Booking software built for Calgary detailers
Take deposits, kill no-shows, and invoice on the driveway — with a booking page your Instagram followers can actually use.
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Detailing in Calgary
Calgary and the surrounding foothills · population 1.4 million
Calgary is the biggest mobile detailing market in Alberta, and also the most crowded. A search for detailing in the city turns up everything from weekend side hustles working out of a trunk to established shops with three bays and a waitlist. The operators who win the repeat work are rarely the cheapest — they are the ones who answer fast, confirm the appointment, and show up when they said they would.
That is an admin problem more than a detailing problem. Most Calgary detailers are still booking through Instagram DMs, quoting from memory, and chasing e-transfers after the fact. It works until you are running four jobs a day across Seton and Tuscany, at which point the double-bookings and the no-shows start eating a full day of revenue a week.
PayDash gives you a booking page that takes a deposit at the moment someone books, an invoice you can send from the driveway with GST already calculated, and a client record that remembers the last time you did that customer's Tahoe.
Chinooks make Calgary a year-round market
Calgary's freeze-thaw swings are a detailing business's best friend and worst enemy at the same time. A Chinook rolls through in January, the roads turn to salt slurry and gravel spray, and every vehicle in the city looks filthy within 48 hours — demand spikes hard and with almost no warning. Then the temperature drops twenty degrees overnight and half your week cancels. Deposits are what make that swing survivable: when a booking carries money, a customer reschedules instead of ghosting, and you keep the slot rather than losing the day.
What detailers charge in Calgary
Indicative ranges based on what local operators advertise. Use them as a starting point, not a rate card.
| Service | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance wash & interior wipe-downThe repeat-customer bread and butter. Worth a package rate. | $60 – $120 | The repeat-customer bread and butter. Worth a package rate. |
| Full interior detailGoes higher on pet hair, kids' car seats, and smoke remediation. | $180 – $350 | Goes higher on pet hair, kids' car seats, and smoke remediation. |
| Full interior + exterior detailMost-booked service after a Chinook week. | $250 – $500 | Most-booked service after a Chinook week. |
| Ceramic coatingWhere deposits matter most — this is a full day of your capacity. | $700 – $2,000+ | Where deposits matter most — this is a full day of your capacity. |
Areas Calgary detailers work
Licensing & GST
Calgary requires a business licence for detailing operations, including mobile ones working out of a van. The category and fee depend on whether you run from a commercial premises, a home, or entirely mobile — confirm the current requirements with the City of Calgary before you start advertising. If you expect to bill more than $30,000 in a rolling four-quarter period you also need to register for GST with the CRA.
General guidance, not legal or tax advice — confirm current requirements with the municipality and the CRA.
What you get with PayDash
Booking page with deposits
Clients pick a real slot and pay a deposit to hold it. No more DM tag-and-forth, no more silent no-shows.
Invoices with GST built in
5% GST applied automatically for Alberta, your GST number on every invoice, and a pay-now link on every one.
Get paid on the driveway
Text a payment link before you pull away. 3.3% + $0.90 on a Canadian card, processing included.
Calgary detailer questions
Do I need a website to take bookings in Calgary?
You need somewhere for people to book that is not your DMs. PayDash includes a business website with a live booking page on every plan, so you can point your Instagram bio at a real link that shows your availability and takes a deposit. If you already have a site, you can link the booking page from it instead.
How do deposits stop no-shows?
You set a deposit amount or percentage on each service. The client pays it when they book, and the slot is only held once it clears. In practice a customer who has money on a booking either shows up or reschedules — the silent no-show mostly disappears, which matters when a single missed ceramic coating is a lost day.
Does it handle Alberta GST correctly?
Yes. Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so invoices apply 5% GST only. PayDash calculates it automatically and puts your GST number on the invoice. If you travel to a job in BC or Saskatchewan, it applies that province's rules instead.
Can I take payment on the driveway?
Yes. You can send an invoice with a payment link by text or email from your phone while you are still at the vehicle, and the customer pays by card on the spot. You can also collect a deposit at booking and the balance on completion.
What does it cost?
Plans start at $19/month CAD. Payments with a Canadian card are 3.3% + $0.90, online or in person, with Stripe's processing fee included and no commission on new clients. Cards issued outside Canada are 4.3% + $0.90. Every plan includes a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.
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