Calendly Alternative With UPI Payments and Instagram DM Delivery
A Calendly alternative with UPI needs to do two things most scheduling tools skip: collect an Indian payment before the slot is locked, and reach the client where they already are, which for most creators is Instagram. Viralyze handles both, with a booking link paid by UPI upfront and an Auto-DM that delivers that link when someone comments on your reel. Here is how it works end to end.
Why does UPI at booking matter?
Because unpaid bookings become no-shows. A client who pays ₹799 by UPI at the moment of booking has already committed. A client who books free and is asked to pay later often drifts. Taking payment upfront also removes the chase: no screenshots of transfers, no "did you receive it?" messages.
On Viralyze, payment is taken at booking through UPI, cards or net banking via an RBI-authorised payment aggregator, with a 0% platform fee and weekly payouts to your bank.
How is the booking link set up?
The booking link carries a service menu. You define main services and add-ons, the client picks one or more, and duration and price combine automatically. Each service can be in person, on Google Meet, by phone, or on a WhatsApp call.
A step-by-step setup for a career coach:
1. Connect Google Calendar once, choose which calendars block slots and where bookings should be created. 2. Add "Resume review, 30 minutes, ₹999" and "Mock interview, 45 minutes, ₹1,499" as main services. 3. Add "Follow-up notes by email" as an add-on. 4. Set days off (for example, every Sunday and "after 2 PM" on Fridays) and a 15-minute buffer between sessions. 5. Decide whether clients may cancel themselves and until when; refunds then go back automatically. 6. Share the link, which lives on your public shre.pro page, in your bio and in Auto-DMs.
What happens after a client books?
The client sees a confirmation page where they can add the event to their calendar, reschedule, or cancel if you allow it. They are invited to the Google Calendar event, with a Meet link for online sessions. WhatsApp reminders go out before the appointment. Sync runs two ways, so a busy event added on your phone blocks the slot on the booking page.
Each booking becomes a contact with a source tag, alongside leads from DMs and links, and the list exports to CSV anytime.
How does Instagram DM delivery work?
This is the part a general scheduling tool does not offer. In Viralyze you set a keyword, say "COACH", on a reel or across all posts. When someone comments it, they receive a DM with your booking page in about a second. A follow-gate can ask them to follow first, with up to three polite nudges.
Replies to that DM arrive in one Inbox with the original comment attached, inside Instagram's 24-hour reply window, and you can answer from the app or inside Instagram. The per-automation funnel shows comments, matched, delivered, clicked and signed up, so you know which reels produce paid bookings.
What does it cost compared with a scheduling tool plus a payment link?
Viralyze Starter is ₹199 a month or ₹1,990 a year, and includes bookings with Google Calendar, unlimited Instagram Auto-DMs, the shop at 0% fee, link in bio and analytics. There is no per-booking commission. Pro at ₹1,199 a month adds AI replies in English, Hindi and Hinglish and priority support. Both have a 7-day free trial with no card needed.
Many tools that combine scheduling and payments charge a commission on each paid booking; with Viralyze the fee is flat and the platform fee is 0%.
Frequently asked questions
**Can clients pay by card instead of UPI?** Yes. Cards and net banking are accepted alongside UPI through an RBI-authorised aggregator.
**Can I block specific dates for a holiday?** Yes. Days off support single dates, partial days such as "after 2 PM", and full date ranges.
**Can I see which reel brought a booking?** Yes. Each automation has its own funnel, and bookings carry a source tag in the contacts list.
Start your 7-day free trial of Viralyze, no card needed, and take your first UPI-paid booking from a comment this week.