Platform guide
What is AroundU, and who is it for?
By AroundU team · Reviewed
AroundU is a booking and customer platform for experience businesses in India. Organizers can sell workshops, classes, events and memberships through AroundU links or a branded website, collect payments, check in guests and manage customer relationships. WhatsApp CRM and Polar AI are available on eligible paid plans.
Who should consider AroundU?
AroundU suits organizers who run experiences repeatedly and want bookings and customer history connected: workshop studios, community hosts, run clubs, social experience brands and class operators. Start with booking links, then add a domain and customer tools as the business needs them.
For a one-off free gathering, begin with the free Links plan. An organizer looking for an owned booking website should evaluate Direct Plus. Businesses needing customer segments and WhatsApp campaigns should evaluate Pro; AI Employee adds audience preparation and authorized automation.
What does the booking journey include?
An organizer publishes an experience with dates and ticket options. Guests open the booking page, choose an available option and complete registration or payment. The organizer can manage guest records and QR check-in. Customer tools connect these transactions with later communication where the plan supports it.
A custom domain requires domain setup. Payments require gateway onboarding. WhatsApp features require a connected provider and channel configuration. Subscription, payment processing and communication usage are separate cost categories.
How does the marketplace fit?
AroundU includes public discovery through city and organizer pages. AroundU Direct gives a business its own branded destination for traffic from Instagram, WhatsApp, partners and returning customers. Marketplace discovery and a direct website can operate together.
AroundU is operated by NEXTGEN TECH in Bengaluru. It is independent of Shopify, Meta and WhatsApp. The website's Meta Tech Provider designation describes its integration relationship; it is not a guarantee of campaign approval or delivery.
Current AroundU plans
Monthly subscriptions below. Paid subscriptions are exclusive of GST. Each plan has its own booking and usage terms.
- AroundU Links — ₹0 monthly subscription
- Create and share AroundU booking links without a subscription or setup fee. Only paid bookings have a 5% AroundU fee, including GST. Free registrations have no AroundU fee. Payment-gateway charges apply to paid bookings where applicable.
- AroundU Direct Plus — ₹999/month + GST
- Give customers a branded destination they can remember, revisit and book from directly. 2% AroundU fee, including GST, on successful payments. 1.99% + GST payment-gateway charge applies.
- AroundU Direct Pro — ₹2,499/month + GST
- Your website, rich customer profiles and manual marketing tools. Ask 20 questions each month; you fill the details, choose the audience and run the work. 0.5% AroundU commission + GST on successful payments. Total booking fee: 2.5% + GST (2.95% including GST), including payment processing. Campaign credits and WhatsApp provider usage are separate.
- Polar AI Employee — ₹4,499/month + GST
- Give Polar a goal: fill an event or follow up with customers. It prepares audiences, templates and details, then acts within your approved limits. 0% AroundU commission on successful payments. Total booking fee: 2% + GST (2.36% including GST), including payment processing. 500 extra assistant turns: ₹1,500 + GST, valid until the billing-month reset. Custom brand voice is a premium add-on. WhatsApp conversations, SMS, calling minutes and Meta ad spend are billed separately. Connected channels require provider setup, consent and approval where applicable.
Common questions
Does AroundU work only for large events?
No. It supports smaller workshops, classes and community experiences as well as events. Check the actual booking and reporting workflow against your operation in a demo.
Can I start without a custom domain?
Yes. AroundU Links lets you create and share booking pages without a monthly subscription. Paid bookings carry fees; a branded custom-domain website is a paid-plan feature.