Ascend Documentation

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Payments ​

Charge for bookings via Stripe Checkout. Useful for paid consultations, intro calls with a deposit, or pay-to-book demos.

Quick Start ​

  1. Connect Stripe — Settings → Integrations → Stripe → Connect.
  2. Open an event type and click the Payments tab.
  3. Toggle Charge for this event type on.
  4. Set the price and currency (e.g. $50 USD).
  5. Save → Publish changes.

From now on, the public booking page collects payment via Stripe Checkout before the slot is confirmed.

How It Works ​

  1. Booker picks a slot and fills in the confirm form.
  2. Ascend places a pending hold on the slot (so it doesn't get double-booked while they're paying).
  3. Booker is redirected to Stripe Checkout.
  4. On payment success, Stripe webhooks back to Ascend, the booking is confirmed, and the booker lands on the thank-you page.
  5. On cancellation or timeout, the pending hold expires and the slot becomes bookable again.

The pending-hold timeout defaults to 15 minutes — long enough to complete checkout, short enough that abandoned attempts don't block the slot.

Settings on the Payments Tab ​

SettingWhat it does
Charge for this event typeMaster toggle. Off = free, no Checkout step.
PriceThe amount in the smallest currency unit's display value (e.g. 50.00 for $50).
CurrencyISO 4217 code (USD, EUR, GBP, NZD, AUD, …). Stripe must support it on your account.
DescriptionShown on the Stripe Checkout page and the booker's receipt. Defaults to the event type title.
Statement descriptorShort text on the booker's bank statement (max 22 chars; alphanumeric).
Hold timeout (min)How long the pending-hold lasts. Default 15.

Connecting Stripe ​

Stripe is connected at the team level (not per event type), so once connected, every event type can choose to charge.

  1. Settings → Integrations → Stripe.
  2. Click Connect with Stripe.
  3. You're redirected to Stripe's OAuth flow.
  4. Approve, return to Ascend.

Funds settle into your Stripe account directly — Ascend never holds your money.

Test mode

Hook up your Stripe test-mode account first. Use card number 4242 4242 4242 4242, any future expiry, any CVC.

Refunds ​

When a booking is cancelled (by the host or the booker via the cancel link), Ascend issues a refund automatically if the cancellation policy allows it.

Cancellation policy ​

PolicyWhat happens on cancel
Always refundFull refund regardless of when the cancel happens.
Refund if earlyFull refund if cancelled at least N hours before the meeting. After the cutoff, no refund.
No refundsCancel still works (the slot is freed) but no money goes back.

Set the policy on the Payments tab. Default is Always refund.

Manual refunds ​

The host can issue a manual refund from the booking detail sheet (/calendar → click a booking → Refund button). This works even if the policy says "no refunds" — it's host-discretion.

Receipts ​

Stripe sends an email receipt to the booker automatically (assuming receipts are enabled on your Stripe account). Ascend doesn't generate a separate receipt — Stripe's is the source of truth.

Failed Payments ​

If Stripe Checkout fails (declined card, abandoned, network error), the pending hold expires and the slot reopens. The booker sees a friendly "Try again" message; no booking is created.

Plan Gating ​

Paid event types require a Pro plan or higher. On Free / Solo, the Charge for this event type toggle is disabled and a "Coming with Pro" tooltip explains. Upgrading immediately unlocks it without re-publishing.

What's Not Supported (Yet) ​

  • Subscription pricing — Bookings are one-off charges only.
  • Multiple price tiers per event type — One price per event type.
  • Coupons / promo codes — Not implemented; planned.
  • Tax handling — Use Stripe Tax on your Stripe account; Ascend just sends the line item.
  • Invoice generation — Receipts only. If you need a formal invoice, use the Invoice feature post-meeting.