Timely, Fresha and Kitomba were designed before AI could answer a phone. Mahi Time was not. The phone receptionist, the webchat and the agent API are part of the product, the price is flat with no commission, and it is built in New Zealand for how NZ and Australian service businesses actually run.
Proof point one
An AI add-on that lives outside your booking system has to guess at your availability. Ours does not guess. Every AI surface calls the same booking actions the admin calendar uses, so it respects closures, buffers, pairing rules and staff skills, and it cannot double book.
AI phone receptionist
The salon shut at six. The receptionist answers in your business name, hears "a cut with Sam next week", checks Sam's live calendar, offers Tuesday 2pm or Thursday 10am, books Tuesday 2pm, and texts the confirmation before the caller has put the phone down. In the morning it is on the calendar like any other booking.
NZ$129 (approx A$119) a month. Up to two locations, unlimited staff. NZ and AU numbers.
How the receptionist worksAI webchat
They type "do you do balayage and what does it cost?" The chat answers from your real service menu, offers the next three openings with a colourist, books the one they pick and sends the SMS. Same agent, same knowledge, same engine as the phone. Visitors can type or talk.
NZ$49 (approx A$45) a month on top of the phone receptionist. One script tag on your site.
MCP server
"Find every gap longer than an hour on Friday and text the waitlist." "Who has not rebooked in eight weeks?" "Issue a $50 voucher to Priya for the mix-up." Claude, ChatGPT or your own agent connects to Mahi Time over MCP and does it, under the same role permissions as a staff member.
Included in the plan, alongside the public REST API and webhooks.
Compare that with the incumbents: Fresha sells an AI Concierge at NZ$249.95 per location per month, Mindbody includes its AI front desk only on its A$369 tier, and Timely, Kitomba, Setmore and Square offer no AI receptionist that books at all (prices checked 31 October 2026).
Proof point two
Marketplace booking systems make money when you get a new client. That means their incentives point at the marketplace, not at your salon. Mahi Time has no marketplace, so the only thing we can charge you is the subscription, and it is published here.
Fresha
Three staff on Team at NZ$29.95 each, plus 20% of the first visit for 30 new marketplace clients spending NZ$80.
About NZ$820 / month
Timely
Three staff on Elevate at $39 per bookable staff member. No AI receptionist is offered, so add a third-party answering service if you want one.
$117 / month, without AI
Mahi Time
Three staff, unlimited bookings, unlimited locations, payroll, Xero, API and MCP included. AI phone receptionist on top.
NZ$259 / month, AI included
approx A$238
Prices checked 31 October 2026 on fresha.com/pricing (NZ view, ex GST) and gettimely.com/pricing (currency follows your region). Fresha's fee applies only to new clients it sends you from its marketplace. Mahi Time prices exclude GST; card processing goes to Stripe or Windcave at their published rates with nothing added.
Proof point three
The global platforms treat this part of the world as a currency dropdown. The details below are the ones that cost you an afternoon every month when they are wrong.
Prices entered inclusive or exclusive, GST shown on receipts and reports in both countries, and a GST summary that matches what your accountant asks for.
Sales, payments and GST post to Xero on their own. No month-end CSV, no NZ$19.95 per location connector.
Windcave terminals and pay links in New Zealand, Stripe with Apple Pay and Google Pay in both countries, or just record your existing EFTPOS. Money goes straight to your bank; we never hold it.
Matariki, Waitangi Day and every regional anniversary day in NZ. State and territory holidays in Australia, including the half days. The calendar already knows.
100 SMS a month included, sent from a local number. When a client replies "running 10 mins late", it lands on the booking, not in a void.
Staff hours, commission and revenue per person without a second subscription. Export to your payroll provider in either country.
Side by side
Competitor facts from each vendor's public pricing and help pages, checked 31 October 2026. Scroll sideways on a phone. Click a name for the full comparison.
| Feature | Mahi Time | Timely | Fresha | Kitomba | Setmore | Square Appointments | Phorest | Shortcuts | Mindbody |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Published. NZ$109 (approx A$100) flat | Per staff member, 3 tiers | Per team member plus add-ons | Quote only | Free, or US$5 per user annually | Free, A$40 or A$90 per location (AU only) | Quote only | Quote led | A$89 to A$369 per location |
| Commission on bookings | None, ever | None | 20% of first visit, min NZ$7, marketplace clients | None | None | None | None | None | 20% of first purchase, marketplace clients |
| AI phone receptionist that books | Built in, NZ$129 (approx A$119) | No | Add-on, NZ$249.95 per location | No | Live Receptionist US$99, US only | No | Front Desk AI add-on | No | Add-on on Core, included on Growth |
| AI webchat that books | Built in, NZ$49 (approx A$45) | No | Add-on, NZ$74.95 per location | No | No | No | Front Desk AI add-on | No | Add-on on Core, included on Growth |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes, platform MCP server | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Public REST API | Yes, public REST + webhooks | Partner programme only | Data Connector add-on, NZ$435 per location | Partner integrations only | Pro plan only | Square developer API | Partner API | Not public | Partner API |
| Built and supported in NZ and AU | Built in NZ, NZ and AU hours | Founded in NZ, owned by EverCommerce (US) | London based, global | Wellington, NZ and AU support | US based | US based, AU only, not in NZ | Dublin, AU office | Australian heritage | US based |
| Xero | Included | Yes | Add-on, NZ$19.95 per location | Pro package and up | Via Zapier | Via third-party connector | Add-on | Integration available | Via partner |
| Payroll and timesheets | Included | No | No | Staff time management on Pro | No | Separate Square Payroll (not AU) | No | Rosters, no payroll | Payroll reports only |
| EFTPOS and payments | Windcave EFTPOS (NZ), Stripe (NZ + AU) | TimelyPay (Stripe) | Fresha card processing only | Kitomba Pay | Square or Stripe online | Square readers only | PhorestPay | Integrated EFTPOS | Mindbody payments |
Switching
Export from your current tool, upload at Settings > Import data, check the mapping preview, run. Each guide has the exact menu paths in the old product and a switch-day checklist. Send us the files instead and we import them for you, free.
FAQ
Three things. The AI is built in: a phone receptionist, a webchat and an MCP server that all book through the same scheduling engine as your calendar. There is no commission, marketplace fee or per-booking charge, only a flat monthly price. And it is built in Aotearoa New Zealand for NZ and Australian businesses: GST, Xero, Windcave EFTPOS, local public holidays and SMS from a local number clients can reply to.
NZ$109 (approx A$100) a month for the first two team members or resources, then NZ$21 (approx A$19) per extra. The AI phone receptionist is NZ$129 (approx A$119) a month and the AI webchat NZ$49 (approx A$45). Prices exclude GST. There is a 21-day free trial with no card.
It books. It answers in your business name, checks live availability for the staff member the caller asks for, offers times, books the slot, and sends an SMS confirmation. It reschedules and cancels too, and hands off to a human the moment it is asked. Because it uses the same engine as the admin calendar it cannot double book or ignore a closure.
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is how AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT connect to software. Mahi Time's MCP server lets your own AI tools run reports, find gaps, move bookings, issue vouchers and manage the catalogue under the same role permissions as your staff. It is included in the plan.
No. Not on new clients, not on online bookings, not on bookings the AI takes. Card processing fees go to Stripe or Windcave at their published rates; Mahi Time adds nothing on top.
Yes. Australian businesses sign up directly, take payments through Stripe, see GST on every invoice and get support in Australian business hours. Billing is in NZD with the approximate AUD figure shown beside every price. See the Australia page for the detail.
Export clients, services and bookings from your current tool as CSV and upload them at Settings > Import data. There are step-by-step guides for Timely, Fresha, Kitomba, Setmore and Square Appointments, and we will do the import for you on request, free.
Ready when you are
21 days free, no card. NZ$109 (approx A$100) a month after that, AI receptionist optional.
