The short answer
- Solo stylist or nail tech starting out: Square. The Free plan is $0 a month, with 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person card sale. Square’s appointments page labels Free “For solo professionals” and says “There is no employee limit.”
- Small team that wants booking, low in-person fees and no contract: GlossGenius. Cards cost 2.4% + 15¢ in person. Plans start at $28 a month billed monthly, or $24 billed yearly. GlossGenius says there are “no hidden fees, contracts, or minimums.”
- Want a low published in-person rate and a cheap plan: Fresha. Cards cost 2.29% + 20¢ in person, and plans start at $19.95 a month. But Fresha takes a 20% one-time commission (minimum $6) on new clients who find you through its marketplace.
- Want lots of add-ons in one app: Vagaro. It lists $30 a month for one calendar, plus $10 for each calendar you add. Its card rate depends on your monthly volume.
- Want to keep your own card processor: Mangomint. It’s $120 a month per location plus $10 per user, and it says you can use your own processor “instead of (or in addition to)” its own.
- Higher-end spa or medspa: Boulevard. Plans start at $143 a month, and card processing is “starting at 2.65%.” Treat both as starting prices, not quotes.
Visit GlossGenius for a small team, or read our GlossGenius, Fresha and Vagaro breakdowns first.
Salon POS options side by side
- GlossGeniusVisit GlossGenius
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.4% + 15¢
- Online
- 3.4% + 15¢
- Monthly
- From $28 · POS plan
- Contract
- No contract
- FreshaVisit Fresha
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.29% + 20¢
- Online
- 2.79% + 20¢
- Monthly
- From $14.95 · POS plan
- Contract
- No contract, cancel anytime
- VagaroVisit Vagaro
Flat, by plan
- In person
- 2.6% + 10¢
- Online
- By quote
- Monthly
- From $30 · POS plan
- Contract
- No cancellation fee (Vagaro says exclusions apply)
- MangomintVisit Mangomint
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.45% + 15¢
- Online
- 2.9% + 30¢
- Monthly
- From $120 · POS plan
- Contract
- No contract
- BoulevardVisit Boulevard
Quote
- In person
- From 2.65%
- Online
- By quote
- Monthly
- From $143 · POS plan
- Contract
- Not published
- SquareVisit Square
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.6% + 15¢
- Online
- 3.3% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $0 · Free plan
- Contract
- No contract
Prices checked Oct 19, 2026 on each provider's own pricing page (how we check).
| POS | Monthly price | In person | Card on file, online or keyed | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GlossGenius | Standard $28, Gold $56 (up to 9 staff), Platinum $168 (teams 10+), billed monthly. $24, $48 or $148 billed yearly. | 2.4% + 15¢ | 3.4% + 15¢ | “no hidden fees, contracts, or minimums” |
| Fresha | Independent $19.95 (one calendar). Team $14.95 per team member. | 2.29% + 20¢, plus 10¢ per Tap to Pay | Online 2.79% + 20¢. Manual entry 3.30% + 20¢. | No minimum commitment. Cancel anytime. |
| Vagaro | $30 for one calendar ($23.99 a month for the first 6 months). Each calendar you add is $10, up to seven licenses. | Under $4,000 a month: 2.6% + 10¢. Over $4,000: 2.29% + 19¢ plus $10 a month. Plus 6¢ per Tap to Pay. | Keyed 3.5% + 19¢. Online not published. | “Cancel anytime with no cancellation fees,” with exclusions. |
| Mangomint | $120 per location plus $10 per user | 2.45% + 15¢ | Virtual payments 2.90% + 30¢ | “We don’t do contracts” |
| Boulevard | Essentials $143 (1 location, up to 5 providers). Premier $234 per location (normally $293). Prestige $328 (normally $410). Billing period not clear. | Starting at 2.65%, or 1% with Offset, where your clients pay a 3% fee | Not published | Not published |
| Square | Free $0. Plus $49 and Premium $149, each per location. | Free 2.6% + 15¢. Plus 2.5% + 15¢. Premium 2.4% + 15¢. | Keyed or card on file 3.5% + 15¢. Online 3.3% + 30¢ on Free. | No “locked-in contracts” |
Sources: GlossGenius, Fresha, Vagaro and Vagaro hardware, Mangomint, Boulevard, Square Appointments.
Already on Clover? Clover’s professional services plans are Starter $0, Essentials $29.95 and Services Growth $84.95 a month, and Clover lists scheduling, appointments and online booking with Services Growth. The plans are software only, so taking cards in person means adding Clover hardware. Typed-in cards cost 3.5% + 10¢. Ask for the in-person rate on your bundle. See our Clover page.
What it costs: a 3-stylist salon doing $15,000 a month
These are estimates. They assume $15,000 a month in card sales across 250 payments (a $60 average), one location, three people taking bookings, and every card paid in person. They leave out hardware, add-ons and Tap to Pay surcharges.
| Provider and plan | Card fees | Monthly software | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Free | $390 + $37.50 (250 × 15¢) | $0 | $427.50 |
| Fresha Team (3 members) | $343.50 + $50 (250 × 20¢) | $44.85 | $438.35, before any marketplace fees |
| Vagaro (3 calendars, over-$4,000 rate) | $343.50 + $47.50 (250 × 19¢) | $50 + $10 tier fee | $451 at list price |
| GlossGenius Gold, billed monthly | $360 + $37.50 (250 × 15¢) | $56 | $453.50 ($445.50 billed yearly) |
| Boulevard Essentials | $397.50 at the starting rate | $143 | $540.50 or more |
| Mangomint (3 users) | $367.50 + $37.50 (250 × 15¢) | $150 | $555 |
We used GlossGenius Gold because GlossGenius pitches it at businesses up to 9 staff. Boulevard’s figure is a floor. Its rate is a starting rate, it publishes no per-payment fee, and its page doesn’t make clear whether $143 is the monthly or yearly-billing price.
Now add Fresha’s marketplace fee. Say 10 brand new clients a month find you through Fresha’s marketplace, each spending $60. At 20%, that’s $12 each, or $120. Fresha’s total becomes about $558.35. Fresha describes the fee as applying to brand new clients “who discover your business via the Fresha marketplace.”
So at this size, four options sit within $26 of each other. Pick on features, then on the catches below. Compare your own month in the fee calculator.
Saved cards and deposits cost more
If you charge no-show fees, deposits or a card on file, those payments usually cost more than a tap at the front desk. Here’s the fee on a $100 charge, by our math from each provider’s published rate:
| Provider | In person | Card on file, online or keyed |
|---|---|---|
| GlossGenius | $2.55 | $3.55 (card on file, online or keyed) |
| Fresha | $2.49, plus 10¢ per Tap to Pay | $2.99 online, $3.50 manual entry |
| Mangomint | $2.60 | $3.20 (virtual) |
| Vagaro (under $4,000 a month) | $2.70, plus 6¢ per Tap to Pay | $3.69 keyed. Online not published. |
| Square Free | $2.75 | $3.65 keyed or card on file |
Nail salons: smaller tickets
On a $40 manicure, the in-person card fee is close at every provider: about $1.11 at GlossGenius, $1.12 at Fresha, $1.13 at Mangomint, $1.14 at Vagaro’s under-$4,000 rate, and $1.19 at Square Free.
The bigger risk is Fresha’s marketplace minimum. On a $25 service, 20% would be $5, so the $6 minimum applies instead. That’s 24% of the first visit for a client who found you on Fresha.
Who each one is for, and who should skip it
GlossGenius. For beauty and wellness teams that want booking and payments in one app, with published rates. It also has medspa plans, Practice Essentials at $168 and Practice Advanced at $298 billed monthly. Skip it if most of your payments are saved cards or online. Those cost 3.4% + 15¢, a full point above the in-person rate.
Fresha. For salons that want a cheap plan and a low in-person rate, and that welcome new clients from Fresha’s marketplace. Skip it if you’d rather not pay 20% on those new clients. Tap to Pay also adds 10¢ per authorization.
Vagaro. For salons and spas that want calendar, payments and add-ons like text marketing, forms and payroll in one place. Skip it if you take a lot of online payments. Vagaro doesn’t publish its online card rate. Read our Vagaro breakdown.
Mangomint. For established salons that want to keep their own processor or keep online booking on their own site. Mangomint says “you keep 100% of appointments booked.” Skip it if you’re solo. At $120 a month plus $10 per user, it costs more than most of the others before you take a payment. See our Mangomint page.
Boulevard. For higher-end spas, medspas and salons. Its pricing page speaks to “growing self-care businesses with 1 or more locations.” Skip it if you want firm prices up front. Its card rate is “starting at,” and its plan prices are promos below the “Normally” price. See our Boulevard page.
Square. For solo professionals and new salons that want to start at $0. Skip it if you charge a lot of saved cards. Those cost 3.5% + 15¢ on every plan.
The catch: fees to ask about before you sign
- Promo prices. Vagaro’s $23.99 is for the first 6 months, and the list price is $30. Boulevard’s Premier and Prestige prices are below the “Normally” price.
- Billing period. GlossGenius’s lower prices are for yearly billing. Boulevard doesn’t make clear which period its prices reflect.
- Volume tiers. Vagaro charges 2.6% + 10¢ under $4,000 a month, and 2.29% + 19¢ plus $10 a month over it.
- Offset is a fee your clients pay. Boulevard says that with Offset, “your clients pay a 3% fee on credit card transactions, and you pay just 1%.”
- Extras. Boulevard charges “$2 per completed appt” for automated campaigns. Fresha charges $0.02 per text past its free allowance, and $0.08 per marketing text.
Comparing more? Read our pages on Fresha, Vagaro, Mangomint, Boulevard and Square, or go back to all POS systems.
Common questions
What is the best POS system for a salon?
It depends on your size. A solo stylist can start on Square Free at $0 a month with 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person sale. A small team that wants booking built in should price GlossGenius, at 2.4% + 15¢ and $28 a month billed monthly, and Fresha, at 2.29% + 20¢. Fresha charges 20% on new marketplace clients.
What is the best POS for a nail salon?
The same options apply, but smaller tickets make the cents fee and minimums matter more. On a $40 service, GlossGenius, Fresha, Vagaro and Mangomint all cost about $1.11 to $1.14 in card fees, and Square Free about $1.19. Watch Fresha's marketplace fee: on a $25 service, its $6 minimum is more than 20%.
Does Fresha charge a commission?
Yes, on one kind of client. Fresha charges a 20% one-time commission, with a $6 minimum, on brand new clients who "discover your business via the Fresha marketplace." It also charges a monthly plan fee, from $19.95, and card fees from 2.29% + 20¢ in person. Weigh the commission against what those new clients are worth to you.
How much does salon software cost per month?
At the salon providers we checked, from $0 to a few hundred dollars. Square Free is $0. Fresha starts at $19.95. GlossGenius starts at $28 billed monthly. Vagaro lists $30 for one calendar. Mangomint is $120 per location plus $10 per user. Boulevard starts at $143. Card fees come on top.