Most salon owners know the feeling. The chair is blocked for a two-hour colour, the client doesn't show, and the slot is too late to fill. A few of those a week and it adds up to more than most of the bills on your desk.
The fix that works for most salons, barbers, nail and lash studios is a mix of four things: a written cancellation policy the client sees before they book, a deposit or card on file for the appointments that hurt most when they're missed, reminder texts, and a direct booking link so you aren't paying a marketplace commission on clients who were already yours.
Below is what each one involves in Ontario, what the rules say, and what the main booking apps charge as of November 2026.
Work out what no-shows cost you first
The booking apps all publish no-show statistics, and they're all selling something. Your own book is more useful. Go back through the last three months and count the no-shows and the cancellations made too late to rebook. Note the service and the price for each.
Most salons find the losses aren't spread evenly. A missed 15-minute fringe trim costs you almost nothing. A missed balayage, a full set of extensions or a new-client lash appointment can cost you a morning. That tells you where a deposit is worth the friction and where it isn't.
It also helps to look at who missed. If it's mostly first-time clients from a marketplace app, that's a different problem from regulars forgetting.
Reminders: the cheapest fix
The best independent evidence on reminder texts comes from healthcare, not salons, but the behaviour is the same: people forget. A Cochrane review of the research found that attendance went from 67.8 percent with no reminder to 78.6 percent with a text reminder, and that texts cost much less per attended appointment than phone calls. The review is here.
Salon software companies publish bigger numbers for reminders and deposits, but they don't say how they measured them, so treat those as marketing. Every booking app on the market can send reminders, and if yours isn't, switch it on today. A text two days before gives the client time to cancel and you time to fill the slot. A second one on the morning of the appointment catches the rest.
The rules on reminder texts
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation covers texts. A message that only confirms or completes a transaction the person already agreed to, such as a reminder about an appointment they booked, doesn't need their consent. That exemption is in section 6 of the Act.
The catch is that it has to be only a reminder. "See you Thursday at 2, and get 20 percent off your next colour" is now a promotional message, and those need consent. Keep the two separate, and make sure every message says who it's from.
Deposits, card on file or full prepayment
| Option | How it works | Good for | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card on file | Card saved at booking, charged only if they miss | Regulars, mid-length services | Charging later can bring disputes if consent is unclear |
| Deposit | A set amount paid at booking, taken off the bill | Long or expensive services, new clients | Some clients won't book, and refunds take admin |
| Full prepayment | Whole service paid at booking | Classes, packages, fixed-price services | Awkward when the final price depends on the work |
Many salons use more than one. A common setup is no deposit for regulars on short services, a card on file for everything else, and a deposit for new clients booking long colour, extension or lash appointments. Most booking apps let you set this per service.
What the law says in Ontario
This is general information, not legal advice. If you're writing a strict policy, or you're already in a dispute, speak to a lawyer.
Ontario has no rule written specifically for salon deposits or no-show fees. The general consumer protection rules apply, and the law in force right now is the Consumer Protection Act, 2002. Ontario passed a replacement, the Consumer Protection Act, 2023, but as of this writing it hasn't come into force and the government is still working on its regulations. Ontario's guide for businesses confirms the 2002 Act still applies until then. Check before you rely on that, as it will change.
A few points from Ontario's guidance matter here.
Agreements over $50 have to be in writing. That includes agreements made online. A colour service with a deposit easily passes $50, so your booking confirmation should set out the service, the price, the deposit and the cancellation terms. Ontario's guidance on agreements is here.
Uncertainty counts against you. Ontario's guide says any uncertainty in a consumer agreement is interpreted in the consumer's favour. "Deposits may be non-refundable" is the kind of wording that loses an argument. "Cancel at least 48 hours before your appointment for a full refund of your deposit. Within 48 hours, the $40 deposit is kept" is the kind that doesn't.
Show it before they pay. For bookings made online, the client should see your cancellation and refund policy before they agree and pay, and get a copy afterwards. Put the policy on the booking page itself, and in the confirmation email or text, not only on a separate page.
Keep it reasonable. A fee the client agreed to, roughly in line with what you lose when they don't turn up, is easier to defend than a large penalty. Keeping a $40 deposit on a $200 colour is easy to explain. Charging the full price of a two-hour service for a cancellation made two days in advance is harder.
Charging a card on file without losing the chargeback
If you save a card and charge it later, the client can dispute the charge with their bank. When that happens, the evidence you need is a record showing they saw and accepted the fee before they booked.
Stripe, which sits behind many booking apps, sets this out plainly. To charge a saved card when the customer isn't there, your terms have to include their agreement to you charging it for specified situations, when that could happen, and how the amount is worked out, and you have to keep a record of their agreement. Stripe's documentation is here. Visa's chargeback guide for merchants says much the same about disclosing cancellation policies when the transaction is made.
In practice, use the no-show feature built into your booking app rather than saving card numbers and charging them through a separate terminal. The app records the consent for you. Charge the fee soon after the missed appointment, and send the client a short note saying what was charged and why. A client who is surprised by a charge is the one who disputes it.
What the booking apps charge
Prices change, and these are taken from each company's own pricing page in November 2026. Prices exclude tax.
| App | Monthly cost | Marketplace commission | Online card rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Appointments | Free, Plus $35 or Premium $85 per location | None | 2.8% + 30¢ |
| Fresha | CA$29.95 solo, or CA$19.95 per team member | 20% of a new marketplace client's first visit, min CA$6 | 2.79% + CA$0.20 |
| Booksy (US pricing shown) | US$29.99, plus US$20 per extra team member | Boost: 30% of the first visit, capped at $100 | 2.69% + 30¢ (US) |
A few things in the small print matter for a salon.
Square charges per location, not per stylist, which suits a busy shop with several chairs. Its free plan takes prepayments, but no-show and cancellation fees need the Plus or Premium plan. Square's pricing page.
Fresha's commission applies only to first-time clients who found you through the Fresha marketplace. Returning clients are free, and Fresha says it doesn't charge for bookings made through Google or social media. Fresha's pricing page.
Booksy's Boost commission works the same way, on clients it brings you. We could only find Booksy's US pricing, so ask them for Canadian figures before you compare. Booksy's pricing page.
A marketplace commission isn't a bad deal in itself. Paying 20 percent of a first visit for a client who comes back every six weeks for years is cheap marketing. It becomes a bad deal when your regulars, or people who already knew your name, end up booking through the marketplace and you're paying for clients you already had.
Getting more bookings direct
The aim is for people who already know you to book without going near a marketplace listing.
Use one booking link everywhere. Put the direct link from your booking app in your Instagram bio, your Google profile, your website and your text reminders. Give it to every client at the end of their visit for the next appointment.
Add bookings to your Google Business Profile. If your booking app is one of Google's booking partners, you can connect it from your profile under Bookings, and a Book button appears on your listing. Google's instructions are here. Google notes that the provider may charge for these bookings, so check your app's terms. If your app isn't a partner, you can still add a booking link, but it shows as a plain link rather than the built-in button. Also check whether your deposit and no-show settings apply to bookings made through Google, because not every app handles them the same way.
Make the website do the booking. A salon website has a few jobs: show your work, show your prices or at least starting prices, show where you are, and get people booked. The Book button should be visible without scrolling on a phone, and it should open your booking page directly rather than a contact form. Put your cancellation policy on its own page as well as the booking page, so clients can find it before they're asked to pay. Our guide to what a business website costs in the GTA covers the budget side.
Ask for reviews from regulars. Most new clients check your reviews before they book. Our post on getting Google reviews covers how to ask without breaking Google's rules.
Why this matters more this year
Ontario's general minimum wage went up to $17.95 an hour on October 1, 2026. Ontario's minimum wage page. For a salon paying assistants or front desk staff, that cost doesn't drop when a client doesn't show. Every slot that goes empty now costs a bit more than it did last year.
A simple plan for this month
- Count the last three months of no-shows and late cancellations, and what each one cost.
- Turn on two reminder texts, with no promotions in them.
- Write a cancellation policy in plain words, with a clear cut-off and amount.
- Add a deposit or card on file for the services where a no-show really hurts.
- Put the policy on your booking page and in every confirmation.
- Send everyone to one direct booking link, and connect it to your Google profile.
Then count again after three months and compare.
If you'd like us to look
If clients are struggling to book from your website or Google listing, or you think you're paying a marketplace for clients who would have found you anyway, we can check where your bookings are coming from and fix the route. Get in touch.
Frequently asked
Can a salon in Ontario charge a no-show fee?
Ontario has no rule written specifically for salon deposits or no-show fees, so it comes down to the general consumer protection rules: the client has to have agreed to the fee before booking, the terms have to be clear, and the amount should be reasonable for what you actually lose. Anything unclear in a consumer agreement is read in the client's favour. Show the policy before the client books, put it in the confirmation, and keep the record. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a non-refundable deposit legal for a salon booking?
There is no Ontario guidance that expressly allows or bans non-refundable salon deposits. A deposit the client clearly agreed to, sized to the appointment and with a fair cancellation window, is much easier to defend than a large one buried in small print. If you plan to keep deposits for late cancellations, say exactly when the cut-off is and how much is kept, in plain words, before payment.
Does Fresha charge commission on Google bookings?
Fresha says it does not charge for repeat bookings or for bookings made through Google or social media. Its 20 percent new-client fee, with a CA$6 minimum, applies to first-time clients who found you through the Fresha marketplace. Check your own invoices to see which bookings were charged.
Do I need consent to send appointment reminder texts in Canada?
A message that only confirms or completes a transaction the client already agreed to, such as a reminder for an appointment they booked, does not need consent under Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation. Once you add a promotion, like a discount on their next visit, it becomes a commercial message that needs consent. Keep reminders to the appointment details and still say who the message is from.
Which booking app is cheapest for a small salon in Canada?
It depends on how many people take bookings and whether you want marketplace clients. Square Appointments charges per location rather than per staff member and has no marketplace commission, but no-show and cancellation fees need a paid plan. Fresha charges per team member and takes a commission on new marketplace clients. Add up a normal month on each, including card fees, before switching.
Sources
- Business Guide to Consumer Protection, Government of Ontario
- Business Guide to Consumer Protection: General information about agreements, Government of Ontario
- Published plans and annual reports 2025-2026: Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, Government of Ontario
- Bill 142, Better for Consumers, Better for Businesses Act, 2023, Legislative Assembly of Ontario
- Mobile phone messaging reminders for attendance at healthcare appointments, Cochrane Library
- Save a customer's payment method without making a payment, Stripe
- Chargeback management guidelines for Visa merchants, Visa Canada
- Pricing and Plans: Square Appointments, Square Canada
- Fresha pricing, Fresha
- Booksy Biz pricing, Booksy
- Set up bookings through a provider, Google Business Profile Help
- Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (S.C. 2010, c. 23), sections 1 to 8, Justice Laws Website
- Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Minimum wage, Government of Ontario
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