Getting Started

Shop Owner Guide

Welcome to the InkLink Shop Owner Guide. As a shop owner, you have access to the most comprehensive set of tools on the platform — from managing your artists and bookings to running a full point-of-sale system and tracking analytics. This guide covers everything you need to run your studio efficiently.

Shop Owner accounts unlock all features. You get everything an artist has, plus studio management tools: POS, inventory, analytics, promotions, intake forms, advertisements, and multi-artist management.

What you can manage

Artists & Staff

Invite artists, manage connections, set calendar colours, and oversee availability across your team.

Bookings & Calendar

View all bookings in month or day view, accept or counter requests, and create bookings on behalf of walk-in customers.

POS & Payments

Process sales with cash, card, or wallet payments. Issue gift cards and print or email receipts.

Inventory

Track supplies and products, log daily usage, set low-stock alerts, and generate inventory reports.

Analytics & Reports

Detailed dashboards for revenue, bookings, artist performance, and customer behaviour.

Promotions & Ads

Create discount codes, referral programs, and targeted advertisements to grow your business.

Getting Started

Shop Setup

Setting up your shop profile is the first step to getting your studio visible on InkLink. A complete profile helps customers find and trust your business.

1

Register as a Shop Owner

During registration, select Shop Owner as your role. You will be asked to provide your studio name and basic contact details.

2

Complete Your Shop Profile

Navigate to Settings > Shop Profile and fill in all fields: shop name, description, address, phone number, email, and website URL. Upload a profile photo and cover image that represent your studio.

3

Set Your Location

Enter your full street address. InkLink uses this for the map display on your shop page and for location-based search results. Make sure the pin placement is accurate.

4

Add Shop Tags

Select tags that describe your studio specialities (e.g., traditional, blackwork, fine line, realism). These tags help customers discover your shop through filtered searches.

5

Configure Payment Settings

Connect your Stripe account to accept online payments. See the Stripe Connect Setup section for detailed instructions.

Tip: A fully completed profile with a professional cover image and clear description significantly increases customer engagement. Shops with complete profiles appear higher in search results.
Getting Started

Operating Hours

Set the default hours your shop is open for business. These hours serve as the baseline for your studio schedule and affect when customers can browse available time slots.

1

Open Shop Settings

Go to Settings > Operating Hours from your shop dashboard.

2

Set Hours for Each Day

For each day of the week, set the opening and closing times. Toggle any day off if your shop is closed on that day.

3

Save Your Schedule

Tap Save to apply your operating hours. These hours will display on your shop profile page for customers to see.

Shop hours vs artist hours: Shop operating hours set the general schedule visible to customers. Individual artists can set their own availability within or outside these hours. An artist can mark themselves available even on a day the shop is closed, and vice versa.
Getting Started

Holidays

Mark specific dates when your entire shop will be closed. Holidays override regular operating hours and block all bookings for that date across all artists.

1

Navigate to Holidays

Go to Settings > Holidays or access it from the Calendar view.

2

Add a Holiday

Tap Add Holiday, select the date or date range, and give it a name (e.g., "Christmas Break" or "Studio Renovation").

3

Review Existing Bookings

If there are any existing bookings on the selected holiday dates, you will be warned. You should contact those customers to reschedule before confirming the holiday.

Warning: Adding a shop holiday does not automatically cancel existing bookings on that date. You must manually handle any conflicting bookings before or after setting the holiday.
Artists

Adding Artists

Invite artists to join your shop on InkLink. Connected artists appear on your shop profile, and their bookings are visible in your shop calendar.

1

Go to Artist Management

From your shop dashboard, navigate to Artists or Manage Artists.

2

Send an Invitation

Tap Invite Artist and search for the artist by their InkLink username or name. Select the artist and send the connection request.

3

Wait for Acceptance

The artist will receive a notification and can accept or decline your invitation. Once accepted, they will appear in your shop roster and on your public shop profile.

Artists must have an InkLink account. If an artist is not yet on the platform, they need to download the app and register as an Artist before you can send them an invitation.
Artists

Managing Connections

Once artists are connected to your shop, you can manage their visibility and relationship from the Artists section.

Viewing Connected Artists

The Artists page shows all currently connected artists along with their status (active, pending invitation, or inactive). You can see each artist's upcoming bookings count and last active date.

Artist Permissions

Connected artists can:

  • Receive and manage bookings through your shop
  • Appear on your shop's public profile page
  • Be assigned a calendar colour for easy identification
  • Set their own availability independently
Tip: Regularly review your connected artists list to ensure only active team members are displayed on your shop profile. Inactive or departed artists should be disconnected promptly.
Artists

Artist Colours

Assign a unique colour to each artist in your shop. These colours appear in the calendar view so you can quickly distinguish which bookings belong to which artist at a glance.

1

Open Artist Settings

Go to Artists, then tap on the artist whose colour you want to change.

2

Select a Colour

Tap the colour swatch and choose from the available palette. Each artist should have a distinct colour for clarity.

3

Save

The colour change takes effect immediately across all calendar views.

Tip: Choose high-contrast colours for artists who tend to have overlapping schedules. This makes it much easier to read the calendar at a glance, especially on the month view.
Artists

Availability Management

As a shop owner, you can view and understand each artist's availability settings. Artists manage their own availability, but you have visibility into their schedules to coordinate studio operations.

How Artist Availability Works

  • Weekly Schedule: Each artist sets their recurring weekly hours (e.g., Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM).
  • Custom Dates: Artists can override specific dates with different hours or mark them as unavailable.
  • Block Time: Artists can block out time for breaks, personal appointments, or walk-in-only slots.

Viewing Artist Schedules

From the Calendar view, you can filter by individual artists to see their specific availability and bookings. The day view shows detailed time-slot breakdowns for each artist.

Artists control their own availability. As a shop owner, you cannot directly edit an artist's availability. If you need an artist to adjust their schedule, communicate with them directly through InkLink messaging.
Artists

Disconnecting Artists

When an artist leaves your studio or you need to remove them from your shop profile, you can disconnect the relationship.

1

Open Artist Profile

Go to Artists and tap on the artist you wish to disconnect.

2

Disconnect

Tap Disconnect Artist and confirm the action. The artist will be removed from your shop profile immediately.

Warning: Disconnecting an artist does not cancel their existing bookings. Any active or upcoming bookings will remain and must be handled separately. Make sure all pending bookings are completed or reassigned before disconnecting.
Calendar

Calendar Views

The shop calendar is your central hub for managing all bookings across your team. InkLink provides two calendar views to suit different planning needs.

Month View

The month view provides a high-level overview of your entire month. Each day shows coloured dots or blocks representing bookings, with colours matching each artist's assigned colour. This view is ideal for spotting busy days, identifying gaps, and planning ahead.

Day View

The day view shows a detailed, hour-by-hour breakdown of all bookings for a specific date. Each booking block shows the customer name, service type, and assigned artist. Bookings are colour-coded by artist for easy identification. Use this view when managing the day's schedule and coordinating between artists.

Tip: Use the artist filter at the top of the calendar to show or hide specific artists. This is especially helpful when you have many artists and need to focus on one person's schedule.
Calendar

Understanding the Calendar

The calendar displays several types of information simultaneously. Here is how to read it:

  • Coloured Booking Blocks: Each block represents a confirmed or pending booking. The colour corresponds to the assigned artist.
  • Grey Blocks: These indicate blocked time or unavailable periods set by individual artists.
  • Holiday Markers: Days marked as shop holidays will show a distinct indicator (typically a banner or shaded background) to signal the shop is closed.
  • Pending Requests: Booking requests that have not yet been accepted appear with a different visual style (often with a dashed border or lighter opacity).

Tapping on Bookings

Tap any booking block to open its full details, including customer information, service details, deposit status, and any attached intake form responses. From the detail view, you can take actions such as starting the session, requesting payment, or contacting the customer.

Calendar

Shop Holidays vs Artist Availability

It is important to understand the distinction between shop-level holidays and artist-level availability, as they work independently.

Shop Holidays

Set by the shop owner. Affect the entire shop and all artists. The shop appears as closed on these dates. Customers cannot browse time slots for any artist on a shop holiday.

Artist Availability

Set by each artist individually. Controls their personal schedule. An artist can be unavailable on a day the shop is open, or available on a day the shop is normally closed (if not a designated holiday).

Shop holidays always take priority. Even if an artist has set themselves as available on a date that the shop owner marks as a holiday, the shop holiday will override and that date will be blocked for bookings.
Bookings

Booking Management

As a shop owner, you have full visibility into all bookings across your studio. You can manage incoming requests, track active sessions, and review completed work.

Booking Dashboard

The Bookings section shows all bookings organised by status. You can filter by:

  • Artist: See bookings for a specific team member
  • Status: Filter by pending, confirmed, in progress, completed, or cancelled
  • Date Range: View bookings within a specific time period
  • Type: Filter between tattoo bookings and service bookings

What You Can Do

From the booking management view, you can:

  • Review and act on incoming booking requests
  • View full booking details including customer info, reference images, and intake form answers
  • Track the status of each booking through its lifecycle
  • Create bookings on behalf of walk-in customers (see External Bookings)
Bookings

Accept, Counter, or Decline

When a customer submits a booking request, both the assigned artist and the shop owner receive a notification. Here is how to handle each option:

Accepting a Booking

1

Review the Request

Open the booking to review all details: requested date, time, service type, placement, size, reference images, and any intake form responses.

2

Tap Accept

If everything looks good, tap Accept. The customer will receive a notification and be prompted to pay the deposit to confirm the booking.

Counter-Offering

1

Tap Counter

If the requested time, date, or price does not work, tap Counter.

2

Propose Changes

Adjust the date, time, duration, or price. Add a message explaining the reason for the counter-offer (e.g., "That slot is taken, but I have an opening on Thursday at 2 PM").

3

Send Counter-Offer

The customer will receive the counter-offer and can accept it, decline it, or let it expire.

Declining a Booking

1

Tap Decline

If you cannot accommodate the request at all, tap Decline.

2

Provide a Reason

Enter a brief reason so the customer understands why. This helps maintain good customer relationships even when you cannot fulfil a request.

Tip: Respond to booking requests promptly. Customers appreciate quick responses, and unanswered requests can lead to frustration. Aim to respond within 24 hours.
Bookings

External Bookings

External bookings allow you to create bookings on behalf of customers who walk into your shop, call, or message you outside the app. This ensures all appointments are tracked in your calendar regardless of how they were made.

1

Tap Create Booking

From the Bookings section or the Calendar, tap the + button or Create Booking.

2

Enter Customer Details

Search for an existing InkLink customer or enter the customer's name and contact information manually for non-app customers.

3

Select Service and Artist

Choose the type of service (tattoo or other service), select the artist who will perform the work, and set the date and time.

4

Set Price and Deposit

Enter the total price and deposit amount. For external bookings, the deposit can be collected in person via cash or card through the POS.

5

Confirm Booking

Review the details and tap Confirm. The booking will appear in your calendar and the artist's schedule immediately.

External bookings bypass the request flow. Since you are creating the booking directly, there is no accept/decline step. The booking is immediately confirmed and placed on the calendar.
Bookings

Booking Statuses

Every booking moves through a series of statuses as it progresses from request to completion. Understanding these statuses helps you track the state of each appointment.

Requested The customer has submitted a booking request. Awaiting your response.
Countered You have sent a counter-offer with different terms. Awaiting customer response.
Confirmed The booking has been accepted and the deposit has been paid. The appointment is locked in.
In Progress The session has started. The artist has tapped "Start" to begin the appointment.
Completed The session is finished and all payments have been settled.
Cancelled The booking was cancelled by the customer, artist, or shop owner.
Deposit-requested status: After a booking is accepted, it enters a "deposit requested" state until the customer pays. The booking is not fully confirmed until the deposit is received.
Services

Creating Services

In addition to tattoo bookings, your shop can offer a wide range of services such as piercings, laser removal, cosmetic tattooing, consultations, and more. Services are listed on your shop profile for customers to browse and book.

1

Navigate to Services

From your shop dashboard, go to Services and tap Create Service.

2

Enter Service Details

Provide a name, description, and select a category. Add a cover image that represents the service.

3

Set Duration and Price

Specify the expected duration (in minutes) and the price. You can set a fixed price or a price range (e.g., "from 50 EUR").

4

Assign Artists

Select which artists in your shop can perform this service. Only assigned artists will appear as available when a customer books.

5

Publish

Toggle the service to Active and save. It will immediately appear on your shop profile under the Services section.

Services

Service Categories

Categories help organise your services and make it easier for customers to find what they are looking for. InkLink provides a set of predefined categories:

  • Tattoo: Traditional tattoo services
  • Piercing: Body and ear piercings
  • Laser Removal: Tattoo removal sessions
  • Cosmetic: Permanent makeup, microblading, lip blush
  • Consultation: In-person or virtual consultations
  • Touch-Up: Tattoo touch-up and colour refresh sessions
  • Other: Any service that does not fit the above categories
Tip: Assigning the correct category ensures your services appear in the right filtered search results. Customers often browse by category, so accuracy matters.
Services

Pricing

InkLink gives you flexibility in how you price your services.

Fixed Price

Set a single price for the service. This works best for standardised services like piercings or simple consultations where the scope is consistent.

Price Range

Set a minimum and maximum price (e.g., 100 - 300 EUR). This is useful for services where the final cost depends on factors like complexity, size, or duration. The customer sees "from X" on the listing, and the actual price is determined during the booking process.

Deposit Settings

For each service, you can configure whether a deposit is required and what percentage or fixed amount it should be. Deposits are collected through Stripe when the customer confirms their booking.

Platform fee: A small platform fee is charged to the customer on top of the service price for all booking types. This fee covers payment processing and platform maintenance. The full service price goes to you.
Services

Service Packages

Packages allow you to bundle multiple services together at a discounted rate. This is great for multi-session treatments or combined service offerings.

1

Create a Package

Go to Services > Packages and tap Create Package.

2

Add Services

Select the individual services to include in the package. You can add multiple instances of the same service (e.g., 3 laser removal sessions).

3

Set Package Price

Enter the bundled price. This should typically be lower than the sum of the individual service prices to incentivise customers.

4

Publish

Save and activate the package. It will appear alongside your individual services on your shop profile.

Tip: Packages are an excellent way to encourage repeat visits. For example, offer a "3 Laser Sessions" package at a 15% discount compared to booking each session individually.
POS

Creating Orders

The InkLink Point of Sale (POS) system lets you process transactions for walk-in customers, retail products, and additional services that are not tied to a booking. Every order is recorded and reflected in your analytics.

1

Open the POS

From your shop dashboard, tap POS to open the point-of-sale screen.

2

Start a New Order

Tap New Order to begin. You can optionally link the order to a customer by searching their name or account.

3

Add Items

Add products from your inventory, custom line items, or gift cards to the order. See the sections below for details on each item type.

4

Collect Payment

Choose the payment method and process the transaction. The order total is calculated automatically including any applicable discounts.

POS

Adding Products

If you sell retail products (aftercare creams, merchandise, jewellery, etc.), you can add them to the POS for quick checkout.

1

Browse Product Catalogue

In the POS screen, tap Add Product. Your inventory items that are marked as sellable will appear in a browseable list.

2

Select Products

Tap on each product to add it to the current order. Adjust the quantity as needed.

3

Review Order

The order summary will show all added products with quantities, individual prices, and the running total.

Tip: Keep your product catalogue up to date in the Inventory section. Products with accurate prices and stock levels make POS checkout faster and more reliable.
POS

Custom Items

For one-off charges that are not in your product catalogue, use the custom item feature to add them directly to an order.

1

Tap Add Custom Item

In the POS order screen, tap Custom Item.

2

Enter Details

Provide a name (e.g., "Walk-in Piercing" or "Design Consultation") and enter the price.

3

Add to Order

The custom item will appear in the order summary alongside any other products or items.

POS

Gift Cards

Sell gift cards through the POS that customers can use as wallet credit on InkLink. Gift cards are a great way to attract new customers and increase revenue.

1

Add Gift Card to Order

In the POS, tap Gift Card and enter the desired amount.

2

Process Payment

The customer pays for the gift card like any other POS item (cash, card, or wallet).

3

Gift Card Code Generated

A unique gift card code is generated. The recipient can redeem this code in the InkLink app to add the balance to their wallet.

Gift card balance is added to the wallet. When a recipient redeems a gift card code, the amount is credited to their InkLink wallet. They can use this balance toward any booking or service on the platform.
POS

Payment Methods

The POS supports multiple payment methods to accommodate different customer preferences.

Cash

Select Cash as the payment method and enter the amount tendered. The POS will calculate change due automatically. Cash payments are recorded in your transaction history but are not processed through Stripe.

Card

Select Card to process a card payment through Stripe. The customer's card is charged the order total. This requires an active Stripe Connect account (see Stripe Connect Setup).

Wallet

If the customer has InkLink wallet credit (from gift cards or refunds), they can pay using their wallet balance. Select Wallet and the amount will be deducted from their wallet.

Tip: You can split payments across multiple methods. For example, a customer can pay part with their wallet balance and the remainder by card.
POS

Receipts

After each POS transaction, a receipt is generated automatically.

Viewing Receipts

All receipts are stored in Analytics > Transaction History. Each receipt includes the date, items purchased, payment method, and total amount.

Sharing Receipts

You can share receipts with customers via email or in-app message. After completing a transaction, tap Share Receipt and choose the delivery method.

Inventory

Adding Items

Track all supplies and products used in your studio with the inventory management system. This includes tattoo supplies (ink, needles, gloves), retail products, and any other items you want to monitor.

1

Open Inventory

From your shop dashboard, navigate to Inventory.

2

Add New Item

Tap Add Item and enter the product name, category, current stock quantity, and unit of measurement (e.g., pieces, bottles, boxes).

3

Set Price (Optional)

If the item is sold to customers (retail), set the selling price. Items with a price will appear in the POS product catalogue.

4

Set Low Stock Threshold

Define the minimum quantity before you receive a low-stock alert. For example, set a threshold of 5 for ink bottles so you are alerted before running out.

Inventory

Tracking Usage

Log daily consumption of supplies to maintain accurate stock levels and generate useful reports.

1

Open Daily Log

Go to Inventory > Daily Log or tap Log Usage from the inventory list.

2

Record Quantities Used

For each item used during the day, enter the quantity consumed. You can also assign usage to specific artists if needed.

3

Submit Log

Tap Save to record the usage. Stock quantities will be automatically decremented.

Tip: Encourage your artists to log their supply usage at the end of each day. Consistent logging ensures your inventory counts stay accurate and helps identify consumption patterns over time.
Inventory

Daily Reports

The inventory system generates daily reports showing what was used, by whom, and how current stock levels compare to your thresholds.

Accessing Reports

Go to Inventory > Reports and select a date range. The report includes:

  • Total items consumed per day
  • Breakdown by item category
  • Usage by artist (if logged)
  • Current stock levels vs low-stock thresholds
  • Items approaching reorder points
Inventory

Low Stock Alerts

When an item's quantity falls below its configured threshold, InkLink will alert you so you can reorder before running out.

How Alerts Work

  • Low-stock items are highlighted in the inventory list with a warning indicator.
  • You receive a notification when an item first drops below its threshold.
  • The Inventory dashboard shows a count of items currently below threshold.
Warning: Low-stock alerts only work if you have set a threshold for the item and if usage is being logged consistently. Items without thresholds will never trigger alerts.
Promotions

Discount Codes

Create promotional discount codes that customers can apply during checkout to receive a percentage or fixed-amount discount on their booking.

1

Navigate to Promotions

Go to Promotions > Discount Codes and tap Create Code.

2

Set Code Details

Enter a code name (e.g., "SUMMER20"), choose the discount type (percentage or fixed amount), and set the discount value.

3

Configure Limits

Set the maximum number of uses (total and per customer), minimum order value, and expiry date. You can also restrict the code to specific services or artists.

4

Activate

Toggle the code to Active and save. Share the code with your customers through social media, email, or in-person promotions.

Promotions

Referral Codes

Referral codes reward existing customers for bringing in new business. When a referred customer makes their first booking, both the referrer and the new customer can receive a benefit.

1

Create a Referral Program

Go to Promotions > Referral Codes and tap Create Referral.

2

Set Rewards

Define the reward for the referrer (e.g., 10% off their next booking) and the reward for the new customer (e.g., 5 EUR off their first booking).

3

Distribute

Each customer gets a unique referral code they can share. You can also create a general shop referral code for broader marketing.

Tip: Promote your referral program on your social media profiles and in-shop signage. Word-of-mouth referrals are one of the most effective ways to grow your customer base in the tattoo industry.
Promotions

Usage Tracking

Monitor how your discount and referral codes are performing to measure the effectiveness of your promotions.

What You Can Track

  • Total Redemptions: How many times each code has been used.
  • Revenue Impact: Total discount amount given and the revenue generated from promoted bookings.
  • Unique Users: How many different customers have used the code.
  • Conversion Rate: For referral codes, what percentage of referred users actually made a booking.

Access these metrics from Promotions > Analytics. Use this data to decide which promotions to continue, modify, or retire.

Analytics

Revenue Reports

The revenue dashboard gives you a comprehensive view of your shop's financial performance over time.

Key Metrics

  • Total Revenue: The sum of all completed payments (bookings + POS orders).
  • Booking Revenue: Income from tattoo and service bookings specifically.
  • POS Revenue: Income from point-of-sale transactions.
  • Average Order Value: The average transaction amount across all revenue sources.
  • Revenue Trend: A chart showing daily, weekly, or monthly revenue over your selected time period.

Filtering and Date Ranges

Use the date picker to view reports for specific periods (today, this week, this month, custom range). You can also filter by artist to see individual revenue contributions.

Tip: Review your revenue reports weekly to spot trends early. Compare week-over-week performance to understand seasonal patterns and the impact of your marketing efforts.
Analytics

Booking Reports

Track booking volume, acceptance rates, and scheduling patterns across your studio.

Available Metrics

  • Total Bookings: Number of bookings in the selected period, broken down by status.
  • Acceptance Rate: Percentage of booking requests that were accepted vs countered or declined.
  • Cancellation Rate: Percentage of confirmed bookings that were subsequently cancelled.
  • Busiest Days: Which days of the week receive the most bookings.
  • Peak Hours: The most popular booking time slots.
Use booking reports to optimise scheduling. If you notice certain days are consistently overbooked while others are quiet, consider adjusting availability, running promotions for slow days, or shifting artist schedules.
Analytics

Artist Performance

Compare performance metrics across your team to understand each artist's contribution to the studio.

Per-Artist Metrics

  • Revenue Generated: Total income from each artist's bookings and services.
  • Booking Count: Number of completed bookings per artist.
  • Average Rating: Customer satisfaction ratings for each artist.
  • Utilisation Rate: How much of each artist's available time is booked vs idle.
  • Response Time: Average time to accept, counter, or decline booking requests.
Tip: Use artist performance data to have informed conversations with your team about scheduling, pricing, and workload distribution. High performers might benefit from premium time slots, while artists with low utilisation may need better visibility or marketing support.
Analytics

Transaction History

A complete log of every financial transaction that has occurred in your shop, including booking payments, POS sales, deposits, refunds, and gift card sales.

Viewing Transactions

Go to Analytics > Transactions. Each entry shows:

  • Date and time of the transaction
  • Transaction type (booking payment, POS sale, deposit, refund)
  • Customer name (if linked)
  • Amount and payment method
  • Associated artist (for bookings)

Exporting Data

You can export your transaction history for a selected date range for your own accounting and record-keeping purposes.

Analytics

Customer Analytics

Understand your customer base with metrics about who is booking, how often they return, and what services are most popular.

Key Insights

  • New vs Returning Customers: See the split between first-time and repeat customers over time.
  • Customer Retention Rate: Percentage of customers who book again within a given period.
  • Top Customers: Your most frequent and highest-spending customers.
  • Popular Services: Which services and booking types are most requested.
  • Geographic Distribution: Where your customers are located, based on their profile information.
Customer data drives growth. Use these insights to tailor your marketing, adjust your service offerings, and reward loyal customers with targeted promotions.
Payments

Stripe Connect Setup

Stripe Connect is how InkLink processes card payments for your shop. You must complete the Stripe onboarding process before you can accept online payments for bookings and POS card transactions.

1

Start Onboarding

Go to Settings > Payments and tap Connect Stripe Account. You will be redirected to Stripe's secure onboarding flow.

2

Provide Business Information

Stripe will ask for your business details: legal name, address, tax ID (if applicable), and the type of business entity. You will also need to provide personal identification for verification.

3

Add Bank Account

Enter the bank account where you want to receive payouts. This is the account Stripe will transfer your earnings to on a regular schedule.

4

Complete Verification

Stripe may require additional verification documents depending on your country and business type. Follow the prompts to upload any required documents.

5

Activation

Once verified, your Stripe account becomes active. You can now accept card payments for bookings and POS transactions. A green "Connected" badge will appear in your payment settings.

Warning: Until your Stripe account is fully verified and active, you will not be able to accept card payments. Customers will only be able to pay by cash or wallet. Complete the verification process as soon as possible to avoid losing potential bookings.
Payments

Settlement and Payouts

After payments are processed through Stripe, the funds are settled and transferred to your linked bank account according to Stripe's payout schedule.

How Payouts Work

  • Processing Time: Card payments typically take 2-7 business days to settle, depending on your country and Stripe account configuration.
  • Payout Schedule: By default, payouts are sent daily or weekly to your bank account. You can check your schedule in Stripe's dashboard.
  • Payout Amount: Each payout includes the sum of all settled transactions minus any Stripe processing fees and platform fees.

Viewing Payout History

You can view your payout history and upcoming payouts from Settings > Payments within the InkLink app. For more detailed financial reporting, log into your Stripe Dashboard directly.

Tip: Keep your Stripe account information up to date. If your bank details change, update them in Stripe immediately to avoid payout delays.
Payments

Platform Fees

InkLink charges a small platform fee on each transaction to cover payment processing and platform maintenance costs. This fee is charged to the customer on top of the service price, not deducted from your earnings.

How Fees Are Applied

  • The platform fee is added to the customer's total at checkout.
  • The fee applies to all transaction types: tattoo bookings, service bookings, flash reservations, event tickets, and course purchases.
  • The fee amount is displayed transparently to the customer before they confirm payment.
  • You receive the full service price you set. The platform fee is collected separately.
Platform fees do not reduce your earnings. The fee is an additional charge to the customer. When you set a service at 200 EUR, you receive 200 EUR (minus standard Stripe processing fees). The customer pays 200 EUR plus the platform fee.
Intake Forms

Creating Questions

Intake forms collect important information from customers before their appointment. This saves time on the day of the session and ensures your artists have everything they need to prepare.

1

Navigate to Intake Forms

Go to Settings > Intake Forms and tap Create Question.

2

Write Your Question

Enter the question text (e.g., "Do you have any allergies?" or "Is this your first tattoo?"). Choose the response type: free text, yes/no, multiple choice, or image upload.

3

Set Requirements

Mark whether the question is required or optional. Required questions must be answered before the customer can submit their booking.

4

Order and Activate

Arrange your questions in the order you want them to appear. Toggle each question to active. Active questions will appear in the booking flow for all new bookings at your shop.

Tip: Common intake form questions include: allergies, skin conditions, medications, previous tattoo experience, ID confirmation (age verification), and preferred placement. Tailor your questions to your shop's needs and local regulations.
Intake Forms

Customer Responses

When a customer completes the intake form during the booking process, their responses are attached to the booking and accessible to both you and the assigned artist.

Viewing Responses

Open any booking and scroll to the Intake Form section. All of the customer's answers will be displayed, including any uploaded images. Responses are read-only and cannot be edited by the shop or artist.

Using Responses

Review intake form responses before each appointment to prepare adequately. Flag any concerning answers (such as allergies or medical conditions) and discuss them with the customer when they arrive.

Intake Forms

Artist Review

Artists can review intake form responses from their own booking view. This ensures they are prepared before the customer arrives.

How It Works

  • When a booking is confirmed, the assigned artist can see all intake form responses in the booking detail view.
  • Artists can review responses at any time before the appointment.
  • If a response raises concerns (e.g., an allergy that affects the procedure), the artist should contact the customer or shop owner before the session.
Warning: Always review intake form responses before beginning any procedure. Missing important health information could have serious consequences. Make it a standard practice at your studio to check responses before every appointment.
Advertisements

Creating Ads

Promote your shop and services to a wider audience by creating targeted advertisements within the InkLink platform. Ads appear in the Discover feed and search results.

1

Navigate to Advertisements

Go to Advertisements from your shop dashboard and tap Create Ad.

2

Choose Ad Content

Select what you want to promote: your shop profile, a specific service, an event, or a flash design. Upload compelling images or videos for the ad creative.

3

Write Ad Copy

Add a headline and description that clearly communicate what you are promoting and why someone should tap on it.

4

Configure Targeting and Budget

Set your target audience, schedule, and budget (see the sections below for details on each).

5

Submit for Review

Submit your ad for review. Once approved, it will start running according to your schedule.

Advertisements

Scheduling

Control when your advertisements run to maximise their impact.

Start and End Dates

Set a start date and end date for your campaign. The ad will only be shown during this window. You can also choose to run an ad continuously until you manually pause or stop it.

Day and Time Targeting

Optionally restrict when your ad appears by day of week or time of day. For example, run ads only on weekdays during business hours if that is when your target audience is most active.

Tip: If you are promoting a time-sensitive offer (like a flash sale or event), set your ad schedule to align with the offer window. Extend the start date a few days before the event to build awareness.
Advertisements

Budget

Control your advertising spend by setting daily or total budgets for each campaign.

Budget Types

  • Daily Budget: The maximum amount you want to spend per day. The ad stops showing for the day once the budget is reached.
  • Total Budget: The maximum amount for the entire campaign. Once the total is spent, the campaign ends automatically.

Monitoring Spend

Track your ad spend in real-time from the Advertisements > Active Campaigns dashboard. You can see impressions, clicks, spend to date, and remaining budget.

Advertisements

Targeting

Reach the right audience by configuring targeting options for your ads.

Available Targeting Options

  • Location: Target users within a specific radius of your shop or in specific cities/regions.
  • Interests: Reach users who follow certain tattoo styles or have shown interest in specific service categories.
  • User Type: Target customers specifically (as opposed to artists or shop owners).
  • Age Range: Set minimum and maximum age requirements for your audience.
Location targeting is the most effective. Most tattoo customers prefer studios close to them. Start with a radius around your shop and expand only if needed. This ensures you are spending your budget on the most likely customers.
Social

Posts

Share your shop's work, announcements, and portfolio pieces with the InkLink community. Posts appear on your shop profile and in the feeds of users who follow your shop.

Creating a Post

1

Tap the Create Button

From the main feed or your shop profile, tap the + button and select Post.

2

Add Media

Upload one or more photos or videos. For tattoo work, high-quality close-up images perform best.

3

Write a Caption

Add a description, tag the artist who did the work, and include relevant hashtags to increase discoverability.

4

Publish

Tap Post to publish. The post will be visible on your profile and in your followers' feeds immediately.

Tip: Post consistently to keep your shop profile active and engaging. Showcasing finished work, behind-the-scenes content, and team introductions helps build trust with potential customers.
Social

Stories

Stories are short-lived content that disappears after 24 hours. They are great for sharing time-sensitive updates like available walk-in slots, daily specials, or live studio happenings.

Creating a Story

  1. Tap the + button and select Story.
  2. Capture a photo or video, or upload one from your gallery.
  3. Optionally add text, stickers, or location tags.
  4. Tap Share to Story to publish.

Stories appear at the top of the feed and on your shop profile for 24 hours. After that, they are automatically removed.

Social

Messaging

Communicate directly with customers, artists, and other shops through InkLink's built-in messaging system.

Starting a Conversation

Tap on any user's profile and select Message, or access your inbox from the messaging icon in the navigation bar. You can send text messages, share images, and exchange booking-related information.

Booking Conversations

Each booking has a built-in conversation thread where you can communicate with the customer about their appointment. Use this for pre-session discussions about design ideas, aftercare instructions, or scheduling adjustments.

Keep conversations on-platform. Using InkLink messaging for all booking-related communication creates a record that both parties can reference. This helps resolve any disputes and keeps all information in one place.
Account

Notifications

InkLink sends notifications to keep you informed about important events. Manage your notification preferences to control what you receive and how.

Notification Types

  • Booking Requests: When a customer submits a new booking request
  • Booking Updates: When a booking status changes (accepted, cancelled, etc.)
  • Payments: When deposits are received or payments are processed
  • Artist Activity: When an artist accepts, counters, or declines a booking
  • Messages: When you receive a new message from a customer or artist
  • Reviews: When a customer leaves a review for your shop or an artist
  • Low Stock: When inventory items fall below their threshold
  • Promotions: When discount codes are redeemed

Managing Preferences

Go to Settings > Notifications to toggle individual notification types on or off. You can control push notifications, email notifications, and in-app notifications separately.

Account

Settings

Access all shop configuration options from the Settings page.

Available Settings

  • Shop Profile: Edit your shop name, description, images, address, and contact information.
  • Operating Hours: Set or modify your weekly schedule.
  • Holidays: Manage shop-wide holiday closures.
  • Payments: View and manage your Stripe Connect integration.
  • Notifications: Configure notification preferences.
  • Intake Forms: Create and manage intake form questions.
  • Booking Settings: Configure default deposit amounts, cancellation policies, and booking lead times.
  • Currency: Set your shop's operating currency.
Tip: Review your settings periodically, especially around seasonal changes or when adding new services. Keeping your profile, hours, and policies up to date ensures a smooth experience for both your customers and your team.
Account

Help and Support

If you need assistance with any aspect of InkLink, our support team is here to help.

Getting Help

  • In-App Support: Use the bug report feature (accessible from Settings) to submit issues with screenshots and device information automatically attached.
  • Email: Reach us at support@inklinkup.com for general enquiries or complex issues.
  • Feature Requests: Submit and vote on feature requests at inklinkup.com/feature-requests.
  • Documentation: Browse the full documentation for guides covering all user types.
Include details when reporting issues. The more information you provide (screenshots, steps to reproduce, device type), the faster our team can diagnose and resolve the problem.
ESC