What salon software charges to take a card
| Software | Tap, dip or swipe | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| GlossGenius Standard | 2.4% + $0.15 [1] | $28, or $24 billed annually [1] |
| GlossGenius Gold (up to 9 staff) | 2.4% + $0.15 [1] | $56, or $48 billed annually [1] |
| GlossGenius Platinum (10+ staff) | 2.4% + $0.15 [1] | $168, or $148 billed annually [1] |
| Square Free | 2.6% + 15¢ [2] | $0 [2] |
| Square Plus | 2.5% + 15¢ [2] | $49 per location [2] |
| Clover personal services Basic | 2.6% + 10¢ [3] | $16 for 36 months, or $349 once [3] |
| Clover personal services Standard | 2.3% + 10¢ [3] | $130 for 36 months, or $849 + $84.95 [3] |
Card-on-file charges such as no-show fees cost more (3.5% + 15¢ at Square) [2], and fees apply to tips added on the card. GlossGenius charges the same 2.4% + $0.15 on every plan, so its plans differ by features, not by rate [1]. Square lowers the rate as the plan price rises [2]. Clover's lower rate comes with a 36-month hardware subscription or an upfront purchase [3].
Online and invoiced payments cost more everywhere: GlossGenius lists 2.9% + $0.30 for online invoicing [1], and Square Free lists 3.3% + 30¢ online [2].
Tips on the card: you pay the fee on the gratuity too
A card fee is a percent of the amount charged, so a tip added on the card raises the fee. That is true at every processor. Here is what it looks like at salon prices.
An $80 color service with a $16 tip, at GlossGenius
Without the tip: 2.4% x $80 + $0.15 = $2.07 [1].
With the tip on the card, $96 is charged: 2.4% x $96 + $0.15 = $2.45 [1].
Across 200 tipped services a month, the tips alone add about $77 a month in card fees.
Whether you may pass any of that cost on to staff is an employment law question. Ask your accountant or an employment lawyer before you change how tips are paid out.
No-show fees and deposits: card-on-file charges cost more
Charging a no-show fee usually means charging a saved card when the client is not there. Processors price that like a typed-in card. Square, for example, charges 3.5% + 15¢ for a manually entered or saved card on file [2], against 2.5% + 15¢ when the card is tapped on Square Plus [2].
- A $40 no-show fee charged to a card on file at Square costs $1.55 [2].
- Square lists cancellation policies and no-show fees among its Appointments plan features: you can require a card at booking and charge it for late cancellations or no-shows [4]. Check which plan includes it before you count on it.
- Deposits taken online at booking are online payments, priced at the online rate.
No-show fees still pay for themselves: the fee is a few percent of a charge you would otherwise lose. Just know the rate so the math is not a surprise.
A month of card fees at $15,000 in services
Take a salon with $15,000 a month in card payments at a $75 average ticket, so 200 payments a month, all in person. Here is processing plus the monthly fee each company lists.
| Setup | Processing | Monthly fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| GlossGenius Standard [1] | $390 | $28 | $418 |
| Square Free [2] | $420 | $0 | $420 |
| Clover personal services Basic [3] | $410 | $16 | $426 |
| GlossGenius Gold [1] | $390 | $56 | $446 |
| Clover personal services Standard, hardware bought [3] | $365 | $84.95 | $449.95 |
| Square Plus [2] | $405 | $49 | $454 |
| Clover personal services Standard, subscription [3] | $365 | $130 | $495 |
The spread from cheapest to most expensive is under $80 a month here. Over 36 months, Clover's personal services Standard bundle costs $4,680 on subscription and $3,907.20 bought outright [3]. Choose the software your team will use well, then make sure the rate and the monthly fee match what you were told.
New Jersey salons: how many, and the surcharge rule
New Jersey had 3,726 beauty salons, 2,126 nail salons and 558 barbershops with paid employees in 2023 [5]. Owner-only shops and booth renters without employees are not counted, so the real number of chairs taking cards is higher.
If you add a credit card fee, New Jersey caps it at your actual cost to process the payment and requires a sign at the entrance and at the point of sale [6]. Debit cards cannot be surcharged under Visa's rules [7]. More at merchant services in NJ. This is general information, not legal advice, as of Oct 20, 2026.
BatchOut is our own processing service and works with salons and barbershops. If we show it to you, it is labeled as ours, next to other options.