Sell Services on Shopify: Appointments, Tickets & Rentals

Coaching, lawn mowing, dog sitting, workshops, rentals or events: many people wonder whether a store system is even right for this. This article shows what you can do when you sell services on Shopify, including appointment booking and tickets, which apps fill the gaps, what applies legally in Germany, and when you're better off with a different tool. It is part of our overview Shopify products: finding, creating, selling.

Sell services on Shopify: what it can and can't do

Shopify is built for selling goods. Many services can still be handled well, others only with an app:

You can show reviews and references from previous jobs just as with products, via a review app or your own sections with customer testimonials. What applies legally is covered in Shopify reviews and trust.

Creating a service as a product

You create a fixed-price service like a normal product, with three differences:

1. Shipping off: In the shipping section, turn off the option for a physical product. Then checkout doesn't ask for a shipping address and doesn't charge shipping.
2. Inventory tracking off: A consultation isn't "sold out" unless you want to limit places.
3. Variants for scope or duration: for example "60 minutes / 90 minutes" or "Basic / Premium".

The description should say exactly what happens: process, duration, what the customer needs to prepare, how and when you'll get in touch after purchase. How to create products and use the fields correctly is shown in creating products in Shopify.

Services with an individual price

Tradespeople, agencies and freelancers often price per job. For this, you use a draft order in Shopify: you create it in the admin with a line item at the agreed price and send the customer an invoice with a payment link. They pay via the normal checkout. The inquiry itself comes in beforehand via your store's contact form.

Appointment booking with apps

If the customer should choose an appointment directly, you need a booking app. It shows a calendar on the product page, blocks booked times and creates the appointment with the order. In its App Store guide for service-based sellers, Shopify itself names Cowlendar, Apntly, Meety, Appointo and Sesami, among others. Two examples with prices according to their App Store listings (as of October 2026):

Sources: Easy Appointment Booking and Sesami in the Shopify App Store. For a lawn mowing or dog sitting service with one service, a free plan is often enough. If you have a shop or studio with a till, the Shopify POS integration is an argument in favor, see Shopify POS and multichannel.

Events and tickets

For workshops, courses or events with fixed dates, Shopify is often enough without an app: create one product per date (or one variant per date) and set the inventory to the number of places. When the inventory is gone, the date is fully booked. Ticket types such as "Standard" and "Reduced" become variants.

If you need personalized tickets with a QR code and check-in at the entrance, add an app. The Servicify app mentioned above, for example, lists its own tickets as well as check-in and no-show marking (from Pro). For large events with seating plans, specialized ticketing platforms are usually the better choice. Shopify then remains the store for merchandise.

Rentals and hire

Rentals are the trickiest case, because the same item has to be blocked for a period and then become available again. Shopify's inventory doesn't know about time periods. So you need a solution with an availability calendar:

• Booking apps with a rental type: Some booking apps, such as Servicify's, offer "rental" as an appointment type. For simple cases, such as a few devices by the day, that can be enough.
• Rental software with a Shopify integration: Booqable, for example, according to its own integration page, connects Shopify products to its rental system via booking buttons, prevents double bookings in real time and offers pickup or delivery. Price according to the provider from 29 per month (the page doesn't state a currency), with a 14-day trial.

If you rent out and sell the same items, sell the retail stock normally via Shopify and handle the rental equipment via the rental solution. It's important to keep rental and retail stock separate, otherwise you'll sell a device that is currently rented out. Shopify isn't built for holiday apartments and other short-term rentals. There are dedicated booking systems and portals for that.

Law and taxes for services

Right of withdrawal for services

A consumer can usually withdraw from services booked online within 14 days as well. Two rules matter for you:

• Service before the period ends: If you want to start before the 14 days are up, the customer must expressly request it. If they withdraw afterwards, they owe compensation for the part already provided, provided you informed them correctly. If you have provided the service in full and the customer agreed beforehand and confirmed that they lose their right of withdrawal as a result, the right expires (§ 356(5) BGB (German), since 19 June 2026; previously para. 4). You obtain this consent at checkout, for example via a checkbox provided by your legal texts provider or an app.
• Leisure services on a fixed date: For services related to leisure activities that are booked for a specific date or period, such as a concert ticket or a hobby workshop on 14 March, there is no right of withdrawal under § 312g(2) No. 9 BGB (German). A coaching package without a fixed date doesn't fall under this, and for professional seminars it's disputed whether they count as a leisure activity.

Trade registration, VAT, invoices

Whether you register a trade (Gewerbeanmeldung) or work as a freelancer (freiberuflich) depends on the activity. Craft and trading activities are commercial; some consulting or teaching activities can be freelance. You clarify this with the tax office (Finanzamt) or your IHK; details in registering a trade for your online store. The same basic VAT rules apply as for goods, including the small business rule (Kleinunternehmerregelung). For services to customers elsewhere in the EU, special place-of-supply rules apply to certain services, such as electronically supplied services or events. Have this checked by your tax advisor before you start. If you work for business customers, invoicing obligations and e-invoicing become relevant, see invoices and bookkeeping in a Shopify store.

Shopify or a specialized booking tool?

To be honest about the numbers: Shopify costs about €36 a month on the Basic plan, plus the booking app. If you don't sell products, you're paying for lots of store features you don't use. Digital services such as templates or online courses, on the other hand, work well on Shopify, see selling digital products with Shopify.

FAQ

Can you sell coaching and consulting with Shopify?

Yes. You create a coaching package as a product without shipping; for appointment booking with a calendar and Zoom link, you install a booking app. Online courses and members' areas run via course apps. If you only sell coaching and no products, a specialized booking tool with a payment function is often cheaper and quicker to set up than a full Shopify store.

Can I sell appointments on Shopify that have to be paid for?

Yes, with a booking app. The customer chooses a free slot on the product page and pays for it in the normal Shopify checkout. Depending on the app and plan, deposits are also possible, with the rest paid on site. Decide beforehand until when customers can reschedule or cancel free of charge, and put this in the product description and your terms and conditions (AGB).

How do I sell tickets for an event with Shopify?

For small events, you create one product per date, set the inventory to the number of places and map ticket types as variants. For QR tickets and entry control, you need an app with ticketing and check-in. For leisure events on a fixed date, there is usually no right of withdrawal; point this out before purchase.

Can I sell services and products in the same store?

Yes, that's actually Shopify's strength. A customer can, for example, buy a product and book an introductory session along with it, all in one cart. Products with shipping and services without shipping can be mixed; Shopify only charges shipping for the physical items. Make sure the right legal texts and withdrawal rules apply to both parts.

Last updated: October 2026. App prices according to App Store listings and provider pages, in US dollars; they change regularly. This article is not legal or tax advice.