Buffer Time — Smart Booking Control

Buffer Time helps you manage booking gaps by setting a delay (in hours) before or after a booking.
It ensures you always have enough prep or cleanup time — no last-minute rush!

🔹 1. Before Buffer Time #

Purpose: Prevents bookings too close to the current time.

How it works:

• Bookings are allowed only after the set buffer hours from now.
• Same-day bookings are blocked if the buffer crosses today.

Example:

• Buffer Time = 4 hours
• Current time: 10:00 AM
  ➡ Bookings start from 2:00 PM onward

🔹 2. After Buffer Time #

Purpose: Ensures a break between two consecutive bookings.

How it works:

• Adds a waiting period after the end of the last booking.
• Next booking can start only after the buffer duration ends.

Example:

• Booking: Oct 10 (9 AM – 5 PM)
• Buffer: 2 hours
  ➡ Next booking available from 7 PM onward

If buffer < 24 hrs → same-day booking possible
If buffer > 24 hrs → next-day booking only

🔹 3. When Time Picker is Off #

Purpose: Works automatically based on date and timezone.

How it works:

• System checks the current time + buffer time.
• If the total stays within today → same-day booking allowed
• If it rolls into tomorrow → booking blocked for today

Example:

• Current time: 1 PM
• Buffer: 4 hrs → Ends 5 PM → ✅ Booking allowed today
• Buffer: 14 hrs → Ends next day → ❌ Booking not allowed today

✅ Summary Table #

Condition	Before Buffer	After Buffer
Input	Hours before booking	Hours after booking
Same-Day Booking	Not allowed	Depends on buffer (<24h = allowed)
Time Picker Off	Depends on time overlap	Depends on end date
Purpose	Prep time before booking	Cleanup time after booking

💡 Notes #

• Use buffer time to maintain a smooth operational flow.
• You can set both Before and After buffer times.
• Setting buffer = 0 means no restriction — bookings are open anytime.