Comparison · Deposits & no-show fees
Salon deposit settings compared: 5 booking apps
What Fresha, Vagaro, Square Appointments, GlossGenius and Booksy let you do about no-shows, from each vendor’s own help pages. Pick your app for the step-by-step guide.
| App | Partial deposit | Card on file + fee | Charges no-shows automatically? | Target who pays | You need | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresha | Yes, % or fixed | Yes (“Capture card details”) | Not in the docs we read: you mark the no-show and confirm the fee | All bookings by default | Fresha Payments | source 1 source 2 |
| Vagaro | Yes, % or fixed | Yes (“Capture Credit Card”) | Yes, on late cancel in the app or when you mark a no-show | New, existing, mobile-service or past no-show clients; minimum booking value | Vagaro Merchant Services + Online Shopping Cart | source 1 source 2 |
| Square Appointments | No: full prepayment (fixed-price services) | Yes (“Hold card in case of no-show”) | Not in the docs we read: fee can be charged up to 14 days later | Not in the docs we read (fee can be flat per appointment, per service or a %) | Plus or Premium plan | source 1 |
| GlossGenius | Yes, per service | Yes (“Require Card”) | Not in the docs we read: charge from the appointment | Per service; all clients or new clients | GlossGenius payment processing | source 1 source 2 |
| Booksy | Yes, % or fixed, per service (min. $5) | Yes (“Cancellation Fees”) | Yes, optional: end of each business day | Per service (rules) | Mobile Payments | source 1 source 2 |
How to choose, with the evidence we have
- Reminders first. Automatic reminders have the strongest evidence (E1: Cochrane review CD007458, 2013 (peer-reviewed · healthcare (transferable)); E2: Robotham et al., BMJ Open, 2016 (peer-reviewed · healthcare (transferable)); E3: Steiner et al., AJMC, 2018 (RCT, n=54,066) (peer-reviewed RCT · healthcare (transferable))). Strong · 3+ sources Two reminders, about 3 days and 1 day before, beat one (E3: Steiner et al., AJMC, 2018 (RCT, n=54,066) (peer-reviewed RCT · healthcare (transferable)); healthcare trial, transferable). Guides: Fresha, Vagaro, Square, Booksy.
- Then a payment commitment. Salon software companies report fewer no-shows after deposits or card-on-file fees (E10: Phorest, 2021 (vendor data, no published method); E11: Kitomba, 2024 (vendor data, no published method); E13: Square, 2024 (vendor data, no published method)). Strong · 3+ sources Direction only: no controlled study measures by how much.
- Deposit or fee? Vagaro’s help center says deposits are harder to dispute than fees charged afterwards (Vagaro: chargebacks, vendor guidance). Early estimate · limited data
- Target the risky bookings. If your app can, ask new clients and past no-shows for a deposit, not every regular. That is rule R6 in our Policy Score; no study tests it in salons.
Wording to paste
Use the no-show policy template or the deposit policy example, then tell regulars with the announcement scripts.
Templates, not legal advice. Fee levels are examples; pick your own and check local consumer and card-network rules. Platform steps were checked against each vendor’s help pages on 2026-10-16 (Booksy on 2026-10-18), not run in a live account; menus change.
Questions owners ask
Which booking app is best for salon deposits?
It depends on what you need. Partial deposits: Fresha, Vagaro, GlossGenius and Booksy (Square only offers full prepayment in the docs we read). Automatic no-show charging: Vagaro and Booksy say they can do it. Deposits only for risky clients: Vagaro (past no-shows, new clients) and GlossGenius (new clients). Sources are linked in the table.
Do deposits actually reduce no-shows?
Salon software companies each report fewer no-shows after deposits or card-on-file fees (E10: Phorest, 2021 (vendor data, no published method); E11: Kitomba, 2024 (vendor data, no published method); E13: Square, 2024 (vendor data, no published method)). Strong · 3+ sources Direction only: none of those reports is a controlled study and the size of the effect varies, so we don’t quote a percentage. Reminders have stronger evidence: set those up first.
Will clients accept a no-show fee or deposit?
Early evidence only: one 2024 online poll of 1,001 adults in Canada (Research Co.) found 53% think a no-show fee at a barber or hair salon is justified, and 4% had paid one. It is one poll, in Canada, about attitudes. It is not a no-show rate and doesn’t show that fees cut no-shows. Early estimate · limited data
How big should the deposit be? 24 or 48 hours’ notice?
No study compares deposit sizes or notice windows, so there’s no evidence that a bigger deposit or a longer window works better. Pick what your clients will accept and apply it consistently. Example The [X%] and [24] hours in our template are placeholders, not recommendations.
Free download
The Salon No-Show Kit
Copy-paste no-show & deposit policy, deposit/card-on-file setup steps for Fresha, Vagaro, Square and GlossGenius (from their help docs), client announcement scripts, a reminder sequence, and missed-call text-back as a bonus. Free PDF.
The salon no-show letter
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