How to Set Up Google Calendar for Paid Appointment Bookings

Welcome to Sip and Bloom, my online space where we deep-dive into strategic insights for growing your digital presence and business.

Today’s post dives into one of the most exciting (yet surprisingly underutilized) features of Google Calendar: paid appointment bookings.

Watch the video tutorial!

If you’re a coach, consultant, freelancer, or small business owner, this is your ticket to a smooth, automated scheduling system that directly integrates with Stripe for easy, upfront payments.

In this guide, I’ll take you through all the steps needed to create a fully functioning paid booking link in your Google Calendar. We’ll cover everything from understanding your Google Workspace plan requirements to customizing your booking page and adding advanced features like buffer times and cancellation policies. By the end, you’ll have an effortless workflow that puts time back into your day — time you can spend actually engaging with clients or focusing on other elements of your business.

Let’s dive in!

1. Introduction to Paid Appointment Bookings in Google Calendar

Paid appointment bookings in Google Calendar is a relatively new feature that allows you to create a public-facing scheduling page where clients can book time with you — and pay instantly.

If you’ve been piecing together solutions with third-party apps or juggling an invoice system for 1:1 consultations, this built-in approach simplifies everything.

Instead of:

• Sending a link to your calendar tool,

• Waiting for clients to pick a slot,

• Then manually invoicing them on a separate payment platform,

• And chasing down the payment…

You can handle it all in one place. Google’s system automatically syncs your availability, processes payments via Stripe, and even adds buffer times to ensure you have breaks between calls. All in one place for your booking needs.

2. Why use Google's Paid Booking Links

If you sell consultations or any form of billable time, you know how crucial it is to streamline your workflow. Creating a frictionless booking experience can mean the difference between a prospective client actually paying for your service — or abandoning the process halfway through.

Here are a few reasons why integrating paid bookings is a no-brainer:

1. Professionalism and Trust: When clients see a polished, unified scheduling/payment experience, it builds credibility.

2. Time Savings: You no longer have to manually send invoices or track who has paid versus who hasn’t.

3. No More Missed Payments: Requiring payment up front eliminates the dreaded chase for payment post-consultation.

4. 24/7 Availability: Clients can book and pay on their own time, which can increase overall bookings.

5. Built-In Google Calendar Sync: This synergy drastically reduces scheduling conflicts, as Google automatically prevents double-booking when you’re busy or away.

3. Key Requirements and Considerations

Before you start setting up your fancy new booking page, make sure you meet the prerequisites.

Google Workspace Plan

Paid appointment bookings are only available on Google Workspace’s Business Standard plan or higher.

If you’re on the Business Starter plan, you can still create a single appointment schedule, but it won’t have the paid bookings feature.

Ensure you’re on the correct tier before proceeding, or upgrade your plan for full functionality.

Tip: If you’re not sure which plan you’re on, log into your Google Admin console (admin.google.com) and check the Billing section. Alternatively, you can contact your admin or Google Workspace support for verification.

Stripe Integration

Payments for these bookings are handled exclusively through Stripe. Your clients will need to use a debit or credit card for payment; other payment gateways (like PayPal) aren’t supported natively.

Tip: You'll want to connect to Stripe before creating the appointment booking link. Go to Settings > General > Appointment Schedules. There, you'll be able to create a Stripe account that connects with Google!

4. Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Now that you know the basics, let’s walk through the entire setup process from start to finish.

4.1. Accessing Appointment Schedules

1. Go to Google Calendar: Open calendar.google.com.

2. Create a New Appointment Schedule: Click on the Create button in the top left corner. In the dropdown that appears, select “Appointment schedule.”

3. Confirm Your Plan: If you don’t see “Appointment schedule” as an option, double-check your plan. You might be on Business Starter or an older version of G Suite that doesn’t support this feature.

4.2. Creating Your Booking Link

1. Title Your Appointment: Under the appointment schedule details, type in the name of your service. For instance, “1:1 Strategy Session” or “Notion Workspace Consultation.”

2. Select Appointment Duration: If you typically need a full hour for your consultation, pick “60 minutes.” You can also choose 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or even 90 minutes — whatever suits your service best.

3. General Availability: Specify which days of the week and times you’d like to offer these appointments. Maybe you want them only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Pro-Tip: If you want to limit the number of bookings on a given day, skip ahead to 4.4 Advanced Booking Settings to learn how to put a cap on daily appointments.

4.3. Adjusting Time Slots and Availability

• Customize Each Day: Don’t worry if your schedule changes daily. For instance, maybe on Wednesdays you only want appointments in the morning. You can override the default times by editing each day’s availability.

• Holidays or Days Off: If you need to block off certain dates (like public holidays, family events, or personal downtime), set those dates as unavailable so clients can’t book them.

• Recurring vs. One-Off: You can create repeating weekly schedules or set one-time availability. This flexibility is perfect for busy entrepreneurs whose schedules shift seasonally.

4.4. Advanced Booking Settings

Under “Scheduling options,” you’ll see additional controls that let you:

1. Add Buffer Times: For instance, a 15-minute buffer between sessions to handle notes, bathroom breaks, or a quick coffee run

2. Limit Bookings Per Day: If you only want to take a maximum of three calls per day, set that limit to three.

3. Set an Advance Notice Requirement: If you need at least 24 hours to prepare for appointments, you can block last-minute bookings by adjusting the “Minimum time before an appointment” setting.

4. Calendars: If you manage multiple calendars (personal, team, or shared projects), enable the “Check multiple calendars” setting. Google Calendar will cross-reference all selected calendars to avoid double-bookings across your entire schedule.
   
   
5. Co-hosts: For appointments that require another team member or collaborator, you can add them as a co-host. This option ensures that the event is blocked off on both your calendars simultaneously, keeping everyone’s availability in sync.

Why This Matters: If you don’t set these, you may end up with back-to-back calls all day — or get last-minute bookings with no time to prep. Use these advanced settings to keep your day manageable and stress-free.

4.5. Customizing the Booking Page

Your public booking page is what clients see when they schedule with you, so it’s essential to add your personal touch:

1. Upload a Photo: Whether it’s a professional headshot or a brand logo, this adds an immediate sense of trust and familiarity.

2. Name on the Booking Page: By default, your Google account name might appear. Feel free to change it to something more descriptive, like “Jen — Notion Strategist.”

3. Location or Meeting Format: You can choose to offer Google Meet as the default meeting method. This is especially convenient for remote consultations since Google automatically generates the meeting link.

Bonus: If you’re hosting in-person sessions, you can specify an address or instructions (“Your office address,” or “Meet at this local café.”). Ensure clarity to avoid confusion on your client’s end.

4.6. Setting Up Payments and Cancellation Policies

1. Enable Payments: Within your appointment schedule settings, you’ll see a “Payments” section. Check the option that says “Require payment when booking.”

2. Set Your Fee: Enter the price for your service (e.g., $100 for a 1-hour strategy session). Make sure your Stripe account is connected.

3. Establish Cancellation/Rescheduling Policies: Clearly outline your policy — do you allow rescheduling within 24 hours? A single reschedule? Or is payment non-refundable once booked? This will appear on the booking page so clients know exactly what to expect.

Pro-Tip: Keep your cancellation policy visible on your booking page or confirmation email. Clear communication reduces misunderstandings, fosters trust, and saves you from awkward refund disputes later.

4.7. Finalizing Your Setup

1. Add Custom Questions: Need to gather small details from your clients before the call? Perhaps you want to know their business niche or any specific challenges they face. Add custom fields (e.g., “What do you hope to accomplish in this session?”).

2. Preview the Page: Google Calendar allows you to see how the booking page will look to potential clients. Test everything — try scheduling a testing session to confirm that the payment feature and email confirmations work.

3. Share the Link: Once you’re happy with the setup, copy the unique booking page link. You can embed it on your website, include it in your email signature, or share it in your social media bios.

Congrats! You now have a fully functional, professional booking and payment system integrated seamlessly with Google Calendar and Stripe.

5. Tips and Best Practices

1. Sync With Your Existing Calendar: Make sure your personal or business calendars are merged so that you never double-book. Google’s appointment schedule will automatically check for conflicts if you let it.

2. Test Different Durations: Maybe your clients only need 30 minutes. If you find fewer people booking your full-hour session, you can experiment with shorter calls at a lower price point (or keep the hour but break it into 2 segments).

3. Offer Multiple Service Tiers: For more advanced businesses, you can create multiple appointment schedules for different services — like a 30-minute quick consultation and a 90-minute deep dive.

4. Email Reminders: Automate email reminders through Google Calendar or a third-party tool, so clients receive a heads-up 24 hours before the meeting. This reduces no-shows and confusion.

5. Incorporate Buffer Days: If you need a day or two each week for focused work (no meetings!), block those off in your availability.

6. Regularly Review Pricing: As your expertise grows or demand increases, you might consider adjusting your rates. The integrated payment system makes it easy: just update your fee in the “Payments” section.

6. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Can I use PayPal or another payment platform instead of Stripe?
A1: Currently, Google only supports Stripe for direct booking payments. You’d need a third-party workaround if you absolutely must use another platform.

Q2: What if a client wants to pay by invoice or offline?
A2: If you prefer invoice-based billing or offline payments (cash, check, bank transfers), you can still create a booking schedule without requiring payment.

Q3: How do I block personal events or keep some appointments private?
A3: Google respects your calendar’s busy/free status. If an event is marked “Busy,” no one can book that slot. If it’s “Free,” that’s considered open availability. Just be sure to check "yes" in part 4.5.

Q4: Do I need to confirm every appointment manually?
A4: No. Once a client books and pays, the time is blocked off in your calendar. You’ll receive an email notification with appointment details.

Q5: Can I embed my booking page on my website?
A5: You can embed the booking interface; you can add a button with a popup or an inline booking page. Your clients click it, then schedule and pay it.

Q6: Is there an additional fee for using paid appointments in Google Calendar?
A6: Google doesn’t charge extra, but Stripe charges its normal payment processing fees. Check Stripe’s pricing for your country (usually around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction in the U.S.).

7. Conclusion

Setting up paid bookings within Google Calendar is an incredibly powerful way to streamline your online consultations, coaching sessions, or other billable services. By integrating Stripe payments and customizing your availability, you transform your calendar from a simple scheduling tool into a full-fledged booking and payment hub.

• You no longer need separate services for scheduling and invoices.

• Your clients can see exactly when you’re free, book on the spot, and pay instantly.

• Your daily schedule automatically syncs, preventing conflicts and ensuring you’re never double-booked.

If you’re on the Business Standard tier of Google Workspace or higher, this is a no-brainer. And even if you’re not, consider upgrading if your business relies heavily on appointment bookings — it’s likely to pay for itself in ease of use and saved administrative time.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or want to share your experience with Google Calendar paid bookings, please leave a comment below. Let’s sip, bloom, and strategize our way to a more productive, profitable business!

8. About Me

Hola — I’m Jen, also known as the Biz Strtga (strat·e·gista)! I specialize in helping small business owners and freelancers set up their Notion workspaces for maximum efficiency. Whether you’re a solopreneur seeking a streamlined project management system or a growing business in need of a cohesive team dashboard, I’ve got you covered.

• Consultations: I provide 1:1 consultations on structuring your digital workspace.

• Audits & Trainings: If you have an existing Notion setup that needs fine-tuning, I’ll help you optimize it.

• Custom Solutions: Every business is unique, so I tailor your Notion workflow to match your operations.

• Templates at the Apothecary: For quick wins, check out my curated Apothecary of Notion templates. These done-for-you solutions tackle common business challenges—from content calendars to project timelines—so you can hit the ground running.

When I’m not designing Notion dashboards or crafting digital workflows, you can find me sipping a delicious latte in Los Angeles. I believe in clear mindspaces and efficient business systems — because the fewer tasks we have to juggle manually, the more energy we can put into what truly matters.