[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":234},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Fcommission-free-salon-booking-system":3,"blog-more-\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Fcommission-free-salon-booking-system":224},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":7,"date":212,"description":213,"draft":214,"extension":215,"faq":216,"meta":217,"navigation":219,"path":220,"seo":221,"stem":222,"updated":216,"__hash__":223},"blog_en\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Fcommission-free-salon-booking-system.md","Commission-free salon booking: what ‘no commission’ really means","Tervita",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":202},"minimark",[10,14,22,25,30,33,73,76,85,89,92,102,105,109,112,115,127,131,134,161,164,167,171,174,182,186,189,192,199],[11,12,5],"h1",{"id":13},"commission-free-salon-booking-what-no-commission-really-means",[15,16,17,21],"p",{},[18,19,20],"strong",{},"Short answer:"," A commission-free booking system does not take a percentage of appointment value merely because a client booked through your own page or widget. It can still charge a subscription, payment-processing fees, SMS costs or optional add-ons. Compare direct bookings separately from new clients acquired by a marketplace; those are different services with different economics.",[15,23,24],{},"“Free” and “no commission” answer different questions. A free calendar may charge for messages or advanced features. A paid system may take no share of direct booking revenue. A marketplace may charge only when it introduces a genuinely new client. Put every line into the same monthly scenario before deciding.",[26,27,29],"h2",{"id":28},"which-booking-costs-should-a-salon-separate","Which booking costs should a salon separate?",[15,31,32],{},"Build the model line by line:",[34,35,36,43,49,55,61,67],"ol",{},[37,38,39,42],"li",{},[18,40,41],{},"Software subscription:"," fixed fee, per specialist, per location or tier.",[37,44,45,48],{},[18,46,47],{},"Marketplace acquisition:"," percentage or minimum fee for a new client attributed to the marketplace.",[37,50,51,54],{},[18,52,53],{},"Payment processing:"," percentage and fixed amount for card or bank payment.",[37,56,57,60],{},[18,58,59],{},"Messages:"," included allowance and unit or segment price for SMS\u002FWhatsApp.",[37,62,63,66],{},[18,64,65],{},"Add-ons:"," reports, marketing, forms, API, extra locations or permissions.",[37,68,69,72],{},[18,70,71],{},"Operational cost:"," staff time spent correcting, exporting or working across tools.",[15,74,75],{},"Do not label card processing as booking commission. The payment provider is moving money. Do not label a subscription as commission either. Conversely, a zero monthly price does not erase an acquisition fee.",[15,77,78,79,84],{},"The ",[80,81,83],"a",{"href":82},"\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Ffree-booking-system-for-salons\u002F","real-cost guide to free booking software"," includes an interactive comparison for percentage-based acquisition and a fixed monthly amount. Use marketplace-delivered new clients in that field, not all clients.",[26,86,88],{"id":87},"when-can-a-marketplace-commission-be-reasonable","When can a marketplace commission be reasonable?",[15,90,91],{},"When the marketplace introduces demand the salon would not otherwise reach, its fee is a customer-acquisition cost. Compare the charge with the expected contribution from the first visit and realistic repeat behaviour. Do not assume every marketplace client returns, and do not assume every direct-booking client was “free” to acquire—your website, brand and advertising also cost money.",[15,93,94,95,101],{},"Current vendor terms need a date. On 20 August 2026, ",[80,96,100],{"href":97,"rel":98},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fresha.com\u002Fpricing",[99],"nofollow","Fresha's official pricing"," describes a one-time marketplace fee for a brand-new client attributed to its marketplace, while direct and repeat bookings follow different treatment. Timma's own help similarly explains a new-client marketplace commission. Verify the local contract before publishing your own comparison or budget.",[15,103,104],{},"A marketplace may be objectively stronger when discovery is the main problem. Direct software is stronger when clients already arrive through your site, Google profile, social media or referrals and you want a branded journey. Many businesses use both and measure the source.",[26,106,108],{"id":107},"what-does-commission-free-mean-in-tervita","What does commission-free mean in Tervita?",[15,110,111],{},"Tervita charges a published subscription per bookable specialist, capped at the plan maximum, and does not run a consumer marketplace that takes a share of direct appointment value. The booking page and website widget are direct channels. Online prepayment still uses an external payment provider whose processing terms apply; SMS can also carry provider cost.",[15,113,114],{},"This is not a promise of zero operating cost or customer acquisition. It is a narrower promise: Tervita does not charge a marketplace acquisition percentage on appointments made through your direct Tervita booking page or embedded widget. Review current product pricing before purchase.",[15,116,78,117,121,122,126],{},[80,118,120],{"href":119},"\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Fadd-online-booking-to-salon-website\u002F","website booking-widget guide"," shows how to keep the client on a branded path, while the ",[80,123,125],{"href":124},"\u002Fhelp\u002Fen\u002Fonline-booking\u002Fonline-prepayment\u002F","online-prepayment help"," explains the separate payment-provider setup.",[26,128,130],{"id":129},"how-should-you-compare-two-offers","How should you compare two offers?",[15,132,133],{},"Use the same month and the same tax basis. Enter:",[135,136,137,140,143,146,149,152,155,158],"ul",{},[37,138,139],{},"bookable team members and locations;",[37,141,142],{},"total direct appointments;",[37,144,145],{},"genuinely marketplace-acquired first-time clients;",[37,147,148],{},"average first-visit value;",[37,150,151],{},"card volume and transaction count;",[37,153,154],{},"reminder volume and SMS segments;",[37,156,157],{},"paid add-ons required by your workflow;",[37,159,160],{},"staff hours needed for manual work.",[15,162,163],{},"Then create three demand scenarios: low, ordinary and high marketplace acquisition. A fixed subscription stays predictable while a percentage grows with the first-visit value; the marketplace may also be creating that demand. The result is a trade-off, not an automatic “saving”.",[15,165,166],{},"Check definitions in the contract. How is “new client” attributed? Is there a minimum amount? How long does attribution last? Are cancellations and refunds adjusted? Does VAT apply to the listed price? Can you export clients, appointments and payments in usable formats?",[26,168,170],{"id":169},"what-else-matters-besides-cost","What else matters besides cost?",[15,172,173],{},"Test the mobile booking flow, service and staff selection, language, rescheduling, cancellation, reminders, roles, data export and support. A cheap system that creates manual corrections can cost more than its invoice suggests. A marketplace that fills otherwise empty time may justify a fee.",[15,175,176,177,181],{},"Protect the direct channel by using one link consistently on your website, Google profile and social profiles. Train staff to create phone and walk-in bookings in the same calendar so availability remains trustworthy. The ",[80,178,180],{"href":179},"\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Fchoose-salon-scheduling-software\u002F","guide to choosing salon software"," provides a wider evaluation checklist.",[26,183,185],{"id":184},"what-is-the-decision-rule","What is the decision rule?",[15,187,188],{},"Choose direct commission-free booking when you already generate demand and value predictable software cost, branding and data control. Choose or add a marketplace when incremental discovery is worth its measured acquisition cost. Revisit the split quarterly because client sources and vendor terms change.",[15,190,191],{},"Do not advertise “no fees” when payment, SMS or subscription costs remain. Say precisely “no booking commission on direct appointments” and list the other cost categories. That language is both more credible and more useful.",[15,193,194,198],{},[80,195,197],{"href":196},"\u002Fsign-up","Try Tervita for 14 days"," without a card, build your real services and test the direct mobile path. Compare the resulting fixed cost with a dated marketplace scenario before moving client data or changing public links.",[15,200,201],{},"Save the comparison date and source beside each number. A cost model without its vendor version becomes misleading as soon as one plan or attribution rule changes.",{"title":203,"searchDepth":204,"depth":204,"links":205},"",2,[206,207,208,209,210,211],{"id":28,"depth":204,"text":29},{"id":87,"depth":204,"text":88},{"id":107,"depth":204,"text":108},{"id":129,"depth":204,"text":130},{"id":169,"depth":204,"text":170},{"id":184,"depth":204,"text":185},"2026-08-20","Compare direct booking, marketplace acquisition fees, payment processing, subscriptions and message costs before choosing commission-free salon software.",false,"md",null,{"key":218},"commission-free-salon-booking",true,"\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Fcommission-free-salon-booking-system",{"title":5,"description":213},"blog\u002Fen\u002Fcommission-free-salon-booking-system","MeNQuBWuFjYyEYOz466ApWadTtNyR-zDisZrh01aL4U",[225,228,231],{"path":226,"title":227,"date":212},"\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Fbest-tervita-alternatives-salon-software","10 Best Tervita Alternatives: Salon Software Compared for 2026",{"path":229,"title":230,"date":212},"\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Festonia-beauty-services-regulation-41","Estonia's beauty-services Regulation 41: an owner's checklist",{"path":232,"title":233,"date":212},"\u002Fblog\u002Fen\u002Fhow-to-price-salon-services","How to price salon services: cost, capacity and margin",1787469592323]