Blog

If you run a salon, spa, tattoo studio, barbershop, or any other in-person service business, taking payments is something you do dozens of times a week. It should be the easiest part of your day.

The question is not whether to accept card payments. At this point, that is a given. The question is which payment processor to use, because the choice affects what you pay in fees, what hardware you need at your front desk, how deposits work when clients book online, and what happens when someone cancels.

The three names that come up most often are Square, Stripe, and PayPal. This guide breaks down exactly how each one works for businesses like yours, what it costs, and which one makes the most sense depending on how you operate.

Why Deposits Matter for In-Person Service Businesses