How to set up ad hoc sessions?

With Cheqdin, you can set up ad hoc bookings for parents and carers to make bookings with ease. Ad hoc bookings are bookings that are made on an as-needed basis and are not part of a recurring (contracted) schedule.

Many childcare centres accept both regular (contracted) and ad hoc sessions. This is done when a student attends regular (contracted) sessions as well as ad hoc (random) sessions at your centre. If you wish to keep a tab on the extra ad hoc sessions that a student attends, then you'd need to set up ad hoc sessions as a product at your centre. 

In this article, we'll provide you with the steps on how you can set up ad hoc sessions: 

1. Head to Online bookings > Adhoc Products > Add Ad-hoc products

2. Create a new session or Select an existing contract product (clone session)

3. If you select the clone option, the system will prompt you with all sessions available in your centre to select from.

4. Create Ad-hoc product: The system will automatically create a copy of the product, and you can review and update all mandatory fields like description, bookable days, prices etc.

To define the calendar, simply click and drag on the days when the sessions will be available. Define the calendar by clicking and dragging the days the sessions would be available.

Once ad hoc sessions are added as a product, you can set up a custom online bookings link for your centre. This allows parents to book sessions themselves online based on your centre's calendar availability.

How do I set up Online Bookings or Ad hoc bookings for my centre?

5. All ad-hoc products created will be visible on the online booking page by default, see the example shown below. 

6. Here's how you (centre/admin) can add ad hoc sessions for a student:  

Go to 'Online Bookings' > 'Online Booking Dashboard' and click on 'Add booking' 

7. Update the details of the ad hoc sessions of the student you would like to book

8. Once the ad hoc booking is added and confirmed by the centre, it will be visible in the online booking dashboard labelled as Added by the centre.

9. View ad hoc Bookings from students' Booking Schedule 

Go to 'Centre Settings' > 'Schedule/Rota' and click on a student's name. 

Once ad hoc is added, the session details will be available on the student's booking schedule page. 

If you want to use the invoice later option, see rules-based invoicing for more information.