Use this guide to choose how customers book or apply for your course, and whether they can ask for another date or a private group session. You can take bookings instantly, approve or reject each booking yourself, or have the customer send a request that becomes a booking only after you have agreed the details.
This guide covers the settings and what the customer sees. To handle a request or application you have received, follow Handle Course Requests and Applications. To approve or reject a booking that is waiting for your decision, follow Approve or Reject an Order.
If you send customers to your own registration form or booking system, use External Bookings. Supported booking actions open your external website and do not create a booking, Order or Registration in Cademy. See Send Customers to an External Booking Website.
In this guide
Open Booking Options
You need System Admin access or Course Owner access to the course. The Accept bookings, Date requests and Group requests controls described below are on the Booking Options card, which is shown for the On set dates and Blended course types. It is not shown for On-request or On-demand online course.
In the Cademy admin dashboard, select Courses and open the course.
Select Edit Course, then Settings.
Open Booking Options.
Choose the relevant options below. Select Save and check for Course saved.
Review the selected settings on an existing or copied course. Do not assume they use the same choices as a newly created course. Changes affect the customer’s public booking journey. Moving to another page within the course editor can also save your changes, so review your choices before navigating away.
The same card holds Allow Waitlist and, when the waitlist is allowed, Automatic Waitlist Emails. See Manage Course Waitlists.
Instant bookings
Under Accept bookings, the choices are Instantly, Manually and Via Application, in that order. Choose Instantly when the course itself should not require you to approve each booking. Customers follow the booking journey and the payment method you offer. A newly created course of the On set dates or Blended course type starts with this choice.
When the customer pays in full at checkout by card, PayPal or Klarna and the payment completes, the booking does not wait for your approval. When emailing is enabled for your account, Cademy sends the customer the booking confirmation email.
Instantly does not mean every booking takes a card payment immediately. Invoice and manual-payment settings can still require approval or allow payment later. The resulting Order’s approval and payment states show what remains to be done.
Bookings you approve yourself
Choose Manually when each booking must be approved. The booking creates an Order awaiting a decision. Payment handling depends on the payment method; a card authorisation is different from money already collected. Check the individual Order before approving or rejecting it.
To set it, open the course, select Edit Course, then Settings, then Booking Options. Under Accept bookings, select Manually, then select Save.
Older picture of the Booking Options card with Manually selected. The card description is not a rule for every payment method.
When the customer pays by card for a booking that needs approval, the payment is authorised but not collected: the money is held. Approving the order attempts to collect it, as Approve or Reject an Order explains. Instead of the booking confirmation, Cademy emails the customer that their order is being processed, when emailing is enabled.
Older example of the email a customer receives while a booking awaits approval. The current email says that the order is being processed.
Cademy also emails your team a notification of the new order request, which asks you to approve or reject it as soon as possible. Approve or reject it promptly. Do not rely on an unanswered order being rejected, or on a held payment being released, automatically after a set time.
Older example of the notification email. Its sentence about automatic rejection after 72 hours comes from that older email; do not rely on it.
Orders that need your decision are listed under Awaiting Approval on the Orders page.
Older picture of a booking with the Awaiting Approval badge.
Approve, reject or move a booking awaiting approval
When a System Admin opens an order that is awaiting approval, its Order section shows Approve and Reject. Approve or Reject an Order gives the steps, the payment consequences and the checks to make first.
Older picture of the booking side sheet. The buttons pictured as Accept and Decline are now Approve and Reject.
Approve
Approving can collect a payment that was held for approval. Approval and payment are separate results, so check the order’s payment status afterwards. Follow Approve or Reject an Order.
Reject
Rejecting cancels the order. When emailing is enabled, Cademy emails the customer that the order was rejected. Do not treat Reject as an automatic refund: Approve or Reject an Order explains what to check for a held or completed payment.
Example of the email a customer receives when a booking is not accepted. Do not treat Reject as an automatic refund; check the order’s payments.
Move
If the date the customer booked no longer works for you, you can move the booking to another date. Agree the move with the customer first. Moving does not approve or reject the order, so that decision is still needed. Follow Move a Participant or Replace the Person Attending.
Older animation of moving a booking from a course page. The current actions and their names are in the linked guide.
Requests
A request captures an enquiry from a customer when you are not ready to take payment from them. Depending on your needs, you can receive applications, alternative date requests and group requests.
When are requests used?
When a course accepts bookings Via Application.
When Allow alternative date requests is selected on a course.
When Allow group requests is selected on a course.
On an On-request course, where the customer asks for a date that works for them instead of choosing a listed date. Some On-request journeys book immediately instead, as explained below. Create and Set Up an On-request Course covers that course type in depth.
Applications
Choose Via Application when you want to collect an application before arranging the booking or requesting payment. It suits a more controlled admissions process, where you check that the course is right for the person before they book or pay. An application starts a request conversation. The application itself does not take payment.
To set it, open the course, select Edit Course, then Settings, then Booking Options. Under Accept bookings, select Via Application, then select Save.
Older picture of the Booking Options card with Via Application selected.
For example, use Manually when customers should place a booking for you to approve. Use Via Application when you need to review their answers and discuss suitability before arranging their booking.
How customers apply
The applicant completes the form set on the course. To choose it (Create and Use Checkout Forms explains these forms):
In the course editor, open Settings, then Forms & Participants.
Under Primary registration form, select the Checkout form that collects the information you need from the person applying. A General form is a separate form and is not selected here.
Select Save and check for Course saved.
On the published course page, available dates normally show Apply for a course using Via Application, instead of Book. A customised booking-button label can replace that wording; see Rename Course Buttons and Forum Names. The date must still be available for booking and have spaces.
Example course page showing the default Apply button. Your course page layout and customised button wording can differ.
The application follows Date, Spaces, Contact Info and Confirmation. The customer completes the configured form and sees Application Sent. There is no payment step in this application journey.
Older example of the application acknowledgement email. This is an email, not the Application Sent checkout screen.
When emailing is enabled, Cademy emails the applicant an acknowledgement and emails your team a notification of the new application. A reply sent to the reply address of these emails reaches Inbox; Manage Customer Conversations in Inbox explains how replies and notifications work.
Older example of the application notification. Its View & Handle Application button opens the related conversation.
Older Inbox example showing the application answers with Review & Accept and Decline. The pictured Bookings sidebar is older.
The application is stored as a request and its conversation is available in Inbox. Review the information there before arranging the booking. Receiving an application does not mean the learner has already been enrolled. To accept or decline it, follow Handle Course Requests and Applications: accepting creates an order and, when payment is due and emailing is enabled, Cademy sends the customer a payment-request email.
Alternative date requests
Use alternative date requests when customers need a date other than those you list, including when you have no suitable upcoming date.
Open Courses, choose the course and select Edit Course.
Open Settings, then Booking Options.
Under Date requests, select Allow alternative date requests. Choose Do not allow to turn the option off.
Select Save and check for Course saved.
Select Allow alternative date requests, then save the course.
Whichever Accept bookings option you use, Instantly, Manually or Via Application, Cademy does not capture payment details when a customer requests an alternative date or a group booking.
How customers create requests
The course page offers Request a Date. This starts a request for you to discuss; it does not charge the customer or reserve a confirmed place on one of your existing dates.
Example showing Request a Date. The separate group-request button shown beside it is now labelled Request Group Booking.
The request journey uses Dates, Message, Contact Info and Confirmation. Customers choose one to three preferred dates, select offer quantities and any optional add-ons, and complete their contact information. They can also add a message. They see Request Sent after submission. No payment is taken in this request journey.
Older picture of a request form, taken from an On-request course. The current request journey is split into the steps above.
Older picture of a notice shown to customers. The request journey takes no payment.
When emailing is enabled, Cademy emails the customer a short acknowledgement and emails your team the details of the request.
Group requests
Use group requests when a customer wants to arrange a session for their group. This is different from buying several places on an already listed course date.
Open Courses, choose the course and select Edit Course.
Open Settings, then Booking Options.
Under Group requests, select Allow group requests. Choose Do not allow to turn the option off.
Select Save and check for Course saved.
Select Allow group requests, then save the course.
How customers request a group booking
The customer selects Request Group Booking on the course page. The request uses Dates, Message, Contact Info and Confirmation. They choose preferred dates and offer quantities for the group and complete the contact information. They can also add a message.
Older pictures of the course page and the group request form. The button pictured as Group Booking is now labelled Request Group Booking, and the current request uses the steps above.
After submission, the customer sees Request Sent. The request does not take payment. Agree the details before arranging the Order and any payment request. Date and group requests are available as conversations in Inbox.
Older picture of the notice and the Send Request button.
When emailing is enabled, Cademy emails the customer an acknowledgement of the request.
Older example of the acknowledgement email.
On-request courses
This course type suits providers who do not run regular dates and arrange each date individually with the customer. To start, create a course in the Admin Dashboard and choose On-request as its type. Create and Set Up an On-request Course covers the setup.
Older pictures of the course type list and of the Pricing & Delivery tab of an On-request course. The type pictured as Class is now named On set dates.
On-request is a course type with its own duration, delivery and availability setup. It does not use the three Accept bookings cards above. In the course editor, open Pricing & Delivery, then Booking Flow. Under Allow Bookings, the choices are On Any Date and Based On My Calendar Availability.
Do not assume every On-request journey creates only an enquiry. For a course using Free or Set pricing and calendar availability, choosing an available slot for a duration of one day or less follows the instant booking route. It can create a course date and Order, with payment when required. Choosing to request alternative dates follows the request-conversation route instead.
How customers place a request
The main button on an On-request course page reads Book unless you set a custom Booking Button label. In the checkout, the customer chooses a delivery option and a duration, which can carry an extra cost, then chooses an available time or gives preferred dates. They can also add a message.
Older picture of an On-request course page. The button pictured as Request a Date now reads Book by default, and some On-request journeys take payment at booking, as described above.
Older picture of the On-request form. The current checkout is split into Delivery options, Dates and Message steps.
Handling requests
Alternative date requests, group requests and applications are handled in a similar way. Handle Course Requests and Applications gives the full steps. The parts below say where each one is covered.
The notification email for a new request has a View & Handle Request button, which opens the related conversation in Inbox. You can also reply to that email to arrange the details with the customer; a reply sent to its reply address is added to the same conversation. See Manage Customer Conversations in Inbox.
Older example of a request notification, with the customer’s proposed dates and the View & Handle Request button.
Requests on the course
Open the course and select its Requests tab to see the requests made for it. Select a request to open its conversation in Inbox.
Older picture, in which requests appear above the bookings. They are now on the course’s Requests tab.
Inbox
Inbox holds your conversations with customers, including the conversation of each request and application. A pending request’s conversation shows Review & Accept and Decline. Manage Customer Conversations in Inbox explains how to find, answer and assign conversations.
Older animation of a request conversation in Inbox.
Accept
To accept a request, open its conversation and select Review & Accept. A dialog lets you confirm the details before the order is created: choose one of the dates the customer proposed, or enter the date and price you agreed. The final Accept creates the order. Follow Handle Course Requests and Applications for the checks to make first.
Older example of a request with proposed dates.
You can enter an agreed amount in Total Cost in that dialog. Set the offers and add-ons first, because changing their quantities clears an amount you entered.
Older application example showing Add-ons and Total Cost. Its Summary wording is older.
Discuss
If the dates the customer proposed are unavailable, message them in the request’s conversation to agree a date that suits you both. The message is customer-facing. A saved message and its email notification are separate, so do not rely on every unread message being emailed after a fixed delay. See Manage Customer Conversations in Inbox.
Older picture of the conversation as the customer sees it in their account.
Decline
To decline, select Decline in the conversation and confirm. The confirmation warns that this cannot be undone. When emailing is enabled, Cademy automatically emails the customer that the request or application was declined. Follow Handle Course Requests and Applications.
Older example of an application-declined email.
Confirmation emails and payment requests
When you accept a request or application and payment is due, the order awaits payment. When emailing is enabled, Cademy automatically sends the customer a payment-request email. It gives access to the invoice, and it can include Pay Now when invoice payment links and a supported online payment method are enabled. When the order is free, Cademy sends the confirmation instead. See Handle Course Requests and Applications.
Older example of the payment-request email. The wording of the current email differs.
Create an order yourself and request payment
You can create an order for a customer yourself, from the Orders page, from a course or from a contact, and choose whether Cademy emails a payment request. Follow Create an Order and Request Payment for the form, the payment choices and the emails each choice sends.
Older animation of creating a booking from a course page. The button pictured as New Booking is now New Order; the current form is described in the linked guide.
Filter and sort orders
If you have many orders, filters help you find a group of them, such as those awaiting payment, so that you can follow up. You can also sort the list. Follow Find Orders, Invoices, Payments and Credit Notes.
Older picture of a filter on a course page. The current filter controls are described in the linked guide.
If bookings happen on another website
External Bookings sends supported booking actions to your chosen external website. It requires a plan that includes the feature and a valid HTTPS destination. An external purchase does not create an Order or Registration in Cademy or reduce Cademy’s available spaces.
Use Send Customers to an External Booking Website for setup and the supported buttons. This is separate from hosting course content on another website.
Frequently asked questions
Why can I not see the Accept bookings cards?
Check the course type and your access. These cards are for the On set dates and Blended course types. The On-demand online course and On-request types do not show them. You need System Admin or Course Owner access to edit the course.
Does Instantly always mean the customer has paid?
No. The course does not require its own booking approval, but invoice or manual-payment settings can still require approval or payment later. Check the Order’s actual states.
What is the difference between Manually and Via Application?
Manually creates a booking Order for approval. Via Application collects a request without taking payment at the application stage, so you can review and discuss it before arranging the booking.
Why is the Apply button missing?
Check that Via Application is selected and saved, the course is published, and the date is available with spaces. Also check whether a customised button label or External Bookings changes the action shown.
Do date and group requests depend on which Accept bookings card I choose?
No. Date requests and Group requests are separate settings. Their request journeys do not take payment, whether you use Instantly, Manually or Via Application for listed-date bookings.
Does a request reserve a confirmed place?
No. A date request, group request or application needs to be handled before it becomes the intended booking. An On-request instant calendar booking is a different journey.
Where do I find an application or request?
Open Inbox in the admin dashboard and select its conversation, or open the course and select its Requests tab. Review its details there before agreeing the booking. To accept or decline it, follow Handle Course Requests and Applications. A booking that is awaiting approval is an order, not a request: follow Approve or Reject an Order. If you have a question about these settings, email Cademy Support at support@cademy.io.