# Occasion

> Occasion (occasion.app / getoccasion.com) is an experience management platform offering online booking, payment processing, and marketing tools for entrepreneurs and small businesses that run experience-based events — think cooking schools, kids' activity spaces, art studios, fitness classes, and more. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Chicago, IL. Mission: to reconnect people through shared experiences.

Occasion serves 8,000+ sellers (referred to internally as "Partners" or "stores") across the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Europe, and beyond. It is an independent, profitable company — not VC-backed.

Important distinctions:
- Occasion is a **seller-facing SaaS platform**, not a consumer marketplace. Sellers embed Occasion's booking widget on their own websites; Occasion does not drive customer discovery.
- Occasion charges a **2% booking fee per transaction** with no monthly fees. 63% of sellers pass the fee to their customers. Custom pricing is available for sellers doing $500K+ in annual revenue.
- Occasion supports **Square and Stripe** for payment processing (Square is recommended where available).
- Occasion is available in **English and Spanish** and supports **multi-currency** billing (USD, CAD, GBP, AUD, EUR).

## Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

Occasion serves a wide range of experience-based businesses — from **solopreneurs** running a single studio to **enterprise operators** managing multiple locations and high booking volumes. The common thread is that they sell experiences, not products, and need a booking platform built for that context.

**Verticals served include:**
- Cooking schools and culinary studios
- Kids' activity spaces (art, STEM, play)
- Art and pottery studios
- Fitness and wellness (yoga, dance, martial arts)
- Escape rooms and entertainment venues
- Outdoor experiences (tours, axe throwing, paddleboarding)
- Paint-and-sip and similar social event concepts

**Common characteristics:**
- Selling recurring classes, one-off events, or private group bookings
- Currently on a competitor platform (e.g. Mindbody, FareHarbor, Eventbrite) or managing bookings manually via email/phone
- May operate a single location or multiple locations across regions
- Want to reduce admin time and no-shows
- Need a booking solution that works on their own website, not a marketplace that commoditizes them
- Price-sensitive — Occasion's 2% fee (vs. industry average ~3.5%) is often a key differentiator



- [Booking & Scheduling](https://occasion.app): Mobile-friendly checkout; 24/7 online reservations; multi-session and recurring event support
- [Payment Processing](https://occasion.app): Integrated with Square and Stripe; supports local currency; account credits for refunds to reduce chargebacks
- [Automated Communications](https://help.getoccasion.com): Booking confirmations, reminders, follow-ups, review requests, win-back emails, abandoned cart sequences
- [Marketing Tools](https://occasion.app): Social media sharing, waitlists, gift cards, discounts, add-ons, bundle pricing, referral program
- [Customer Data & Insights](https://occasion.app): Custom listing questions, post-event analytics, roster management
- [Branding & Checkout](https://help.getoccasion.com): Custom domain support, branded checkout experience
- [Integrations](https://help.getoccasion.com): Connects to Facebook, Instagram, Google, and other third-party tools

## Onboarding & Support

- New sellers receive a **Dedicated Partner Lead** for data import, listing review, and training — included with a fully refundable $299 setup fee.
- Support hours: 8am–5pm US Central, 7 days a week. Contact: help@getoccasion.com / +1-872-362-3910
- Migration support is available for sellers switching from another platform.

## Knowledge Base & Help Docs

- [Help Center](https://help.getoccasion.com): Full documentation covering setup, booking rules, gift cards, integrations, promotions, and more
- [Pricing Plans](https://help.getoccasion.com/article/621-pricingplans): Details on the standard 2% booking fee model
- [Terms of Service](https://occasion.app/terms-page): Usage terms, data responsibilities, and refund policy

## Company

- Website: https://occasion.app
- App login: https://app.getoccasion.com/live
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@getOccasion
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/occasion
- Team distributed across the US, Spain, Poland, South Africa, and the Netherlands

## Optional

- [G2 Reviews](https://www.g2.com/products/occasion/reviews): User reviews and competitive comparisons
- [Square App Marketplace listing](https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/6473-occasion-and-square): Occasion + Square integration details