Sports Massage Booking Software UK: What Therapists Should Look For
Most booking software was built for hair and beauty salons. A sports massage practice looks similar from a distance, with appointments, a diary and clients who rebook, but the details that cause problems are different. This guide covers what to check before you move your bookings online, whether you work alone from one room or run a small clinic.
This guide is published by Slotivo. It is a checklist for comparing any system, not an independent ranking.
1. A health questionnaire before the first treatment
You need to know about injuries, medical conditions, medication and anything that rules a treatment out before you start. Collecting that on a clipboard when the client arrives eats into the appointment, and a client who has not mentioned a condition until they are on the couch puts you in a difficult position.
Look for software that attaches a questionnaire to the treatment, so the client answers it while booking and you can read it beforehand. Check which question types are supported (short text, longer notes, yes/no, dropdowns) and whether you can make questions required. If your insurer or professional body needs a signed consent form, check whether the system can collect a signature or whether you will keep that separately. Our guide to PAR-Q and health intake forms has a question list you can adapt.
2. Changeover time that clients cannot book
Between clients you need time to write notes, change the linen, wash your hands and reset the room. If the booking page offers every free minute, a client will eventually book straight after a treatment that runs over.
Look for buffer time on each treatment, before or after, that keeps that time free without showing it as bookable. It should be set per treatment, since a 30 minute post-event rub needs less reset time than a 90 minute deep tissue session.
3. Treatment lengths that fit the diary properly
Many therapists offer 30, 45, 60 and 90 minute treatments. The software should only offer a 90 minute slot where 90 minutes (plus changeover) is actually free, and should not leave awkward 15 minute gaps that nobody can book. Try building a realistic day in each system you test and see how many usable slots are left.
4. Deposits for long or first appointments
A missed 90 minute treatment is hard to refill at short notice. A deposit taken when the client books gives them a reason to turn up or cancel in good time. Check whether you can set deposits per treatment (for example, only on first appointments or longer treatments), how refunds work when you cancel, and what the payment provider charges. See our guide to taking booking deposits for how to set a fair policy.
5. Regular clients in a regular slot
Runners in a training block, people managing a long-term injury and anyone on a maintenance plan tend to come back at the same time every week or fortnight. Recurring bookings save you rebooking each visit by message, and make sure the regular slot is not given to someone else.
6. Rooms if you share a space
If you rent a room in a clinic, gym or physio practice, or share a couch with another therapist, a free therapist is not enough. The room has to be free too. Software that ties a treatment to a room or resource stops two people being booked into the same space. More on this in our room and resource booking guide.
7. The full cost for a one-person business
Per-staff subscriptions, marketplace commission on new clients and payment processing fees add up differently for a sole trader than for a salon. Add up the monthly subscription, card fees on your typical month and any commission, then compare. If most clients find you through word of mouth, a running club or your own Instagram, you may not need to pay for a marketplace listing.
A quick test before you switch
- Add your real treatment list with lengths, prices and changeover time.
- Build your health questionnaire and attach it to your treatments.
- Book a first appointment on your phone as if you were a new client, including the form and any deposit.
- Reschedule and cancel it, and check what the client is told.
- Look at the booking from your side and check you can read the form answers before the treatment.
Where Slotivo fits
Slotivo's sports massage booking software covers the points above: health questionnaires attached to treatments, buffer time before and after each treatment, Stripe deposits, weekly or fortnightly recurring bookings, room booking and client self-rescheduling within your notice period. Clients get an email confirmation and an email reminder the day before. It is free for 1–2 staff and £10/month for larger teams, with no commission on bookings; Stripe's payment processing fees apply to card payments. It does not currently collect signatures, so keep a signed consent form separately if your insurer needs one. Start free and run the test above with your own treatments.