Custom Fields: Collect Exactly What You Need at Booking

Dynamic Pricing: Up to 300 Different Price Options Per Booking

Before we dive into custom fields, let's talk about one of GetaBooking's most powerful features: dynamic pricing through pick lists. This single feature lets you charge different prices for different customers in the same booking slot.

Here's how it works: You create a pick list custom field with up to 300 options, and assign a price to each option. When customers book, they select their option and the price automatically adjusts. This means:

Dog groomers can list every breed with specific pricing: "Chihuahua - £35", "Cocker Spaniel - £45", "Labrador - £55", "German Shepherd - £65", "Golden Retriever - £60", and so on. With 300 options available, you can price by exact breed, coat type, and size - giving customers transparent pricing before they book.

When someone books for multiple people, each person can select their own pricing option. A family booking might have: Adult (£15) + Adult (£15) + Child (£10) + Child (£10) = £50 total. The system calculates everything automatically.

This is incredibly powerful because you can have up to 300 different price options per booking. An event organiser could have dozens of ticket types. A training provider could offer multiple certification levels at different prices. A venue could list every room configuration with different rates.

And here's the best part: you can paste these options directly from Excel. Got a spreadsheet with 100 different pricing options? Copy, paste, done. No manual entry, no typing errors.

Now, let's look at how custom fields work beyond pricing...

Every business needs different information from customers. A wedding caterer needs dietary requirements. An activity centre needs emergency contacts and insurance confirmation. A fitness instructor needs medical history. A conference organiser needs meal choices and attendance confirmation.

The problem? Most booking systems force you to collect this information separately - through emails, phone calls, or standalone forms that aren't connected to the booking or payment. Customers book, then you chase them for details. They forget, you follow up, information arrives late or incomplete.

Custom booking fields solve this by capturing exactly what you need at the point of booking and payment. Everything arrives together: the booking, the payment, and all the specific information you require. No chasing, no gaps, no separate systems. (Want to increase revenue at the same time? Learn about booking add-ons.)

Why Custom Fields Beat Standalone Forms

You might think: "Can't I just use Google Forms or a contact form?" Technically yes, but you lose crucial advantages:

1. Everything Happens Together

With custom booking fields, customers provide all information during the booking process. They book, pay, and answer your questions in one flow. You receive everything at once - the booking confirmation, payment, and all custom data together.

With separate forms, customers book first, then you send them a form, then you wait for responses, then you chase non-responders. It's fragmented, time-consuming, and information often arrives incomplete or too late.

2. Integrated with Payments

Custom fields are part of the booking and payment flow. Customers can't complete their booking without providing required information. This means you never have a paid booking without the essential details you need.

Standalone forms have no connection to payment. Someone can pay without filling in your form, or fill in your form without paying. You're constantly matching up separate pieces of information.

3. Automated Confirmations Include Everything

When customers book with custom fields, their confirmation email includes all the information they provided. They can see what they selected, what they agreed to, and what details they submitted. It's all documented automatically.

With separate forms, you're manually compiling information from different sources to send confirmations. More work for you, less clarity for customers.

Watch: Custom Fields in Action

See how custom fields work in practice - from setup to customer booking

Types of Custom Fields and What They're Perfect For

GetaBooking offers three types of custom fields, each designed for specific use cases. You can use up to 10 fields per service, mixing and matching to capture exactly what you need.

Tick Box Fields: Confirmations and Agreements

Tick boxes are perfect for confirmations, agreements, and yes/no questions. You can include clickable URL links in the description, making them ideal for:

• Terms and conditions: "I have read and agree to the terms and conditions [link]"
• Insurance confirmation: "I confirm I have appropriate personal insurance"
• Medical declarations: "I confirm I am fit to participate and have no medical conditions that would prevent safe participation"
• Photo consent: "I consent to photos being taken during the event"
• Age confirmation: "I confirm I am over 18 years old"
• Liability waivers: "I understand and accept the risks involved [link to full waiver]"

The URL link feature is particularly powerful. Instead of copying entire terms into the field description, you link to your full terms page. Customers can click to read everything, then tick to confirm. It's clean, professional, and legally clear.

Pick Lists: Choices from Up to 300 Options (With Optional Pricing)

Pick lists (dropdown menus) let customers select from predefined options. You can offer up to 300 choices, and you can paste them directly from Excel - perfect for long lists.

New feature: You can now add prices to pick list options. When a customer selects an option with a price, the booking total automatically updates. Perfect for:

• Premium upgrades: "Standard session - £50" vs "Premium session with video analysis - £75"
• Equipment hire: "No equipment needed - £0" vs "Full equipment hire - £15"
• Meal upgrades: "Standard menu - included" vs "Premium menu - £12 extra"
• Service levels: Different pricing tiers within the same service

The price adjustment happens instantly at checkout - customers see the updated total before they pay. This is different from add-ons (which are separate optional extras) - priced pick lists are for choices within the service itself.

Other ideal uses for pick lists include:

• Meal choices: Wedding guests selecting their dinner option from your menu
• Event entry: Race participants choosing their category or distance
• Equipment size: Customers selecting clothing or equipment sizes
• Dietary requirements: Predefined options like vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, etc.
• T-shirt preferences: Size and colour combinations

The Excel paste feature is brilliant for events. If you have 200 race categories or 50 meal options in a spreadsheet, just copy and paste them in. No manual entry, no typing errors. And if you need different pricing for different options, you can set that up individually for each choice.

Free Text Fields: Open-Ended Information

Free text fields let customers type whatever they need to tell you. Perfect for:

• Special requirements: "Please tell us about any dietary requirements or allergies"
• Emergency contacts: "Emergency contact name and phone number"
• Additional information: "Is there anything else we should know?"
• Specific requests: "Any special requests for your booking?"
• Medical details: "Please describe any medical conditions we should be aware of"

Real-World Examples: How Businesses Use Custom Fields

Wedding Catering and Events

A wedding caterer uses custom fields to collect complete RSVP information:

• Pick list: "Main course selection" (Beef Wellington, Sea Bass, Vegetarian Wellington)
• Pick list: "Dessert choice" (Chocolate Torte, Lemon Tart, Fruit Pavlova)
• Free text: "Dietary requirements or allergies"
• Tick box: "I confirm attendance and meal choices for all guests in this booking"

When someone books for multiple guests, they provide names and meal choices for everyone. The person who booked receives the confirmation with all details. The caterer has complete information: who's coming, what they're eating, any dietary needs - all captured at booking with payment.

Activity Centres and Adventure Sports

An outdoor activity centre running kayaking and climbing sessions:

• Tick box: "I confirm I have appropriate personal insurance [link to insurance requirements]"
• Tick box: "I have read and agree to the safety guidelines [link]"
• Tick box: "I confirm I can swim 50 metres unaided"
• Free text: "Emergency contact name and phone number"
• Free text: "Any medical conditions we should be aware of"

Everything is captured before the customer arrives. The centre has insurance confirmation, safety agreement, swimming ability confirmation, emergency contacts, and medical information - all documented and stored with the booking.

Fitness and Personal Training

A personal trainer collecting essential health information:

• Tick box: "I confirm I am physically able to participate in exercise"
• Pick list: "Current fitness level" (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)
• Pick list: "Primary goal" (Weight loss, Muscle gain, General fitness, Sport-specific training)
• Free text: "Any injuries or medical conditions"
• Free text: "What would you like to achieve?"

Conferences and Training Events

A conference organiser managing multiple sessions and meals:

• Pick list: "Lunch choice" (Chicken Caesar, Vegetarian Pasta, Salmon Salad)
• Pick list: "Dietary requirements" (None, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, Dairy-free)
• Free text: "Company name for badge"

Multiple Participants: Collecting Individual Information

Here's where custom booking fields become really powerful. When someone books for multiple people, GetaBooking can collect individual information for each participant.

For example, a parent booking a children's activity for three kids can provide:

• Child 1: Name, age, dietary requirements, medical conditions, emergency contact
• Child 2: Name, age, dietary requirements, medical conditions, emergency contact
• Child 3: Name, age, dietary requirements, medical conditions, emergency contact

All information is captured during booking. The parent receives one confirmation email with all details. You have complete information for every participant, properly organised and linked to the booking and payment.

This is impossible with standalone forms. How do you link three separate form submissions to one booking? How do you ensure all forms are completed? With custom booking fields, it's automatic.

Data Export: Your Information, Your Way

All custom field data exports to CSV with your bookings. This means you can:

• Create reports: Open in Excel or Google Sheets for analysis
• Mail merge: Import into Word or email software for personalised communications
• Share with teams: Send meal choices to caterers, medical info to instructors
• Archive records: Keep complete records of all customer information
• Integrate with other systems: Import into your CRM, accounting software, or other tools

The CSV export includes everything: booking details, payment information, and all custom field responses. It's your data, fully accessible, in a standard format you can use anywhere.

Beyond Forms: The Complete Booking Solution

This is why custom booking fields are more powerful than standalone forms. You're not just collecting information - you're capturing it at the perfect moment, integrated with booking and payment, with automated confirmations and complete data export.

Your booking system becomes your complete customer information system. One tool handles:

• Booking and availability management
• Payment processing
• Custom information collection
• Automated confirmations and reminders
• Complete data export

No separate forms to manage. No chasing customers for information. No matching up data from different sources. Everything flows together seamlessly.

Embedded Anywhere, Shared Everywhere

GetaBooking isn't just a booking system - it's a complete solution you can embed on any website or share via QR codes and social media. Your custom fields work everywhere:

• Embedded on your website: Full booking experience with custom fields integrated into your existing site
• Shared on social media: Direct booking links with all custom fields included
• QR codes: Print QR codes for posters, flyers, or shop windows - customers scan and book with custom fields
• Email campaigns: Include booking links in newsletters with custom fields ready to capture information

Wherever customers find you, they get the complete booking experience with your custom fields. No redirecting to separate forms, no additional steps, no friction.

Setting Up Custom Fields: Keep It Simple

You can use up to 10 custom fields per service. That's plenty for most needs, but it's important to keep it focused:

Only Ask What You Need

Every field adds a step to the booking process. Only include fields for information you genuinely need. If you don't use the data, don't collect it.

Clear Descriptions

Each field can have up to 200 characters for the description. Use this space to explain exactly what you need and why. "Dietary requirements" is vague. "Please tell us about any dietary requirements or allergies so we can cater appropriately" is clear.

Make Essential Fields Required

Mark fields as required if you absolutely need the information. Customers can't complete booking without filling in required fields. Use this for critical information like insurance confirmation or emergency contacts.

Test the Customer Experience

After setting up custom fields, make a test booking yourself. Go through the entire process as a customer would. Is it clear what's needed? Is anything confusing? Adjust based on the experience.

The Bottom Line

Custom booking fields transform your booking system from a simple scheduling tool into a complete customer information platform. You capture exactly what you need, when you need it, integrated with booking and payment.

No more chasing customers for information. No more separate forms to manage. No more matching up data from different sources. Everything arrives together: booking, payment, and all the specific information your business requires.

Whether you're managing wedding RSVPs, collecting insurance confirmations, capturing meal choices, or gathering medical information, custom fields give you the power to collect exactly what you need whilst maintaining a smooth, professional booking experience for your customers.

And because it's all integrated - with automated confirmations, reminder emails, and complete CSV export - you're not just collecting data. You're building a complete system that works seamlessly from first booking to final delivery.

Ready to Capture Custom Information at Booking?

GetaBooking includes custom fields with every subscription. Up to 10 fields per service with tick boxes, pick lists, and free text. Start your 14-day free trial.