# 🧩 Service Types and Presets: Which One Should You Choose?

> Choose the right Cowlendar service type: Regular, Multiday, Fullday or Bundle, with checkout or instant booking, plus ready-made presets for salons and rentals.

When you click **New service**, Cowlendar asks you to pick a service type or a preset. The choice sets up the booking flow your customers see, so it is worth spending two minutes here.

**Where to find it:** Shopify admin > Apps > Cowlendar Booking > My services (or Home) > New service.

The page is titled **Choose a service type or a preset**, with the line *Select a starting point. You can customize everything later.*

![The New service page showing the Basic Modes cards at the top](https://orka-chat.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/prod/help/671a5e245d077ea954b2cd4c/1792167782138-mcp-claude-in-chrome-blob-1792166939416-nslcq9.webp)

## The 4 basic modes

| Mode | What it is | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| **Regular Booking** | Basic date and time selection without advanced presets. It is the only mode that supports subscriptions. | Haircuts, coaching, consultations, classes. |
| **Multiday Booking** | The customer selects a start date and an end date, for longer durations. | Rentals of bikes, cars, houses, boats. |
| **Fullday Booking** | Book entire days, with no time slots. Good for events where the duration is unknown and only the start time matters. | Museum passes, open houses, markets. |
| **Bundle Booking** | The customer selects several separate slots in one go. | Class packs, a package of sessions. |

Each card has two buttons: **Choose** and **View demo**. Use **View demo** to see the booking widget before you decide.

> **ℹ️ Info**
>
> In the service editor, Bundle services are called **Multislot**. They are the same thing.

## Checkout or instant booking?

Every mode comes in two versions. You pick it later, in the **General** tab of the service, under **Type of booking**:

| Version | What happens | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| **Regular booking** (with checkout) | The customer pays through the Shopify checkout. | You charge online. |
| **Instant booking no checkout** | No order and no payment is made on Shopify. | The service is free, or you charge people in the real world instead of online, for example a free show. |

The names in the editor are: **Regular booking** / **Instant booking no checkout**, **Multi-day regular booking** / **Multi-day instant booking no checkout**, **Fullday regular booking** / **Fullday instant booking no checkout**, and **Multislot regular booking** / **Multislot instant booking no checkout**.

In **My services** the service shows its type next to its name, so you always know which one it is.

## The ready-made presets

Presets are ready-made starting points built on the four modes. They set up the service for a typical business, and you can customize everything afterwards.

| Preset | Made for |
|---|---|
| **Appointments** | Standard bookings for specific time slots (paid or free): salons, coaching, medical. |
| **Virtual Appointment** | Google Meet or Zoom links generated automatically for online consultations or classes. |
| **SPA & Beauty** | Salons with several employees, stylists or therapists. |
| **Group Booking** | Groups with capacity limits: tours, classes, private events. |
| **Workshop** | Sell seats for classes, workshops or group sessions with limited capacity. |
| **Restaurant Table** | Table reservations, with the option to charge a fee for no-shows or late cancellations. |
| **Full Day Event** | Single day passes for museums, zoos, hiking trails or workshops. |
| **Event (Start Time Only)** | Garage sales, open houses or events with no fixed end time. |
| **Service with Prepayment** | Charge a percentage upfront (for example 30%) to secure the booking, the rest paid later. |
| **Sport Court Rental** | Tennis, padel or squash courts, by the hour. |
| **Class Packs (bundle bookings)** | Customers buy a bundle (for example 5 sessions) and select all their dates during the purchase. |
| **Equipment Rental (Multiday)** | Cameras, bikes or tools with daily or hourly rates and inventory tracking. |
| **Car or Boat Rental** | Vehicles for days or weeks, with pickup and drop-off logistics. |
| **Property Rental (Multiday)** | Nightly accommodation bookings, with check-in and check-out times. |
| **Memberships or Subscriptions** | Recurring billing for gyms, clubs or exclusive communities. |

![The Preset Services section of the New service page, showing several preset cards](https://orka-chat.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/prod/help/671a5e245d077ea954b2cd4c/1792167803343-mcp-claude-in-chrome-blob-1792166948101-77qmju.webp)

Two special cards:

- **Event with QR Ticket**: sell tickets for concerts or parties with automatic QR codes for check-in. It is marked **Coming Soon** and cannot be chosen yet. See [What's Coming Next in Cowlendar](https://help.cowlendar.com/a/whats-coming-next-and-how-to-request-features).
- **Custom Service**: if you need a different booking flow, click **Chat with us** and our team will help you.

At the top right there is a **Theme** picker with seven color swatches, marked **Editable later**, to choose the starting look of the widget.

> **💡 Tip**
>
> On this page you may also see suggestions for other Penida apps (Subscriptions by Beez and Bundle by Beez). They are optional.

## What changes between types

The service editor has the same logic for all types, but some cards only exist in some of them:

| Feature | Regular | Regular instant | Multiday | Fullday | Bundle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing tab | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Subscriptions card | Yes (checkout only) | No | No | No | No |
| Pre-payment card | Yes | No | Yes (checkout) | Yes (checkout) | Yes (checkout) |
| Discounts card | No | No | Yes (checkout) | No | Yes (checkout) |
| Waitlist card | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Slots lock time | Yes (checkout) | No | Yes (checkout) | Yes (checkout) | Yes (checkout) |
| Redirect after booking | No | Yes | Yes (instant) | Yes (instant) | Yes (instant) |
| Meeting duration | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |

"Checkout" in the table means the version with checkout. "Instant" means the version without checkout.

## How to choose

- Does the customer book one slot at a specific time? Choose **Regular**.
- Does the customer book a range of days (rental, stay)? Choose **Multiday**.
- Does the customer book a whole day with no time slot? Choose **Fullday**.
- Does the customer buy several sessions and pick all dates at purchase? Choose **Bundle**. If instead you want recurring billing with credits, choose **Regular** with **Subscriptions**.
- Do you charge online? Use the version with checkout. Is the service free, or paid on the spot? Use instant booking.

**Next steps:**

- [Fullday Services: Book Whole Days Without Time Slots](https://help.cowlendar.com/a/fullday-services-book-whole-days-without-time-slots)
- [Bundle Services: Sell Several Time Slots in One Booking](https://help.cowlendar.com/a/bundle-services-sell-several-time-slots-in-one-booking)
- [How to Create a New Multiday Booking Service](https://help.cowlendar.com/a/how-to-create-a-new-multiday-booking-service)
- [How to Set Up Recurring Service Subscription in Cowlendar](https://help.cowlendar.com/a/how-to-set-up-recurring-service-subscription-in-cowlendar)