Nail tech booking with a deposit on every set
A nail tech booking app where a deposit confirms every gel set and infill. Pay links by text and your own booking page, from a home studio or a unit.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gel full set | 75 min | £45 |
| Infills | 60 min | £35 |
| Removal | 20 min | £10 |
The deposit is what makes it a booking
A gel full set takes an hour and a quarter. If the client doesn’t turn up, that’s an hour and a quarter you spent with the lamp off and the table made up.
Hopaby asks for the deposit when the client books. They pick a time on your own booking page, get a pay link by text, and pay. Until they do, the appointment isn’t confirmed, and when they do it confirms by itself. You don’t chase anyone.
It works the same for infills, a removal or a lash infill at £40, in your studio or the spare room. You choose the amount for each service, and the client sees your policy before they pay.
And the rest, in the order that matters to you
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Tap to Pay on your iPhone
Take a card or phone payment in person on a compatible iPhone. No reader, no extra hardware.
What it costs at your size
Say your average booking is £38 and you take £2,500 a month by card, about 66 payments.
Pay as you go
£75.00
No monthly fee. 3% of each card payment.
Pro
£85.91
£29 a month, then 1.75% + 20p on each card payment.
Pro costs less from about £4,000 a month in card payments at this average. Below that, pay as you go costs less.
No VAT is charged.
Your cancellation policy
Many nail techs take a deposit on every booking, commonly a fixed £10 to £15, and ask for 24 to 48 hours' notice to move one. Infills usually have a window: a fortnight or three weeks, and past that the appointment is booked as a full set. Lash and brow work often needs a patch test before the first tint, so say that in your policy and keep the record wherever you keep it today.
- Write yours with our salon cancellation policy template, read how to write a salon deposit and cancellation policy and see whether a salon can keep a deposit.
Questions and answers
Should every booking need a deposit?
Many nail techs say yes, because a missed set is an hour and a quarter nobody pays for. A flat £10 to £15 is common. A short removal at £10 might be the one service you leave without.
How do I handle infill windows?
Set your window in your policy, for example infills within three weeks and a full set after that. Clients book the service that matches, and your diary has the right time blocked for it.
Can I work from a home studio and take payments?
Yes. You need an iPhone or Android phone and a bank account. Clients pay the deposit by link before they arrive, and you can take the balance with Tap to Pay on iPhone if you'd rather not handle cash.
What about lashes and brows?
They work the same way: set the time and price for each service, ask for a deposit, and say in your policy when you need a patch test. Hopaby handles the booking and the payment; keep patch test records wherever you keep them now.
What if a client cancels late?
Your policy decides, and the client sees it when they book. A common rule is that the deposit is kept if they cancel inside 24 hours and, with more notice, returned or, if you both prefer, kept for the new date.
Get Hopaby
No monthly fee for up to three people. 3% when you get paid. No commission on your clients, ever.