Now Book It – Commission-Free Reservation Platform Guide

Now Book It is an online reservation platform designed for hospitality businesses across Australia and New Zealand. The service helps restaurants, cafes, pubs, and wineries manage table bookings without charging per-cover commissions. With support for over 6,000 venues, the platform has become a notable option for venues looking to streamline their reservation systems while maintaining control over customer data.

Unlike many competitors that charge fees per reservation, Now Book It operates on a flat monthly subscription model. This approach makes it particularly attractive to smaller venues that may not handle high reservation volumes. The platform combines booking management with customer relationship tools, marketing capabilities, and payment processing features.

This guide examines how Now Book It works, its key features, pricing structure, and how it compares to other reservation systems available to hospitality businesses.

What is Now Book It?

Key Features

Now Book It provides several interconnected tools designed to address common challenges in hospitality management. The platform’s functionality spans reservation handling, customer data collection, marketing automation, and payment processing.

The core booking system offers real-time availability tracking, interactive seating maps, and waitlist management. These features help venues maximize table utilization while reducing no-show rates through automated customer communications.

Customer profile capabilities allow venues to capture spending history, visit frequency, dietary preferences, allergies, and custom tags such as birthday celebrations or premium diner status. This data enables targeted marketing campaigns and personalized guest experiences.

• Real-time table availability and seating management
• Automated email and SMS booking reminders
• Customer profiles with spending and preference data
• Payment processing through EzyPay and Stripe
• Social media retargeting and promotional tools
• Event ticketing and order management
• Multi-location support for chain operators

Platform Snapshot

How Does Now Book It Work?

The Booking Process

Diners interact with Now Book It through customizable widgets embedded on restaurant websites, Google Business listings, or social media pages. The interface displays real-time availability, allowing customers to select their preferred time slots without contacting the venue directly.

When a reservation is made, both the diner and restaurant receive instant confirmation. The system sends automated reminders ahead of the booking time, which helps reduce no-show rates—a persistent challenge for many hospitality businesses.

Restaurant Management Dashboard

Venue staff access a centralized dashboard to manage reservations, configure floor plans, track waitlists, and maintain guest records. The interface supports real-time updates, meaning front-of-house staff can adjust table assignments as circumstances change during service.

Guest data collected through bookings—including average spend, visit frequency, and tagged preferences—feeds into the platform’s analytics tools. Managers can use these insights to identify high-value customers, design targeted promotions, and inform staffing decisions.

Getting Started

Restaurants interested in Now Book It begin by visiting nowbookit.com to initiate setup. The platform integrates with existing payment accounts, whether venues use EzyPay, Stripe, or both. For venues already using point-of-sale systems, linking Now Book It with Square or other providers creates a connected workflow for operations and reporting.

The onboarding process includes website widget customization, floor plan configuration, and staff training materials. According to user feedback, the transition can be completed relatively quickly, with local support available around the clock for venues in Australia and New Zealand.

Is Now Book It Free and Reliable?

Pricing Structure

Now Book It does not charge per-cover fees or commissions on reservations. Instead, the platform uses a low flat monthly subscription model. This structure benefits smaller venues that may only handle a handful of reservations per week, as costs remain predictable regardless of booking volume.

Specific pricing tiers are available directly through the platform’s website or via the Square App Marketplace, where the service is listed in Australian dollars. No hidden fees exist beyond standard payment gateway charges applied by EzyPay or Stripe.

User Reviews and Reliability

Reviews collected on GetApp and Capterra provide insight into real-world experiences with Now Book It. Users consistently praise the platform for its table management capabilities, customer relationship features, and the absence of commission charges.

Customer support receives positive mention, with GetApp ratings showing 4.8 out of 5 for this aspect. Reviewers on Capterra highlight the service as a viable alternative to more expensive options, particularly for small to mid-sized operations.

One consideration is that the platform’s user base, while substantial at over 6,000 venues, remains smaller than global competitors like OpenTable. Additionally, independent review data from Trustpilot and G2 was not available in recent research results.

Now Book It vs Competitors

Comparison with OpenTable

OpenTable operates globally with a per-cover fee model, meaning costs scale directly with reservation volume. Now Book It, by contrast, maintains flat monthly pricing regardless of how many covers a venue processes.

Data ownership represents another significant difference. Now Book It allows venues to retain full control over customer information collected through the platform. OpenTable shares reservation data within its broader network, which some operators prefer for exposure but others find limiting for direct customer relationships.

Other Alternatives

SevenRooms represents another reservation and guest management platform in the broader market. However, Now Book It maintains an advantage for venues prioritizing cost predictability and local support availability in the Australia-New Zealand region.

For venues exploring options, the choice often depends on transaction volume, desire for network exposure, and comfort with data sharing practices. Venues with lower reservation counts or those prioritizing customer data ownership may find Now Book It’s model more aligned with their needs.

Platform Development and Updates

1. Launch: Now Book It established as a reservation solution for hospitality venues in Australia and New Zealand
2. Platform expansion: Integration capabilities added, including Square POS linking and payment gateway support
3. Feature development: CRM tools, marketing automation, and analytics introduced to the core booking system
4. Growth milestone: Support for over 6,000 venues achieved across the Australia-New Zealand market
5. Current positioning: Continued operation with focus on flat-pricing model and local support for AU/NZ venues

What Information Is Confirmed and What Remains Unclear

Market Context for Restaurant Reservation Systems

The restaurant reservation software market has evolved significantly over the past decade. Early platforms focused primarily on digitizing the booking process. Modern solutions, including Now Book It, integrate booking management with customer relationship tools, payment processing, and marketing automation.

The shift toward direct customer data ownership reflects broader trends in hospitality technology. Platforms that charge per-cover fees often retain access to reservation data, creating dependency on third-party networks. Flat-fee models like Now Book It’s appeal to venues that prefer building direct customer relationships without intermediary data sharing.

Regional availability matters for support quality. Venues using Now Book It in Australia and New Zealand access local support teams familiar with regional hospitality norms and operational challenges.

Sources and Industry Perspectives

Users chose it over alternatives for superior service and viable pricing even for low-volume use, such as operating just one service weekly.

— Capterra review summary

GetApp ratings for core features show online booking at 5.0/5, booking management at 4.9/5, and payment processing at 4.8/5.

— GetApp verified user reviews

Primary sources for this overview include the official Now Book It website, GetApp listing, Capterra reviews, and Krowdbase software listings. Where information could not be independently verified, uncertainty has been noted.

Summary

Now Book It offers a commission-free reservation platform designed for hospitality businesses in Australia and New Zealand. With over 6,000 venues using the service, it provides booking management, customer profiling, marketing tools, and payment processing within a flat monthly pricing structure.

The platform distinguishes itself through data ownership policies that keep customer information under venue control and local support availability. While specific pricing requires direct inquiry and review volumes remain limited, user feedback consistently highlights ease of use and cost-effectiveness for smaller operations.

Venues exploring options should evaluate their reservation volume, data ownership priorities, and desire for local versus global network exposure when comparing Now Book It against competitors like OpenTable. Those interested can learn more and request demonstrations through nowbookit.com. For additional restaurant management guidance, see our guide to hotel and hospitality operations.

Frequently Asked Questions