Xola review
Bottom line
Xola is a booking, point-of-sale, and operations platform built specifically for tour and activity businesses. Its clearest strength is a fast online checkout paired with waivers, staff rosters, and on-site ticketing in one system. The main cost to watch is that pricing is not published and there is no free plan or trial, so buyers must request a quote and a demo first. Tour and activity operators that sell both online and at the door are the best fit.
What is Xola?
Xola is an online booking system built for tour and activity operators. It brings reservations, payments, customer records, and daily operations into one place, with a focus on letting guests book on their own rather than by phone. Xola was founded in 2011 by Scott Zimmerman and Anush Ramani to serve businesses such as helicopter tours, fishing charters, ziplines, escape rooms, and boat tours.
Day to day, operators set up custom tour schedules and pricing variations, block out dates they will not run, and set booking cut-offs for some or all experiences. Guests book through a checkout that collects only the essential details, and operators send customizable questionnaires after purchase to gather the rest. Discount codes can be restricted by activity, season, day of the week, or time of day, and abandoned checkouts trigger automatic follow-up. Staff management assigns guides to outings, emails trip rosters automatically, and supports calendar sync. On the floor, point-of-sale supports EMV terminals, Apple Pay and Google Pay, cash drawers, and receipt printers, while digital waivers and gated entry handle check-in. Equipment can be allocated across products to prevent overbookings.
The product lists freelancers, small businesses, mid-size businesses, and enterprises as typical customers. Xola does not publish plan prices. Instead, it lists a card processing rate of 2.39 plus $0.30 per transaction, with rates varying outside the United States, and assesses a small partner fee to customers on each purchase. There are no subscriptions, and full pricing is provided on request. There is no free plan or free trial, but a free demo is available.
What sets Xola apart is its focus on the booking checkout and the connections around it. The company states that customers can book in less than 30 seconds, with no redirects to another URL and no required registration. Connections run through an app store of more than 80 apps, a public API, and integrations with tools such as Zapier, Stripe, Google Calendar, Xero, and HubSpot CRM. Xola states that it is SOC 2 Type II and CCPA compliant, PCI compliant for payments, and GDPR compliant, and that support is available by email, chat, and phone around the clock.
Who it's for
- Tour and activity operators
- Attractions with walk-up and online ticket sales
- Businesses that want fewer phone bookings
- Operators with guides who need trip rosters
Who should look elsewhere
- Businesses that need a free plan or trial
- Companies that need fixed published pricing
- Non-experience businesses such as restaurants or salons
Typical uses
- Selling tours and activities through a website
- Running walk-up sales with EMV card and mobile wallet payments
- Collecting digital waivers at check-in
- Assigning guides and emailing trip rosters
- Preventing overbookings of shared equipment
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Xola alternatives and comparisons
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