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Guide

How to choose a booking system for your pub or restaurant

Every booking system looks good in a demo. The useful part is the questions you ask before you commit. Use this checklist with any provider, including us.

Quick answer. Work out what you actually need, ask every provider the same questions, and get the answers in writing. The ones that matter most are: what will I pay in a busy month, can I leave easily, and do I keep my customers and my data.

Start with what you need

Write down three lists: what you must have, what would be nice, and what you will never use. A small pub taking bookings from its website and Facebook needs something very different from a hotel restaurant with a till system to connect. Do not pay for the third list.

The 12 questions

  1. What will I pay in a busy month?. Ask for the price of a month with your highest number of bookings, not the headline price. Include every fee.
  2. Is there a fee per cover or per booking?. Some providers charge each time a diner books. Ask if that applies to bookings from your own website as well as from their own app.
  3. How long is the contract?. Is it monthly, yearly or longer? How do you cancel, and is there a notice period?
  4. Who owns my customer details?. You should be able to see your guest list, export it and use it within the rules. Ask if the provider also uses it.
  5. Can I take my bookings with me if I leave?. Ask for an export, and check it is available without a fee or a call to sales.
  6. How do deposits and card fees work?. Does the money go straight to your bank, or through the provider? Who pays the card processing fee?
  7. How long does setup take, and who does it?. Self serve in ten minutes is very different from an onboarding project. Neither is wrong, but you should know which you are buying.
  8. Does it work on my phone and my staff phones?. Your team will use it in a busy bar. Try it with a real phone before you decide.
  9. What support do I get?. Ask how you reach a person, what the hours are and how fast they reply.
  10. What are the limits?. Bookings per month, staff logins, venues, texts. Know what happens when you hit each limit.
  11. What does it connect to?. Your website, Google, Instagram and Facebook. If you need till or hotel system links, ask for them by name.
  12. Can I try it free first?. A free plan or trial with no card lets you test it on real bookings before you pay anything.

Red flags

  • A price that is "on request" with no range at all.
  • Long contracts with automatic renewal.
  • Charges that go up when you get busier.
  • No way to export your guests.

None of these is automatically a deal breaker, but ask about each one. We have put our own answers on the pricing page, and you can see how we compare in compare booking systems.

FAQ

Questions fréquentes

Should I choose the cheapest one?

Not automatically. Cheap is good if it does what you need. The cost that surprises people is the one that grows with how busy you are, so check that first.

Do I need a booking system with a marketplace?

Some systems list you in their own app to bring in new diners, usually for a fee. Others just take bookings from your own customers. Decide which of those you actually want.

How do I move from my old system?

Ask for your bookings and guest list as a file. Nabsie can import them, see our import bookings guide.

Is this legal advice about data?

No. If you hold customer details, check the ICO website for the basics of UK GDPR.

Try it on real bookings

Start free, no card, and see if it fits.

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