Skip the platform fees,
let repeat guests book you directly.
When a guest comes back, you'd rather take the booking yourself than pay a listing platform again. Put your pencil.in booking page on Instagram or your website and guests check availability and book on their own. Block cleaning time from the owner view and see platform bookings on the same calendar.
No credit card. Ad-supported, completely free.
Sound familiar?
Platform fees on every repeat booking
Regulars keep booking through the platform they know. You'd like to take them direct, but there's nowhere for them to check availability.
Platform and direct bookings collide
You noted a booking from a DM, and the platform sold the same slot to someone else.
No time to clean and reset
The next booking starts the moment the last one ends, with no time to tidy up or reset the gear.
No-shows and late arrivals
Guests forget the date and don't answer. Sending everyone a reminder by hand the day before takes time.
How it helps your operation
Rooms and gear as separate items
List the main room and the photo kit separately so guests can book the room alone or with equipment.
Put a direct booking page on social
Add the booking URL to your profile or website. Guests book with just a name and email, no account.
Block cleaning and platform bookings
Add cleaning time and platform bookings from the owner view. Nobody can book those slots directly.
Automatic reminder the day before
Guests get a confirmation email when they book and a reminder email the day before.
Example: a one-room multi-purpose space that also hosts photo shoots
Listing the room and the gear separately lets you take both room-only and room-plus-gear bookings on one page.
What to register
- Main room (up to 12)Your basic rental unit. Put the capacity in the name so guests see it
- Photo gear kitLights, backdrops and so on, booked separately from the room
- Dressing roomFor makeup and changing on shoot days. Can also be rented alone
Tip: When a platform booking arrives, add the same slot from the owner view right away. That reliably prevents clashes with direct bookings.
Up and running in 3 steps
- 1
Sign in with Google
Email works too. Create an account in a minute.
- 2
Add rooms and gear
Type them one per line when you create the space, or bulk-import a CSV if you have many.
- 3
Share the page with regulars
Include the booking URL in your thank-you message after a visit, or in your social profile.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use it alongside listing platforms?
- Yes. There's no automatic sync, so when a platform booking comes in, add that slot from the owner view. Nobody can book it directly after that.
- Can I leave time for cleaning between bookings?
- There's no automatic buffer. Add the cleaning time as your own booking and that slot can't be booked.
- Can I send entry or key instructions?
- Confirmation emails go out automatically, but custom instructions can't be added yet. Please send those separately after the booking.
- How do guests pay?
- There's no payments feature. Collect payment on-site or by transfer as you do today. pencil.in itself is free.
Take your regulars' bookings directly.
Your booking page takes a minute to set up. Add one room and send the link to a regular guest.
Booking management for other industries
Coworking spaces
Meeting rooms, booths, and gear via a member share URL.
Rental salons
Seats, private rooms, and beds via share URL.
Gyms & sports facilities
Courts, fields, and gyms via share URL.
Meeting rooms
Manage multiple rentable meeting rooms via share URL.
Rental kitchens
Cooking zones and equipment via share URL.
Rental gyms & studios
Training rooms and studios via share URL.
In/out boards
Who's where, on a share URL anyone can update.
Company cars
Vehicle bookings via share URL, alongside rooms.
Music studios
Rehearsal rooms, booths, and gear via share URL.
Clubrooms
Clubroom and gear booking that survives turnover.