Build a Barbershop Appointment and Payment App

Tables: barbers (name, specialty, avatar_url), services (name, duration_mins, price), slots (barber_id, date, start_time, end_time, status, booking_id), bookings (client_name, client_phone, barber_id, service_id, slot_id, deposit_paid, status, paystack_ref).

async function getAvailableSlots(barberId, date, serviceDurationMins) {
  return db.slots.findAll({
    barber_id: barberId, date, status: 'available',
    duration_gte: serviceDurationMins, // only slots long enough for the service
  });
}

async function holdAndPay(clientData, barberId, serviceId, slotId) {
  var service = await db.services.findById(serviceId);
  var slot = await db.slots.findById(slotId);
  if (slot.status !== 'available') throw new Error('Slot already booked');

  var deposit = 50000; // NGN 500 in kobo
  var reference = 'BARBER-' + Date.now();

  // Hold the slot
  await db.slots.update(slotId, { status: 'held', held_until: new Date(Date.now() + 15 * 60000) });

  var booking = await db.bookings.create({
    ...clientData, barber_id: barberId, service_id: serviceId, slot_id: slotId,
    deposit_paid: deposit, status: 'pending', paystack_ref: reference,
  });

  var res = await fetch('https://api.paystack.co/transaction/initialize', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer ' + process.env.PAYSTACK_SECRET_KEY, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      email: clientData.email, amount: deposit, currency: 'NGN', reference,
      metadata: { booking_id: booking.id, slot_id: slotId, service: service.name },
    }),
  });
  return (await res.json()).data.authorization_url;
}

// Cron: release held slots where payment did not complete
async function releaseExpiredHolds() {
  var expiredSlots = await db.slots.findAll({ status: 'held', held_until_lt: new Date() });
  for (var slot of expiredSlots) {
    await db.slots.update(slot.id, { status: 'available', held_until: null });
    await db.bookings.update({ slot_id: slot.id, status: 'pending' }, { status: 'expired' });
  }
}

if (event.event === 'charge.success') {
  var bookingId = event.data.metadata.booking_id;
  var slotId = event.data.metadata.slot_id;

  await db.bookings.update(bookingId, { status: 'confirmed' });
  await db.slots.update(slotId, { status: 'booked', booking_id: bookingId, held_until: null });

  var booking = await db.bookings.findById(bookingId);
  var slot = await db.slots.findById(slotId);

  // Send confirmation SMS
  await sendSMS(booking.client_phone, 'Booking confirmed! ' + slot.date + ' at ' + slot.start_time + '. Deposit: NGN ' + (event.data.amount / 100) + '. See you soon!');

  // Schedule reminder SMS 2 hours before appointment
  await scheduleReminder(booking.client_phone, slot.date, slot.start_time);
}

For no-show handling: if the client does not arrive within 30 minutes of their slot, mark the booking as "no_show". The deposit is forfeited (it stays in your account). Offer the barber a small compensation from the forfeited deposit as an incentive for holding the slot.

See build a photography booking and deposit flow for the deposit pattern applied to creative service bookings.

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