Is there truly no way to add a duration to a modifier? If a service like a massage has a list of 5 potential add-ons, that very from 0 - 45 minutes, is my only option to create variations of that massage (which is a variation on duration already, say 60 or 90 minutes), then each potential combination of each variation, so thousands of variations?
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You are correct that Square’s Catalog API does not support adding a duration directly to a modifier. Modifiers are primarily used for customization options that affect the price or characteristics of an item, such as adding extra toppings to a pizza or selecting a type of milk for a coffee. They do not inherently support attributes like duration.
In your scenario, where you have a service like a massage with potential add-ons that vary in duration, you would need to manage this complexity through item variations rather than modifiers. Each combination of base service duration and add-on duration would need to be represented as a separate item variation. This approach can indeed lead to a large number of variations if there are many combinations.
While this might seem cumbersome, it ensures that each service offering is clearly defined in terms of both price and duration, which is important for scheduling and billing purposes. Unfortunately, there isn’t a more streamlined way to handle this within the current capabilities of the Square Catalog API.
This answer was reviewed by @Bryan-Square.