What a salon booking app really costs: commission or a monthly fee

The five ways booking apps charge

• A monthly subscription, often per staff member.
• Commission on bookings from new clients who found you through the app, usually 20 to 30 percent of the first appointment.
• A charge on card payments taken through the app.
• Charges for text message reminders above an allowance.
• Paid extras to appear higher in the app's search.

Work out your own figure

1. Count your appointments for last month and your average price.
2. Count how many came from new clients through the app, and multiply their value by the commission rate.
3. Add the subscription for every staff member.
4. Add card charges and message charges from your statement.
5. Divide the total by your number of appointments. That is your cost per booking.

A worked example

A two-chair salon takes 160 appointments a month at an average of £40. Thirty are new clients through a marketplace at 20 percent commission: £240. Add a subscription and message charges and the month can pass £300. On a fixed monthly fee the same diary costs the same every month, busy or quiet.

When commission is worth paying

If you are new, have empty chairs and no following, paying for introductions can make sense. The question is what happens afterwards: does the second booking come to you, or back through the app?

Questions to ask before you sign

• Is there commission, and on which bookings?
• Is the price per salon or per staff member?
• What do card payments and reminders cost?
• Can I export my client list, and in what format?
• Is there a contract or notice period?

What BookBook costs

£35 a month for one profile, plus £12 a month for each extra staff member. There is no commission on bookings and no setup fee.

Frequently asked questions