SplitForms Booking · Tattoo studios
Tattoo booking software with deposits and artist calendars
SplitForms Booking is tattoo booking software that runs in the browser. Clients book a free consultation or a paid session with the artist they want, tick your 18+ confirmation and pay a deposit to your own Stripe account. It costs $100/year per account for 10,000 bookings, after a 14-day free trial.
14-day free trial, no card. Then $100/year for 10,000 bookings, however many artists you add.
Two kinds of booking
Consultations and sessions, booked differently
Consultation: short and free
A 15–30 minute consult priced at $0 books without any payment, even with deposits switched on. Ask for placement, size and reference images on this service only, so new clients can talk ideas through before committing a long block of your time.
Session: long and deposit-backed
Sessions can run up to 12 hours each. Give every length its own price and the deposit is worked out from it at checkout. The slot is held for 30 minutes while the client pays, then released if they don’t.
Worked example
A three-artist studio, set up end to end
Prices are examples; you set your own. The deposit column is calculated by the same rule the booking page uses: a percent of the service price, never below 50 cents, and nothing on a free service.
Services with a 30% deposit
| Service | Length | Price | Due at booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation | 30 min | Free | Nothing |
| Small piece (up to 2 hours) | 2 h | $250 | $75 |
| Half-day session | 4 h | $500 | $150 |
| Full-day session | 8 h | $1000 | $300 |
| Touch-up | 30 min | Free | Nothing |
Booking rules for the studio
| Start times every | 30 minutes |
|---|---|
| Break after each booking | 30 minutes (set-up and clean-down) |
| Minimum notice | 48 hours |
| Book up to | 180 days ahead |
| Online changes allowed until | 72 hours before |
| Payments | Deposit, 30% of the service price |
Artists: Sam does consults and small pieces; Jo and Ray take every service. Jo works Tuesday to Saturday, Ray only weekends, and Sam’s holiday goes in as time off.
Artist selection
Clients book the artist they came for
Each artist’s own week
Give every artist their own hours and time off (whole or part days). Assign services so a guest artist only takes the sessions you choose. Clients pick a name or “Anyone available”.
Their own calendar
Each artist can connect a Google Calendar so conventions and personal plans block their slots. See Google Calendar booking.
Front desk and artist roles
A front-desk login handles every booking; an artist with the practitioner role sees only their own appointments. The price doesn’t go up as you add artists.
Deposits & no-shows
The deposit is paid before the chair is booked
Collected upfront through Stripe
Deposits are taken at booking on Stripe Checkout and land in your own Stripe account. No card is saved, and splitforms can’t charge a card later, so the deposit is what protects the session.
Your policy, your refunds
Show your deposit and cancellation policy before booking and in the confirmation email. Mark missed sessions as no-shows and refund only when you choose. See how no-show fees and deposits work.
Reminders and a waitlist
Email reminders and opt-in texts go out before each session (20 free SMS credits to start). When a session is cancelled, the first person on the waitlist gets an email.
Booking questions
Reference images and an 18+ confirmation
Questions for consults and sessions
- Placement on the body (dropdown)
- Rough size (dropdown)
- Describe your idea (paragraph)
- Cover-up of an existing tattoo? (yes / no)
- Allergies or skin conditions (private)
- Reference images (file upload)
Each question can apply to every service or only some. Reference images are added after booking from the client’s manage link, up to 10 JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF or PDF files of 10 MB each, until the appointment ends. Private answers are encrypted at rest.
Age confirmation checkbox
The booking page has one consent line clients must tick before they can book. For a studio it might read:
“I confirm I am 18 or older and will bring photo ID. I understand my deposit holds the artist's time and follows the studio's cancellation policy.”
Add a required, private date-of-birth question if you want it on record. A checkbox is not ID verification, so check photo ID at the appointment.
Honest fit
When splitforms is not the right fit
SplitForms Booking handles consults, sessions, artist calendars, deposits and reminders. It does not have a drawn-signature release, ID scanning, portfolio or flash galleries, point of sale or ink inventory, and there is no native app (clients book in the phone browser). The deposit is one percent for the whole page, not a fixed amount per artist, and each account has one booking page, so separate studios with separate rules need separate accounts. If you need those in one system, choose a tattoo shop suite.
Need a full release form? Use the free waiver form template (typed full name plus an agreement checkbox).
Setup
Set up tattoo booking in four steps
Add consultations and sessions
Create a booking page, then add a free consultation and your session lengths (up to 12 hours each) with a price per session.
Add your artists
Add each artist with their own weekly hours, time off and the services they take, so clients book the artist they want or “Anyone available”.
Set the deposit and the 18+ line
Connect Stripe and set a deposit percent. Write your consent line (for example an 18+ confirmation) so clients must tick it to book.
Ask for reference images and share the link
Add a file question for reference images on consults and sessions, then put the booking link in your Instagram bio and turn on reminders.
Read the full online booking system overview, or see the salon booking software and barber booking app pages.
Frequently
asked.
Anything missing? Email us and we’ll answer.
What is the best way to take tattoo appointment bookings online?
Use a booking page where clients pick a consultation or session, choose an artist and pay a deposit before the time is theirs. SplitForms Booking does that in the browser for $100/year (USD) per account, after a 14-day free trial.
Can I take a tattoo deposit when someone books?
Yes. Set a deposit percent (1–100%) or full payment for the booking page. The client pays on Stripe Checkout while the slot is held for 30 minutes, and the money goes to your own Stripe account. Services priced at $0, like a free consultation, book without paying.
Can deposits be a different amount for each session?
The deposit is one percent for the whole booking page, so it scales with each session's price. For a custom piece with its own figure, send a Stripe payment link for any amount from the booking; it stays open for 24 hours.
Can clients upload reference images?
Yes. Add a file question to your consultation or session services. After booking, the client adds up to 10 images or PDFs (10 MB each) from their manage link until the appointment ends. Booking is a paid add-on, so uploads are only stored on a paid plan.
How do I make sure clients are 18 or older?
Write an 18+ confirmation into your consent line; clients must tick it to book. You can also ask for date of birth as a required, private question. Neither checks ID, so still check photo ID at the appointment.
Can clients choose their tattoo artist?
Yes. Each artist has their own hours, time off and assigned services. Clients pick a name or “Anyone available”, and each artist can connect their own Google Calendar so personal events block their slots.
Is there a signature or full release form?
There is no drawn-signature field. The booking page has one consent checkbox with your wording. For a full release, use a typed-full-name plus checkbox waiver form, such as the free waiver form template.
More booking guides
Appointment reminder texts and emails
Reminder timing, what the text says and how SMS credits work.
Google Calendar booking page
Two-way sync, busy times, Google Meet links and per-staff calendars.
Calendly alternative
Per-account vs per-seat pricing, and where each tool is the better pick.
Salon booking software
Stylist calendars, service menus with deposits, and client intake questions.
Barber booking app
Book a barber from your bio link in the phone browser, with deposits and reminders.
No-show fees and deposits
Take a deposit through Stripe at booking, or email a payment link after a no-show.
Massage booking software
60 and 90-minute sessions, a break between clients, intake questions and deposits.
Spa booking software
Staff mode or spaces per time for a day spa, with intake per treatment.
Personal trainer booking app
1:1 and small-group sessions, a health check and waiver, payment at booking.
Yoga studio booking software
Class spaces per time, a health waiver, waitlist emails and reminders.