Schedulicity’s Ultimate Guide to Salon Booking Software
If you’ve taken the time to research online scheduling software for your salon, you know at least two things: A ton of scheduling apps are out there, and they’re not all created equal.
With so many different options, you may feel a little stuck in your search.
And we totally get it. Finding the right scheduling app for your business isn’t easy.
As a small business owner, you have to take your time and money seriously, so you want a scheduling app that helps manage your schedule and finances with ease.
In this guide, we’ll share a comprehensive breakdown of the best booking apps for salons — to help make your research a little easier.
Plus, we’ll teach you how to choose the right software for your salon!
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40% of appointments are booked after hours — which means less phone calls and text messages for you!
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Businesses gain an average revenue increase of 27% when using online booking.
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67% of clients prefer booking online, so your clients will love the freedom to book their own appointments, too!
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70% of salon appointments are booked from mobile devices — so make sure the software you choose also offers a mobile app.
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77% of clients believe that the ability to book, cancel, and change appointments online are important.
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Automated appointment reminders reduce no-shows by 29%.
Before we get into our breakdown of the most well-known scheduling apps, it’s important to understand what to look for in your research.
As you go through our list, don’t think: “Which app is the best?”
Instead, think: “Which app is the best for my salon?”
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What features do I need? Payment processing, email marketing, text reminders?
- Does the platform integrate with my other tools, like Instagram or my business website?
- Is the scheduling software simple to use for me and my clients?
- Do they have a customer support team that’s actually human?
- Do they have a mobile app for me and my clients?
- How much does it cost? Is there a free trial?
Knowing what you need in scheduling software — and your budget — will help you narrow down the right option for your business.
Pro Tip: Write down the features you need and what you’re looking for before you start researching. Then, as you shop around, make a checklist of the features each app provides. This will help you understand which apps might be best for you!
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Jump to a Specific Company →
Acuity Scheduling
Who’s It For?
Established or larger salons that need more advanced, customizable features — including integration with external marketing and payment processors.
Pricing
Free trial? Acuity offers a free 7-day trial.
With the option to save up to 20% by paying annually, Acuity has three different pricing tiers:
- Emerging: $16/month for a solo provider and one location.
- Growing: $27/month for up to six providers or six locations.
- Powerhouse: $49/month for up to thirty six providers or locations.
Mobile App: Yes
- iOS and Android
- Business/Admin app and client app
- Book, edit, cancel, reschedule appointments
- Accept payments
- Block off calendar
Customer Support
- Free email and chat support
- Knowledge base (articles, guides)
- Forums/community-based support
- 4.7/5 Capterra rating
Features
Scheduling
- Share your calendar via Instagram, Facebook, email, or business website.
- Sync up personal calendars with your Acuity calendar.
- Feel secure knowing you’re HIPAA compliant.
Marketing
- Send reminder emails and texts.
- Integrate with Zapier and Google Analytics.
- Offer packages, memberships, and gift certificates.
- Email marketing integrations with MailChimp and AWeber.
Payment Processing: Yes
Acuity offers payment processing integrations with Square, Stripe, and PayPal — each coming with their own unique processing fees.
Square
- 2.6% + 10¢ for swipe and dip, contactless/tap to pay transactions
- 3.5% + 15¢ for card on file and manual credit card entry transactions
Stripe
- 2.9% + 30¢ for all card transactions
PayPal
- From 1.9% to 3.5% of each transaction, plus a fixed fee ranging from 5¢ to 49¢ — depending on the PayPal product you use
Acuity Resources
Appointy
Who’s It For?
With a ton of customization and room for scalability, Appointy is a good fit for growing salons with multiple staff and/or resources, such as rooms or equipment.
Pricing
Free trial? Appointy offers a free 14-day trial.
Appointy offers a few different pricing plans. They also throw in a discount if you pay yearly, instead of monthly.
- Free: Appointy’s free plan has limited access to features and is only available for businesses with one provider/user and up to five services.
- Growth: $29.99/month (or $19.99/month if you pay upfront for the whole year) for one provider/user on the account. You can access additional features, such as payments and unlimited services.
- Professional: $59.99/month (or $49.99/month if you pay upfront for the year) for up to five providers/users. You get all the tools from the Growth Plan, plus gift certificates and staff logins.
- Enterprise: $99.99/month (or $79.99/month if you pay upfront for the year) for up to two locations. You can also customize client text messages and remove Appointy branding from your unique booking site.
Mobile App: No
Appointy does not have a mobile app for businesses or clients. However, they note that users always have access to the web version of their account on iPhone or Android by using their unique URL.
Customer Support
While they have a helpful knowledge base and FAQs, their customer support options are based on subscription level:
- Free: Email support (Avg reply time: 72 hours)
- Pro: Email & live chat (Avg reply time: 24 hours)
- Business: Email, live chat, guided screen share sessions, phone (Avg reply time: 24 hours)
- Enterprise: Email, live chat, guided screen share sessions, phone, dedicated support associate at additional cost (Avg reply time: 24 hours)
Features
Scheduling
- Set working hours at staff level: You can control business hours and staff availability separately.
- Flexible time slot intervals: Set regular intervals from five minutes to a whole day.
- Back-to-back service bookings: Clients who select multiple services for their appointment will only be shown availability where services can be placed back to back.
- Recurring booking: You and your clients can schedule multiple future appointments for the same service.
Marketing
- Create marketing campaigns via built-in email marketing tools.
- Create deals and discounts to send out to clients.
- Incentivise customers to promote their booking on social media channels after booking.
Payment Processing: Yes
Appointy offers payment processing integrations with Square, Stripe, PayPal and Authorize.net — each coming with their own unique processing fees.
Square
- 2.6% + 10¢ for swipe and dip, contactless/tap to pay transactions
- 3.5% + 15¢ for card on file and manual credit card entry transactions
Stripe
- 2.9% + 30¢ for all card transactions
PayPal
- From 1.9% to 3.5% of each transaction, plus a fixed fee ranging from 5¢ to 49¢ — depending on the PayPal product you use
Authorize.net
- 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction + $25/month fee
Appointy Resources
Schedulista
Who’s It For?
Built for growing businesses and established businesses alike, Schedulista is used by solo stylists, larger salons, and independent estheticians.
Pricing
Free trial? Schedulista offers a free 15-day trial.
Schedulista has three subscription levels:
- Basic: $19/month (for solo providers)
- Plan 2: $39/month (for up to fifteen users)
- Enterprise: You have to contact Schedulista to get the price.
Mobile App: Yes and No
While Schedulista has a mobile app for business owners — for iOS and Android — they don’t have a mobile booking app for clients. Clients need to use a web browser to book their appointments.
Customer Support
- Email/Help Desk
- Knowledge Base
- Phone Support
- Chat
Features
Scheduling
- Email and text reminders to reduce no-shows.
- Multiple staff: View all your calendars side by side.
- Create classes, groups, and events.
- Calendar sync: Synchronize with Outlook, iPhone, Android, or Google Calendar.
Marketing
- Automated appointment follow-up emails.
- Email marketing integration with MailChimp.
- Embed your scheduler directly into your website.
- Add a Book Now button to Facebook
Payment Processing: Yes
Schedulista offers a payment integration with Stripe — which you can set up to accept online payments.
Stripe
- 2.9% + 30¢ for all card transactions
Schedulista Resources
Vagaro
Who’s It For?
Larger salons with multiple employees and salons that depend on Yelp for a large portion of their business.
Pricing
Free trial? Vagaro offers a free 30-day trial.
Vagaro’s pricing is based on the amount of providers working out of the account. If you’re solo, it’s $25/month.
The price goes up from there. It’s an additional $10/month per provider until you hit seven providers. Seven or more providers is $85/month.
- Solo Account: $25/month for a solo provider business
- Two Providers: $35/month
- Three Providers: $45/month
Note: If you want marketing features in your booking app, you may be looking at additional monthly charges.
Additional Paid Features
- Forms: $10/month
- Vagaro Drive: $10/month
- Automated Text Marketing: $20/month
- Branded App: $200/month
- Online Shopping Cart: $10/month
- Get Featured: $10/month
- Build Custom Website: $10/month
- Check-In App: $10/month
Mobile App: Yes
Yes, Vagaro has Features — iOS and Android — for you and your clients.
If you can spend an extra $200/month, you can also create your own branded app for clients to use to book with you!
Customer Support
- Email, phone, and chat
- Knowledge base
- FAQs
- Webinars/videos
- 4.7/5 on Capterra
Features
Vagaro is built for large businesses and franchises. The scheduling platform has extra bells and whistles larger salons might enjoy.
Scheduling
- Waitlist management: Quickly fill last-minute cancellations.
- Payroll and clock-in and -out: If you have multiple employees, the ability to keep track of hours worked can be a huge bonus!
- Customer reporting: Track customer information and offer rewards.
Marketing
- Email marketing: Keep in mind that Vagaro charges a fee if you send over 1,000 emails in a month.
- Website builder: Vagaro gives businesses the option to build their own booking website using a range of templates. (This feature costs an additional $10/month.)
- Social media booking: Yelp, Instagram, and Facebook integrations.
Payment Processing: Yes
Vagaro offers payment processing services for you to collect client payments and store credit card info for appointments. Clients can pay online at the time of booking. Vagaro also offers a free card reader when you sign up for payment processing.
- Small Merchants (less than $4,000 monthly charges): 2.75% per swipe and 3.5% + 15¢ for keyed-in or online transactions.
- Large Merchants (more than $4,000 monthly charges): 2.2% + 19¢ per swipe and 3.0% + 19¢ per keyed-in or online transaction.
Note: While the processing fees are lower for larger merchants, there is a $10/month additional fee for Large Merchants to process.
Vagaro Resources
Mangomint
Who’s It For?
Mangomint is a great choice for large salons or franchises with five or more employees who are looking for a lot of automation.
Pricing
Free trial? Mangomint offers a free 30-day trial.
Mangomint offers three different pricing plans, depending on the size of your salon.
- Essentials: $165/month for up to 10 providers
- Standard: $245/month for up to 20 providers
- Unlimited: $375/month for unlimited providers
Note: The Essentials subscription doesn’t have any advanced features, like waiting room and membership management.
Mobile App: Yes
Mangomint has business apps for iOS and Android. While you can create custom client portals for clients to book, there’s not a dedicated client app.
Customer Support
- Chat, email and phone
- Tutorials and how-to articles
- Free onboarding sessions
- Educational webinars
- 5/5 on Capterra
Features
Scheduling
- Waiting room for streamlining check-in process
- Express booking allows you to text clients a link to confirm booking details
- Memberships: Create subscription plans for clients
Marketing
- Embed branded online booking into your website
- Mailchimp integration for email marketing
- Customizable automated texts and emails for bookings and cancellations
Payment Processing: Yes
Mangomint offers a fully integrated payment system with options for a front desk checkout experience from an iPad. They also offer pay-by-text, deposits, and prepayments when clients book online.
- 2.4%+15¢ for in-person transactions
- 2.8%+20¢ for virtual transactions (contactless, tap-to-pay, card on file)
Mangomint Resources
Booksy
(+ Genbook*)
*Booksy acquired Genbook in 2021.
Who’s It For?
Salons, individual hair stylists, and nail techs at any point in their career or size.
Pricing
Free trial? Booksy offers a free 14-day trial.
Booksy offers two different subscriptions:
- Lite: $29.99/month for a single provider. ($20/month for each additional provider.)
- Boost: Boost costs the same per month as Lite, but with Boost, there is a one-time 30% commission fee for each new client’s first visit.
Boost is Booksy’s “unique marketing toolkit designed to keep your calendar full. Boost raises your search ranking in the Marketplace and gives you more visibility on the Booksy platform.”
Mobile App: Yes
Booksy has an iOS and Android app for you and your clients.
Customer Support
- Email, chat, phone
- Knowledge base
- FAQs
- Webinars and video
- 4.3/5 rating on Capterra
Features
Scheduling
- Automatic appointment notifications and reminders
- Streamlined booking with add-ons and combo services
- Customizable services menu
Marketing
- Email and social media templates
- Promotions and message blasts
- Collect and share customer reviews
Payment Processing: Yes
Yes, Booksy offers payment processing for mobile and desktop solutions.
Booksy Mobile Payments
- 2.69% + $0.30 per transaction
- 1% fee to use Fast Payouts to get your Booksy Card Reader funds deposited in 30 minutes
Booksy Card Reader
- 2.49% + $0.10 per transaction
- $189.99 per card reader plus shipping (for mobile, tablet, and computer)
- $39.99 per mobile card reader plus shipping (for mobile and tablet)
Booksy Resources
StyleSeat
Who’s It For?
Beauty and wellness professionals — whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in the industry for years.
Pricing
Free trial? StyleSeat offers a free 30-day trial.
Styleseat offers a free 30-day trial. After that, their monthly subscription cost is $35/month.
- Essentials: $165/month for up to 10 providers
- Standard: $245/month for up to 20 providers
- Unlimited: $375/month for unlimited providers
Note: According to Styleseat’s website, they charge clients a 2.75% fee to book online. Here’s what Styleseat says about the fee:
“In order to provide a safe and secure platform for both our clients and professionals, StyleSeat charges a booking fee to cover the operational costs of providing a smooth booking experience.”
Mobile App: Yes
Yes, Styleseat has mobile apps for both Android and iOS (iPhone & iPad). They also have booking apps for your clients to book and manage their appointments.
Customer Support
- Chat and email
- Knowledge base
- FAQ page
- 3.6/5 rating on Capterra
Features
Scheduling
- Unique booking website: Each Styleseat business gets their own booking page where clients will book with you.
- Notifications: No limits on appointment reminders and the ability to message clients within the booking app.
- Smart Pricing: Automatically earn more on popular times.
Marketing
- In-app messaging: Chat with clients without sharing your personal cell number.
- Promotions and special offers for clients.
- Social media promotion
- Email marketing tools and templates
Payment Processing: Yes
When it comes to StyleSeat’s payment processing, there are a few different fees to keep in mind.
Marketing Plan
- 3% transaction fee (per standard appointment that’s not booked under Smart Pricing, or StyleSeat’s Marketing Program)
- 25% one-time commission fee (for each new client appointment StyleSeat brings you)
- X% fee for appointments booked through Smart Pricing
Scheduling Plan
- 2.75% transaction fee (per standard appointment that’s not booked under Smart Pricing, or StyleSeat’s Marketing Program)
- 35% one-time commission fee up to $50 (for each new client appointment StyleSeat brings you)
- 20% service price increase for appointments booked through Smart Pricing
StyleSeat Resources
GlossGenius
Who’s It For?
Salon teams or solopreneurs who care about a beautiful app and simple design.
Pricing
Free trial? GlossGenius offers a free 14-day trial.
GlossGenius offers two different pricing plans — a basic plan and an advanced plan.
- Standard: $24/month for the standard subscription, which includes all the business essentials you need.
- Gold: $48/month for an upgraded subscription, which comes with advanced features, like client waivers, waitlist management, and commission reporting.
Mobile App: Yes
Yes, GlossGenius has mobile apps for Android and iOS.
Keep in mind: Since each business has their own customizable website, there is no client booking app.
Customer Support
- Chat, email, phone
- Knowledge base
- FAQ page
- 4.6/5 rating on Capterra
Features
Scheduling
- Waitlists: Keep last-minute openings full with a waitlist clients can join.
- Manage multiple staff on one calendar: No need to jump between calendars! Keep all your employees together on a single calendar.
- Client notifications: Appointment reminders, confirmations, and update notifications to keep clients informed.
- Processing time: Set processing time, so you can double-book appointments on services that have downtime.
Marketing
- Text marketing: Mass-text your clients based on booking history and product purchases.
- Email marketing: Promote new products or last-minute openings.
- Booking integrations for social media and websites.
Payment Processing: Yes
GlossGenius offers a 2.6% flat rate processing fee — with a few other processing fee options as well.
- 0%: You pay a 0% payment processing fee, and your clients will be charged a 3.5% convenience fee on their total.
- 1%: You pay a 1% payment processing fee on the card charge total, and your clients will be charged a 2.5% convenience fee.
- 2.6%: You pay a 2.6% payment processing fee on the card charge total, and your clients will be charged a 0% convenience fee.
GlossGenius Resources
Schedulicity
Who’s It For?
Any salon business — from solopreneurs to multi-provider teams.
Pricing
Free trial? Schedulicity has a free 14-day trial.
Schedulicity offers one subscription plan:
Unlimited: Starting at $34.99/month, Schedulicity’s Unlimited Plan comes with all the tools you need to manage and grow your business, including automated marketing, text reminders for your clients, payment processing, and more.
- 1 provider: $34.99/month
- 2 providers: $44.99/month
- 3 providers: $54.99/month
- 4 providers: $64.99/month
- 5 providers: $74.99/month
- 6 providers: $84.99/month
- 7+ providers: $94.99/month
Mobile App: Yes
Yes! Schedulicity has mobile booking apps for you and your clients. Look for them in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
Business App
- View and manage your calendar in real time.
- Access and update your client information.
- Accept payments with our built-in payment processor.
Client App
- Where clients can search and book with you on the go
- Manage their bookings, including rebooking, rescheduling, and canceling
- Accept payments with our built-in payment processor
Customer Support
Schedulicity’s award-winning customer support team is known as The Rockstars, and they’re always ready to help out.
- Email, chat, and phone
- Knowledge base
- FAQ page
- 4.5/5 on Capterra
Features
Scheduling
- Waitlists: Keep last-minute openings full with a waitlist clients can join.
- Client notifications: Appointment reminders, confirmations, and update notifications to keep clients informed.
- Suggested Services: You’re able to choose up to three services to highlight or “suggest” to clients on your business listing page.
- Website widgets: Embed your Schedulicity booking right into your existing website, so clients never have to leave your page to book.
Marketing
- Email marketing: Send emails to all of your clients, specific single clients, or a targeted list of clients.
- Automated marketing: Set up automatic Thank You (following appointments), Birthday, Re-engagement, and Time to Book emails.
- Promotion management: Schedulicity’s Deal Manager is a unique feature that allows you to create promotions, or discounts, and share them on social media or via email marketing.
Payment Processing: Yes
Yes, Schedulicity has built-in payment processing to keep your client payments tied to their appointments. Handle tipping, auto-billing, refunds, prepayments, and deposits.
- 2.6% + $0.10 for all transactions: No hidden fees. No annual contracts.
Plus: You can send a client their bill straight to their phone. (Clients can also scan a QR code and pay from their own phone that way, too!)
Schedulicity Resources
Square Appointments
Who’s It For?
Salon professionals that need a more robust POS system for products, gift cards, and memberships.
Pricing
Free trial? Square Appointments has a free 30-day trial for their premium subscriptions.
Square Appointments offers a free monthly subscription for individuals (plus payment processing fees). They also offer Plus and Premium subscriptions.
- Free:
- $0 per month for a single location.
- 1 Location
- Plus:
- $29 per month, per location.
- Unlimited Locations
- Premium:
- $69 per month, per location.
- Unlimited Locations
- Custom Pricing:
- Contact sales
- Unlimited Locations
Mobile App: Yes
Yes, Square Appointments has a mobile app for Android and iOS users. However, there’s no booking app for clients. Clients need to book online using the business’s free customer booking site.
Customer Support
- Email, chat, phone
- Knowledge base
- FAQ page
- 4.3/5 on Capterra
Features
Scheduling
- Custom availability and ability to block personal events
- Automated text and email appointment reminders
- Time zone adjustments
- Time tracking, break tracking, and timecard reporting
Marketing
- Text marketing
- Email marketing – available at additional cost
Payment Processing: Yes
Square Appointments is under the Square umbrella, so payment processing is included with each account. The processing rate depends on your subscription level.
Free:
- 2.6% + 10¢ for in-person transactions
- 2.9% + 30¢ for online transactions
- 3.5% + 15¢ for card-on-file or manual entry transactions
Plus:
- 2.5% + 10¢ for in-person transactions (only for payments processed through appointments app; otherwise it’s 2.6% + 10¢)
- 2.9% + 30¢ for online transactions
- 3.5% + 15¢ for card-on-file or manual entry transactions
Premium:
- 2.5% for in-person transactions
- 2.9% + 30¢ for online transactions
- 3.5% + 15¢ for card-on-file or manual entry transactions
Afterpay*
- 6% + 30¢ per transaction
*Afterpay is a buy now, pay later service that allows customers to pay for online orders in four interest-free payments over six weeks. You get the full amount—up front.
Square Resources
Fresha
(formerly Shedul)
Who’s It For?
Individual hair stylists, beauty salons, and booth renters.
Pricing
Free trial? Fresha is subscription free, so there’s no trial period.
Fresha offers a completely subscription free model. However, there are fees for additional features.
- Marketplace New Client Fee: 20% one-time fee applied to brand new clients who book via the Fresha marketplace
- Automated Notifications: 50 free monthly texts + $0.01 / extra texts. (Unlimited email and in-app notifications.)
- Blast Marketing: $0.06/text + $0.02/email for promotional texts and emails.
Mobile App: Yes
Yes, Fresha has business apps for Android and iOS users. They also have booking apps for clients.
Customer Support
- Email, chat
- Knowledge base
- FAQ page
- 4.9/5 on Capterra
Features
Scheduling
- Color-coded status notifications
- Multiple service booking
- Processing time (for double bookings)
- Option to search for morning, midday, or evening, based on client preference
Marketing
- Automatic Birthday, Thank You, and You’ve Been Missed emails
- Customizable message templates and segmented client lists
- Personalized offers for clients
Payment Processing: Yes
With Fresha, you can charge clients online via the app, or you can purchase a credit card reader to accept payment in person.
- 2.19% + 20¢ per transaction
Fresha Resources
Rosy
Who’s It For?
Made with hair stylists in mind and a great option for salons and spas — from booth renters to large-scale salons.
Pricing
Free trial? Rosy offers a free 30-day trial.
Rosy’s pricing depends on how many providers you have on the account. They also offer a discount for larger accounts who are using Rosy Pay.
- Solo: $29/month
- 2 Providers: $39/month
- 3 Providers: $49/month
- 4 Providers: $59/month
- 5–10 Providers: $69/month
- 11–15 Providers: $199/month (or $99 with Rosy Pay)
- 16–20 Providers: $224/month (or $109 with Rosy Pay)
- 21 or More: $249/month (or $119 with Rosy Pay)
Mobile App: No
Rosy doesn’t have a mobile app for businesses or clients. However, you have the option to create a custom-branded website for customers.
Customer Support
- Email, chat, and phone
- FAQ page
- Training videos
- Articles
- 4.7/5 on Capterra
Features
Scheduling
- Priority scheduling to keep appointments in maximum order
- Cluster booking to minimize gaps in Schedul.
- Suggestive selling makes suggestions for products based on client’s booking history
- Ability for clients to book directly through Google Search and Google Maps
Marketing
- Text marketing
- Email marketing with built-in newsletter templates
- Automatic Thank You, Birthday, and You’ve Been Missed emails
Payment Processing: Yes
Rosy offers built-in payment processing with Rosy Pay.
- 2.55% flat rate per transaction
Rosy Resources
Boulevard
Who’s It For?
Larger salons or spas looking for a fully-integrated business management tool.
Pricing
Free trial? Boulevard does not offer a free trial.
Boulevard has three different pricing tiers, depending on the size of your business and the features you need.
- Essentials: $175/month
- Premier: $325/month
- Prestige: $455/month
- Enterprise: Contact Boulevard
Mobile App: Yes
The Boulevard Professional app is available on Android and iOS. There is also a Boulevard Duo app meant for iPads to streamline the front-desk experience.
Note: There is not a Boulevard app for clients.
Customer Support
- Email and chat
- FAQ page
- Knowledge Base
- 4.6/5 on Capterra
Features
Scheduling
- Scheduling optimization eliminates unnecessary downtime to maximize calendar.
- Check-in management
- Resource scheduling for rooms or equipment
- Loyalty program to reward repeat clients
Marketing
- Automated marketing for ongoing email campaigns
- Suggested services to upsell clients on products or services
- Contact center to text clients in real time
- Email campaign reporting
Payment Processing: Yes
Yes, Boulevard offers an integrated payment solution and a front-desk option.
- Starting at 2.65% + 15¢ for credit and debit card transactions
- $149.99 per card reader (called Boulevard Duo) plus shipping (for tablet)