# How do I bill a session by the hour?

URL: https://help.sweb.so/en/pro/cash-register/hourly-session
Mis à jour: 2026-08-21T00:00:00.000Z

Start the session from the appointment's detail view or as a walk-in, Sweb times how long it runs. When you check out, a modal automatically recalculates the amount to bill based on the actual minutes and the billed minutes you confirm, then moves straight into payment.

## Start a session

From an appointment's detail view, a "Start session" button appears if you don't already have a session running. On click, the timer starts and the appointment's planned duration is used as the starting estimated duration. You can also start a session directly as a walk-in, with no existing appointment, by entering an optional client and an estimated duration.

Only one active session at a time per artist: you can't start a second one until the previous one is finished.

## Track the ongoing session

A live timer stays visible throughout the session, including any accumulated pauses. You can pause and resume at any time. The linked appointment's context (service, time slot) stays displayed as a subtitle if the session came from an appointment.

## Finish and check out

When you finish, a modal asks for two durations: the time actually spent and the time you choose to bill. If the sale's item is configured for hourly pricing, the amount updates live based on the billed minutes you enter. A warning appears if you bill more than the time actually spent (overbilling), and another if you bill zero while time was spent (session given for free).

Once confirmed, the amount is applied to the item and checkout follows directly, unless the total is zero: in that case the session closes without going through the checkout flow, while still being tracked.

## Edge cases

**You forgot to finish a session and the day is over.** Sweb automatically closes a session left open too long. The next day, an "Unfinished session" entry appears in the actions to handle on your dashboard: you enter the actual and billed minutes there, after the fact.

**You want to correct the billed minutes afterward.** That's possible as long as no fiscal receipt has been generated yet for that sale. Once the sale is checked out and the receipt created, that amount is locked, in line with NF525 immutability.

**You bill less than the time spent (a goodwill gesture).** No restriction: just adjust the billed minutes, the gap stays tracked for your stats if you choose to keep it.

**The appointment stays stuck on "in progress" with no active session.** This can no longer happen on a new appointment, but it can still remain on older ones. Just click "Start session" again: a new session starts normally and repairs the record, no need for support to step in.

**The appointment has already been checked out.** Once payment is confirmed and the sale is fiscally sealed, the "Start session" button disappears from the record: a closed sale can never be reopened, in line with NF525 immutability.