BenchKey

Kill the "any update?" phone call

Every ticket gets a private link where the customer watches the repair move, a step-by-step timeline from received to ready, with estimates to approve and invoices to pay on the same page.

app.benchkey.com REAL APP · RECORDED

Recorded from a real portal link: the customer watches the timeline, checks the paid invoice, and sends the shop a message. No app, no login.

A timeline customers actually understand

The portal shows the repair as steps, received, diagnosed, approved, in repair, ready, and lights them up as the ticket moves. You design the steps once, per ticket type: walk-ins can have a short timeline, mail-ins a longer one with shipping stages.

You decide what they see

Every note, photo, and attachment has a visibility toggle. Share the diagnosis photos, keep the bench notes private. When you share something, the portal updates live, no reload, no resend.

Approvals and payment, same link

Estimates land in the portal for one-tap approval, and invoices can be paid right there. The customer never needs an account, an app, or a password, just the link you texted them at drop-off.

FAQ

Live customer portal questions

Do customers need to create an account?

No. Each ticket gets a secure private link. Customers open it from the email or text you send, nothing to install, nothing to remember.

Can I control what customers see?

Yes, per item. Notes, photos, and attachments are private by default and only appear in the portal when you mark them visible.

Does the portal work for mail-in repairs?

Yes. At our own mail-in lab the portal is the most-visited page we have, remote customers watch the package arrive, the diagnosis land, and the return shipment go out.

Which plan includes the portal?

Every plan includes the status tracker, the live timeline where customers approve estimates and pay invoices. Pro and up add the full portal: two-way messaging and customer file uploads on every ticket.

Works with

Put your shop on BenchKey

Set up in an afternoon. Import your customers and tickets, build your check-in flow, and send your first live status link the same day.

Free 14-day trial · No credit card · Import from your old system

Founders pricing: the first 50 shops lock Pro at $59/mo for life · see pricing