The receipts
The whole bill, side by side — software, AI, card rates, and the fees they put on your clients. "Real cost" is what one $45 cut-plus-tip actually costs you to process.
| Provider | Monthly bill (software + AI) | Card rate → real cost on $45 | Fees on your clients & commissions | The fine print |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | $0 Plus $49/mo or Premium $149/mo for lower rates | 2.6% + 15¢ → $1.32 effective 2.93% | — | Online 3.3% + 30¢ · keyed 3.5% + 15¢ · hardware sold separately · rates raised Oct 2025* |
| Squire | $30–$250 + $99/mo for AI + $25/mo landing pages | not published | Booking & “convenience” fees charged to your clients per their customers' reviews | Fuller features require higher tiers* |
| Booksy | $29.99 + per-staffer fees Boost add-on $49.99/mo | 2.49% + 15¢ → $1.27 effective 2.82% | Up to ~30% of a new client's first booking via Boost marketplace | Online/keyed ~3.25% + 15¢ · marketplace can show competitors on your profile* |
| Fresha | $0 | 2.19% + 20¢ → $1.19 effective 2.63% | 20% commission on new marketplace clients | Locked to their payment processor · paid messaging* |
| theCut | $0 free tier · Pro $25/mo | 2.75% flat → $1.24 effective 2.75% | $10 per new client on the free tier | SMS & client blasts paywalled to Pro* |
| GlossGenius | $28–$168 | 2.6% flat → $1.17 effective 2.60% | — | AI & advanced analytics on paid plans · payroll costs extra* |
| TAPERED ⚡ | $0 — AI included | 2.6% flat → $1.17 effective 2.60% — every card, every time | $0 client fees · 0% commission | No contracts · no hardware · free migration · next-day payouts free instant payout optional at 1% — our only optional fee, in writing |
Same rate or better per swipe than every name on this table at real barbershop ticket sizes — with a $0 software bill, AI included, and nothing charged to your clients, ever.
$0 a month. AI included. $0 from your clients. 0% commission. 2.6% flat — published for everyone, the same for every shop. No hardware to buy, no contract to sign. We only earn when you get paid.
*Competitor pricing as published or reported, July 2026 — sources: each company's public pricing page and, for review-based items, their public customer reviews. “Real cost on $45” = rate × $45 + fixed fee, shown for comparison; card-present rates used. Plans and rates change — always confirm current pricing on each company's site. If we've got something wrong, tell us and we'll fix it fast: [email protected]