Time Off, team roles and card deposits

This update adds a full Time Off module, splits users into Administrator, Staff and Crew, and lets customers pay their deposit by card the moment they accept a quote. There are also new built-in guides for every part of HiveSuite.

The common thread is fewer things done by hand and fewer surprises. No more checking a holiday chart before booking a job, giving office staff full admin access just so they can raise invoices, or chasing a deposit after the customer has already said yes.

Everything here is included on every plan.

Customers can pay the deposit straight away

If you take card payments, customers who accept a quote with a deposit now see a Pay deposit button on the quote page and in their acceptance email, so they can pay there and then. Once it's paid, the quote page shows that the deposit has been received. It works with Interactive Quotes too.

Stripe is optional and available on every plan. If you don't use it, deposit invoices work exactly as they did before.

Guides for every part of HiveSuite

New step-by-step guides cover HivePlanner, Quotes, Invoices, Customers, HiveIntel, Stock Items and Purchase Orders, SMS, Users and Roles, Timesheets, the Finance Ledger, Integrations, Compliance Documents and Subsidiaries. Find them on the new Guides page (in the sidebar, the user menu, mobile Settings and search), or use the Guide links and "?" buttons next to settings to jump straight to the part you need.

Smaller improvements

• Edit and delete customer notes on desktop and mobile. Edited notes are marked "Edited", and Pin is now on desktop too.
• Import locations from a customer with the new Import Locations button on their Locations tab.
• New users set their own password from a "Set my password" link in their invitation, so no password is ever sent by email.
• Clearer messages on the quote and invoice pages, shown on the page instead of browser pop-ups.

Frequently asked questions

Are Time Off and the new roles included in my plan?

Yes. Both are included on every HiveSuite plan at no extra cost, from Solo at £34.99/month inc. VAT. Time Off is switched on by an Administrator from the Modules page or the Customisation Hub.

Do Staff users take up a different kind of seat?

No. Administrators and Staff share the same seats on your plan, and Crew have their own. Switching someone between Administrator and Staff never needs a free seat.

What happened to my existing admins?

Anyone who was an admin before is now an Administrator with exactly the same access as before. Nobody was moved to Staff automatically.

Does HiveSuite stop me booking someone who is on holiday?

You choose. By default you get a warning showing who is off and when, with Book anyway and Don't book. Or set it so the booking is not allowed. The check runs in HivePlanner, HiveCrew and HiveHire.

Do I need Stripe for customers to pay the deposit straight away?

Yes. The Pay deposit button appears when you take card payments through Stripe, which is optional and available on every plan. Without it, deposit invoices work as before.