently, with no set options — attorneys, lenders, agents.
- Keep consultations on and direct booking off (Calendar → Consultations & approval). Clients book a consultation; after it, you send a quote.
- Add screening questions (Calendar → Pre-qualification questions) — clients must answer them before they can book the consultation.
- Skip packages entirely, or add them later — this style doesn't need payment setup.
- When a consult goes well, send the price from the Custom tab as a custom quote.
What the client sees: your profile offers “Book a consultation.” They answer your questions, pick a time, and the meeting lands on both calendars. Money only changes hands through the quote you send afterward.
The Consult-first closer: meet, then they book direct
A consultation to build trust, then the client books paid work without another call — coaches, designers, contractors with repeat clients.
- Complete the paid-booking foundation (identity + payouts + at least one package).
- Keep consultations on and turn Allow direct booking after consultation on.
- Optionally add pre-qualification questions to filter the first call.
What the client sees: new clients can only book a consultation. Once they've had one with you, your packages unlock for them and they can book and pay directly.
The Instant Book pro: pick a package, pick a time, pay
Notaries, photographers, chauffeurs, inspectors — anyone whose services fit fixed packages.
- Complete the paid-booking foundation.
- Turn consultations off (“clients book directly”).
- Turn Instant Booking on so bookings confirm without your approval — or leave it off to approve each request first (the “request to book” variant of this same style).
- Set Notice needed (Calendar → Notice needed) so nobody books you for an hour from now.
What the client sees: your packages with prices. They choose one, pick a slot, pay at checkout, and get an instant confirmation — or “request sent” if you kept approval on.
The Detail collector: require info after they pick a time
For anyone who needs specifics from the client before the job — a service address, documents, project details.
- Start from any style above — this layers on top.
- Open Calendar → Required from guests and switch on what you need: phone number, service address, notes, file uploads, your own custom questions, or a service agreement they must accept.
- Need different info for different services? The global list applies to everything unless a package sets its own list in the package editor — the package's list wins for that package.
What the client sees: after choosing the date and time, a “tell us about your booking” step appears with exactly the fields you required — checkout can't finish without it.
The Protected pro: deposits, policies, verified clients
Real money on the line per job — contractors, event pros, high-ticket services.
- Start from Instant Book or Consult-first.
- Set deposits and your refund/cancellation policy (Calendar → Cancellation & deposits).
- Give yourself lead time (Calendar → Notice needed).
- Turn on Require ID-verified clients (bottom of the Calendar tab). Unverified clients can still pay, but must verify within 24 hours or the booking auto-cancels and refunds. Bookings of $1,000+ require verification regardless.
What the client sees: your deposit and cancellation terms before payment, and — if required — an ID-verification prompt right after booking with a 24-hour clock.
Utilities that work with every style
| Option | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Blocked dates | Calendar → Blocked dates | Close specific days without touching working hours — vacations, holidays |
| Calendar sync | Calendar → Calendar sync | Connect external calendars so outside events block your Nalren slots (mobile app) |
| Pause all bookings | Bottom of the Calendar tab | One switch takes you fully offline without losing any settings |
| Custom quotes | Bookings → Custom | Send a one-off priced offer to a specific client — for any job that doesn't fit a package |
| Rates & pricing | Calendar → Rates & pricing | Hourly rate, packages, payment terms, and how prices display |
| Accept requests outside your hours | Calendar → Required from guests | Lets clients request times outside working hours; you approve each one |