The Public Booking Portal tends to be the best client booking option for that majority of businesses. This is because the Client Portal is accessible only to those with existing customer profiles, and the added step of inputting a password can reduce the number of clients that make it all the way through the booking process. If you do decide to provide your clients with access to the Private Client Portal, it is strongly recommended to also include access to the Public Portal on your website as it will allow new clients to book your publicly available services (i.e. Meet & greets, facility rentals, basic classes).
Beyond simply requiring a password, there are a few differences to consider when looking at the public portal vs. the private portal:
Public Booking Portal | Private Client Portal |
Accessible to new & existing clients. | Accessible to existing clients only. |
No password required. | Password required. |
Only publicly available services included in services list. | Services list includes both publicly listed services and any restricted services the client has access to through an active membership subscription. |
Allows clients to book services.
Clients can use available service credits to book only if they have previously set a client portal password. | Allows clients to book services, view their upcoming booking details, update basic profile/pet information, book using available service credits, view invoices, access online course content, view and manage their waitlist entries. |