Switching from Waitlist Me to NextUp Walk-in: what to move and in what order

Compare the real numbers first

On Waitlist Me’s pricing page (checked October 2026), Premium is $34.99 a month as a separate subscription for each location and includes 1,000 texts a month, then $0.02 each. It also has a free plan without text notifications. Its pricing and feature pages list no way to take customer payments online.

NextUp Walk-in’s Walk-in plan is $29 a month for the first location and $19 for each extra, with 3 team members included per location, then $10 a month each. Texts are coming soon; when they launch, NextUp Walk-in will pay for your first 500 a month, plus 250 for each extra location, then $0.03 a text. If you send more than that every month, Waitlist Me’s lower per-text price is a real reason to stay. The side-by-side with sources is on the Waitlist Me comparison page.

Bring your clients and services

Waitlist Me’s help pages are the place to check what it lets you export; they change, so look there first. Whatever you get, a spreadsheet works: NextUp Walk-in takes Excel, CSV, TSV and contact files, matches the columns for you, shows every row before saving and can undo an import. See moving your client list to a new app for the steps.

If you cannot export anything, you lose less than you think. A customer is added the first time they check in, and a client can be added by hand from the Clients page. Services come across as a spreadsheet of name, length and price (up to 1,000 rows), or you type the short menu once.

Set up the door and the wall

Add your services and team, print the QR code from the Get Found page and put it at the door. Pair the TV with the six-character code it shows, and set a tablet by the door in kiosk mode for customers without a phone. All three are on every plan. The staff screen is where your team calls the next person and finishes the visit.

Imported numbers are never texted: a client opts in to texts at check-in. On Pro, a separate one-time step on the Email Marketing page can email your imported list once: only clients seen in the last 12 months, signed for by you, each welcomed first with an unsubscribe link.

Run both for a day or two

Keep the old link live while the new QR code goes up, then retire it once the new line is the one people use. Businesses moving from another app get their first month free with the code SWITCH on monthly billing, and the trial is 14 days with every Pro feature. Bookings, deposits and the appointment calendar are on the Pro plan; the walk-in line, TV, kiosk and checkout are on every plan.