The gig worker who sells via Instagram

The situation

Youssef works as a graphic designer during the day. In the evenings and on weekends, he photographs — portraits, couple shoots, personal branding photos. He works as a gig worker: tax-efficient, administratively light, and perfect for what he does. He finds his clients on Instagram, where he shares his portfolio and occasionally posts a story saying "DM for info."

What he does today

Someone sends a DM → Youssef replies with his prices → the client says "great, how do I pay?" → Youssef sends his bank account number → he waits for the transfer to appear → he schedules the shoot. Sometimes someone pays only after the shoot. Sometimes someone does not pay at all, and Youssef has already blocked two hours in his calendar.

What the real problem is

Youssef loses clients between "I want this" and "I have paid." Every DM conversation is a mini-negotiation. And the moment he sends a bank account number, it feels unprofessional — like sending a payment request app for a €150 service. He wants a step that matches the quality of his work.

What he does with bookto checkout

Youssef creates three products: "Portrait shoot — 30 min + 5 photos" at €95, "Couple shoot — 60 min + 10 photos" at €195, and "Personal branding — 90 min + 15 photos" at €295. He places the links in his Instagram bio via Linktree. When someone DMs with interest, he sends the link. Click, pay, booked.

What happens behind the scenes

Youssef creates three products in the dashboard with a description, price, and what the client gets. Each product gets a unique checkout URL. The client lands on a professional payment page, sees the offer, and pays via Mollie. After payment, the client receives a confirmation email with Youssef's Calendly link to schedule the shoot. Youssef receives a notification — he knows someone has paid before he packs his camera. All client and VAT data is captured.

The numbers

Youssef averages six shoots per month: two portraits (€190), two couple shoots (€390), two personal branding sessions (€590). That is €1,170 per month. Previously, he lost an average of one shoot per month to a no-show or a non-payer — €195 on average. With bookto checkout, the client pays upfront and that €195 is no longer a loss. The tool costs him €7 per month. His net income increases by more than €180 per month, purely by eliminating no-shows.

What changes

No more bank account numbers in DMs. No more "have you transferred yet?" messages. The checkout link is his price list, his register, and his booking system in one. And because the client pays before the shoot, Youssef's time is protected. No more no-shows at the cost of his free evening.

Why this works for a gig worker

Youssef does not need Shopify. He is not selling physical products with shipping — he is selling his time and his talent. bookto checkout gives him three payment pages he can share from Instagram. No monthly subscription to a platform, no commission on his rate, no catalogue where he sits next to other photographers. Just three links, his Mollie account, and a dashboard with his orders.

Try bookto checkout free for 7 days.

No credit card required. Your first product is live in five minutes.