The problem
A colour appointment blocks a chair for hours, and when the client doesn't turn up the slot is rarely refilled. If a 4-stylist salon loses 3 colour appointments a month at £90 each, that's £270 a month of empty chair time.
What the AI does
Square Appointments' pricing page lists prepayments on every plan, including Free, where you can require clients to pay in advance for specific services. Turn on prepayment for your colour services so the booking is paid for when it is made. Cancellation policy and fees, where a client's card is held on file and a fee is charged for a late cancellation or no-show, are Plus only (£29 a month per location), so add Plus only if you want those too. Write your terms in plain words: how much is taken, when it is refunded and what happens if the client cancels late. They must be visible before the client confirms the booking, and your confirmation message should repeat them. Describe only what Square shows, and book a test appointment yourself to see exactly what a client sees.
A worked example
A four-stylist hair salon in Harrogate offers colour on Tuesday to Saturday. About 3 colour clients a month cancel on the day or don't arrive, and each is a £90 appointment.
Before
3 colour no-shows a month x £90 = £270 of lost chair time
After
If prepayment halves the problem, 1 or 2 no-shows a month: 2 fewer x £90 = £180 kept
What it's worth
About £180 a month, if prepayment stops 2 of the 3 no-shows (an assumption, not a promise); 2 x £90. Prepayment is on every plan, including Free, so the base case costs £0 plus card fees (Square lists 1.4% + 25p for UK cards on online payments). Plus is £29 a month for one location and adds a cancellation policy with fees charged to a card on file. A prepayment taken is the client's money held against a service, so refund it when your terms say so.
How to set it up
- Open a Square Appointments account on the Free plan and list your colour services with realistic durations.
- Turn on prepayment for your colour services only, and check the settings for the amount and when it is refunded.
- Write your terms in plain words and put them on your booking page and in the confirmation message, where clients see them before they confirm.
- Make a test booking yourself, as a client, and read every screen and email.
- Review after a month: count no-shows, then decide whether Plus at £29 a month, with cancellation fees on a card held on file, is worth it.
What goes wrong
- Prepayment and cancellation fee terms must be clear before the client books. If the terms aren't visible at booking, you may not be able to keep the money.
- Square charges card processing fees on payments, including online prepayments, so a small part of each prepayment goes in fees.
- Cancellation policy and fees are a Plus feature, £29 a month per location; a second salon needs a second location.
- Treat clients fairly: a genuine emergency or an illness may deserve a refund, and refusing every refund invites complaints.