Barber booking and payments: walk-ins and regulars, paid at the chair
A barber booking app with Tap to Pay on iPhone at the chair, walk-ins and regulars in one diary, and a deposit on the services you choose.
No monthly fee for up to three people. 3% when you get paid. No commission on your clients, ever.
A diary with your services in it
| Service | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Skin fade | 30 min | £22 |
| Beard trim | 15 min | £12 |
| Cut and beard | 45 min | £30 |
Paid at the chair, whether they booked or not
The cut ends, the client stands up, and the next one is already in the queue. Taking payment shouldn’t be a second job.
Open Hopaby on your iPhone, enter the price and the client taps their card or phone on the back of it. That is the whole sale, for the booked skin fade at £22 and the walk-in who wants a beard trim at £12.
It all lands in one diary, so your regulars, your walk-ins and your takings for the week are in the same place. And on the longer services where you take a deposit, the client gets a pay link when they book, so the slot isn’t empty if they don’t show.
And the rest, in the order that matters to you
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Your own booking page
A page with your name and your services that clients book on at any hour. No marketplace, and no commission on your clients.
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A deposit that confirms the booking
The appointment confirms the moment the deposit is paid. You choose the amount, per service if you like.
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Pay links by text
Send a link that takes a deposit, or saves a card, in one tap. Texts cost 5p a part on pay as you go and 4p on Pro.
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A diary that matches how you work
Services with their own durations and prices, time off, and a day view that stays readable on a phone.
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Reminders by text
A reminder goes out before each appointment, so fewer people forget. Texts cost 5p a part on pay as you go and 4p on Pro.
What it costs at your size
Say your average booking is £24 and you take £4,000 a month by card, about 167 payments.
Pay as you go
£120.00
No monthly fee. 3% of each card payment.
Pro
£132.33
£29 a month, then 1.75% + 20p on each card payment.
Pro costs less from about £7,000 a month in card payments at this average. Below that, pay as you go costs less.
No VAT is charged.
Your cancellation policy
Barbers usually keep the rules light: regulars book and pay as they always have, walk-ins take the gaps, and a deposit goes on the services you choose, often £5 or £10 against a longer booking and nothing on a regular trim. A common policy is that a deposit is kept if the client cancels inside 24 hours or doesn't turn up, and counts toward the cut if they arrive. Fades are short, so one missed booking costs you a slot you could have sold twice.
Questions and answers
Can I take walk-ins as well as bookings?
Yes. Leave gaps in the day for the queue, or add a walk-in to the diary in a couple of taps when someone sits down. Tap to Pay then takes the payment at the chair, booked or not.
Do I need a card reader?
No. Tap to Pay on iPhone takes contactless cards and phone wallets on a compatible iPhone, with nothing to buy or charge. The fee is 3% of each card payment on pay as you go, or 1.75% + 20p on Pro.
Can I take a deposit on some services and not others?
Yes. Deposits are set per service, so a quick regular trim can need none while a longer booking, such as a cut and beard, asks for one by pay link. That keeps booking quick for the people who turn up every month.
I rent my chair. Can I have my own diary and takings?
Each chair renter can have their own diary as a team member. Three team members are included on pay as you go, then it is £5 a month for each extra person. Pro has unlimited team members. A renter working as a team member is paid into the shop's account. A renter who wants their own takings sets up their own Hopaby business: it is free to join, and it is 3% when they get paid.
What do I do about regulars who don't show?
Take it case by case. A text reminder before the booking can catch many of them. For a regular who keeps missing, you can ask for a deposit or a saved card when you book them in.
Get Hopaby
No monthly fee for up to three people. 3% when you get paid. No commission on your clients, ever.