1. Full Hebrew, including right-to-left
Translated buttons are not enough. Check that the booking page, the messages clients receive and the calendar itself display correctly right to left, and that dates, times and phone numbers do not flip mid-sentence.
Open the business's booking page on a phone, because that is the screen most clients will see.
- Dates and times in the format you are used to.
- Sunday as the first day of the week, and Israeli holidays in the calendar.
- Hebrew, Russian and English client names in one list, sorted correctly.
2. WhatsApp reminders, not only SMS
In Israel clients answer on WhatsApp and ignore an SMS from an unknown number. Ask which number the message comes from: your own business number, or a shared number of the vendor. A message from your own number looks like it came from you, and clients reply to it.
Ask too what happens when a client writes to stop, and where you see the replies clients send.
3. Tax documents under Israeli law
If you will issue receipts and invoices from the software, it must produce them the way the Tax Authority expects: gapless numbering, original and true-copy marking, and a uniform-format file when your accountant asks for it.
Anyone issuing computerised documents should check that the software is registered with the Tax Authority. Ask the vendor for its registration number, and ask your accountant what they need to receive.
4. A booking page you can put anywhere
One link for the Instagram profile, the WhatsApp status and the business card. With several staff, each should have a personal link so a client who knows one person books them directly.
Check that booking works without registering and without downloading an app. Every extra step loses clients.
5. Import what you already have
If you are moving from another system, check what can come across: the client list, services and prices, and future appointments. A migration that makes you retype hundreds of clients is a good reason to stay where you are.
A tidy spreadsheet is enough if the software lets you upload it and shows what will and will not be imported before you confirm.
6. What is included, and what is an add-on
Compare the total price, not the entry price. Check whether reminders, invoices, payments and extra staff calendars are included or each an add-on. Check whether the price includes VAT and whether you can cancel monthly or are tied to an annual commitment.
A free plan with no time limit is a good way to test with a real business, as long as it is clear what it leaves out.
7. Try a real working day before you decide
Before committing, do in the software what you will do every day:
- Book an appointment from the booking page, on your phone.
- Move one and cancel one, and see what the client receives.
- Send yourself a reminder and see how it looks.
- Issue a receipt and check every required detail is there.
- Export your clients, to be sure leaving would not be painful.
Questions people ask
How much does appointment software cost in Israel?
From free plans with limits to a few tens of shekels a month and more for a business with staff; the main difference is what is included. Compare the total price of what you actually need.
Does the software need to be registered with the Tax Authority?
If you issue invoices and receipts from it, check this in advance. Ask the vendor for the registration number and talk to your accountant.
Can I move from another system without losing clients?
Usually, if the list can be exported and imported. Test the import on a small file before giving up the old system.
