Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is SinceCode Booking?

SinceCode Booking is a comprehensive WordPress booking plugin that allows businesses to manage appointments, staff schedules, services, and customer bookings. It includes features for notifications, payment processing, and customer management.

What’s the difference between Free and Pro plans?

The Free plan includes core booking functionality with up to 5 services and basic features. The Pro plan unlocks:

• Unlimited services
• SMS notifications
• Staff holidays and custom hours
• Advanced shortcodes (staff showcase, calendar, services list)
• Priority support

How do I upgrade to Pro?

Click the Upgrade button in the left sidebar menu of your WordPress dashboard. You’ll be directed to the upgrade page where you can choose your plan and complete the purchase.

Is SinceCode Booking compatible with my WordPress theme?

Yes! SinceCode Booking is designed to work with any properly coded WordPress theme. The booking forms are responsive and can be customized to match your site’s design through the Customise settings.

Can I use SinceCode Booking with page builders like Elementor?

Absolutely! SinceCode Booking works seamlessly with popular page builders including Elementor, Gutenberg, Divi, and others. Simply add a shortcode block and insert the booking form shortcode.

How do I add the booking form to my website?

Use the shortcode [scb_booking_form] on any page or post where you want the booking form to appear. See the “Embedding Forms with Shortcodes” documentation for detailed instructions.

Why aren’t my notification emails being sent?

Email delivery issues are usually caused by:

• Incorrect SMTP settings – verify your SMTP host, port, username, and password
• Emails going to spam – check your spam folder and configure SPF/DKIM records
• WordPress mail function not working – enable SMTP in Settings → Notifications
• Email address typos – double-check all email addresses

Use the “Test SMTP Connection” button to verify your email settings are working correctly.

Can staff members have different working hours?

Yes! Each staff member can have their own schedule set in the Manage Staff page. However, staff hours must fall within your business hours set in Settings → Hours & Closures.

How do I set up holidays and closures?

Business-wide closures are set in Settings → Hours & Closures. Individual staff holidays require the Pro plan and are managed on each staff member’s profile in Manage Staff.

How do I accept or reject bookings?

Go to Bookings in your dashboard, find the booking you want to manage, and click either the Accept or Reject button. The customer will be automatically notified of your decision if notifications are enabled.

Can bookings be automatically accepted?

Yes! Enable “Auto-accept Bookings” in Settings → General to automatically confirm bookings that fit your schedule without manual approval.

How far in advance can customers book?

This is controlled by the “Max Days Ahead” setting in Settings → General. Set how many days into the future customers can make bookings.

Can I limit the number of services on the Free plan?

Yes, the Free plan is limited to 5 services. If you need to offer more services, you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro plan for unlimited services.

Is SinceCode Booking GDPR compliant?

What GDPR tools does SinceCode Booking provide?

The plugin includes the following tools to assist with GDPR compliance (found in Settings → GDPR & Privacy):

• Data Export – Export customer data upon request
• Data Anonymization – Anonymize customer information
• Data Deletion – Permanently delete customer data
• Privacy Policy Links – Display privacy policy to customers
• Consent Management – Track marketing and SMS consent
• Data Retention Settings – Automatically delete old bookings
• Audit Logging – Log GDPR-related actions

Remember: These tools assist with common requests but do not guarantee compliance with any specific regulation. Legal consultation is strongly recommended.

How do I handle customer data requests?

Common customer data requests can be handled through the Customer Data page:

• Access Request: Export customer data via Customer Data page → Export
• Correction Request: Edit bookings in the admin panel
• Deletion Request: Delete customer data via Customer Data page → Delete
• Data Portability: Use the data export feature
• Withdraw Consent: Update customer consent preferences for SMS/marketing

Note: These tools assist with common requests but do not guarantee compliance. Consult legal counsel for proper data request handling procedures.

What are the minimum system requirements?

SinceCode Booking requires:

• WordPress 5.0 or higher
• PHP 7.4 or higher
• MySQL 5.6 or higher

Does SinceCode Booking work on mobile devices?

Yes! All booking forms and admin interfaces are fully responsive and work seamlessly on smartphones and tablets.

Can I translate SinceCode Booking to my language?

SinceCode Booking is translation-ready. You can translate it using WordPress translation plugins or by creating translation files for your language.

How do I backup my booking data?

Use your regular WordPress backup solution to backup your database. SinceCode Booking stores all data in your WordPress database, so any complete site backup will include your booking information.

Where can I find more detailed documentation?

Click on Documentation in the left sidebar menu to access comprehensive guides covering all features of SinceCode Booking.

How do I get support?

You can get support through:

• Documentation – Comprehensive guides and tutorials
• Support Forum – Community discussions and help
• Contact Us – Direct support from the SinceCode team

Pro plan users receive priority support with faster response times.

I found a bug. How do I report it?

Please report bugs through the Contact Us page or Support Forum. Include as much detail as possible: what you were doing, what happened, expected behavior, and any error messages you received.

Can I request new features?

Absolutely! We love hearing from our users. Submit feature requests through the Support Forum or Contact Us page. While we can’t implement every suggestion, we carefully consider all feedback for future updates.