A salon cancellation policy that clients accept is short, fair and told before they book: free changes up to a few hours before (four hours is common), a deposit only for long or expensive bookings and for clients who have missed before, a modest fee for late cancels and no-shows that comes off the deposit, and a clear rule on when you waive it. Write it in three lines, show it on the menu and in the booking message, and apply it the same way every time.
When to ask for a deposit
Deposits protect chair time that is hard to refill. Don’t ask for one on a ₹300 threading slot; do ask on a four-hour keratin. A simple set of rules:
| Booking | Deposit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Haircut, threading, beard | None | Short, easy to refill with a walk-in |
| Over ₹2,000 | 20% | Long chair time |
| Keratin, smoothening, global colour | ₹500–₹1,000 | Hours of one stylist, often products ordered |
| Bridal and party makeup | 25–50% when booking the date | The date can’t be resold late |
| Groups | A fixed amount per person | Several chairs at once |
| A client with 2+ no-shows | ₹300 or 20% | Past behaviour |
Always say the deposit comes off the final bill. It is not an extra charge; it holds the slot.
How much, with a worked example
Keep the deposit big enough to make the client think before skipping, and small enough that a good client doesn’t feel distrusted. A sample bridal booking:
| Sample bridal booking | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bridal makeup and hair, booked 3 months ahead | ₹25,000 |
| Deposit at booking (20%) | ₹5,000 |
| Cancel more than 30 days before | Deposit refunded or moved to a new date |
| Cancel within 30 days | Deposit kept as a cancellation fee |
| On the day | ₹20,000 left to pay |
For normal services, a flat ₹300–₹500 or 20% is plenty.
The late-cancel window and no-show fees
Choose a window that fits the service. Four hours’ notice works for most salon visits: enough time to move a waitlisted client in. For services of three hours or more, ask for 24 hours. Then set the fees:
- Late cancel (inside the window): 25–50% of the deposit, or a flat ₹200.
- No-show (didn’t come, didn’t tell you): the whole deposit, or a flat ₹300–₹500 where there was none.
Keep fees well below the price of the service. The aim is to make clients tell you, not to profit from them.
When to waive
Decide this in advance, and decide who can do it:
- The first late cancel for any regular.
- Illness, a family emergency or travel trouble, no questions asked.
- When you refilled the slot anyway.
- When the salon moved or delayed them earlier.
Let only the owner or a manager waive fees, so the desk is never stuck between a regular and the rule. In Frizzi Plus, each late cancel or no-show can be Charged, Waived (by owners and managers) or left for a manager to decide. Read how to reduce no-shows for the reminders that make fees rarely needed.
Cancellation policy wording you can copy
On the menu card or wall:
Need to change your booking? No problem, just tell us at least 4 hours before (24 hours for services over 3 hours). For bookings over ₹2,000 we take a 20% deposit, which comes off your bill. Late cancellations and no-shows may lose part or all of the deposit.
In the booking confirmation:
Hi Neha, you’re booked for keratin with Pooja on Sat 15 Nov at 11 am at Demo Salon. We’ve received your ₹1,000 deposit; it comes off your bill. Need to change? Tell us by 11 am Friday and it’s free.
After a no-show:
Hi Neha, we missed you today. Hope everything is fine. As per our booking policy, ₹500 of your deposit has been kept. Your balance of ₹500 is still in your account for your next visit. Reply to rebook.
Friendly first, rule second, and always a way back. More on messaging rules in the WhatsApp guide.
GST on cancellation fees and deposits
Fees. The CBIC has clarified that a cancellation fee is paid for allowing the cancellation of an intended supply, and is taxed like the main supply. For a salon, that means a late-cancel or no-show fee carries the same 5% GST as the service (2.5% CGST + 2.5% SGST), on its own invoice. A ₹500 fee with GST included is ₹476.19 plus ₹23.81 GST. The GST calculator does this split.
Deposits. This one needs your CA. Under GST, tax on services generally falls due when payment is received, if that comes before the invoice, which suggests a deposit for a booked service may be taxable when you take it. A refundable deposit can be argued differently. Ask your CA how they want deposits treated, and show them how your records hold them.
In Frizzi Plus, the desk takes a deposit by cash, UPI or card, and it goes into the client’s wallet; “Bill now” uses it on the final bill, which carries the GST. Frizzi doesn’t take online payments, so phone bookings pay to your UPI QR. Each charged fee gets its own numbered fee invoice (like DS/F26-27/00001) with 5% GST if you are registered, and a fee waived in a later month gets a credit note. The Wallet top-ups and use report lists the money put into client wallets, which is where deposits sit, so your CA can see them. See appointments and billing and GST.
Rolling it out without upsetting anyone
Clients booking online should see the same policy before they confirm, and long services can stay off online booking until a deposit is taken at the desk. The desk also needs one answer to “why are you charging me?”: “We hold the stylist for you for three hours, so we ask for a little notice. It comes off your bill.”
- Start with deposits on bridal and long services only. Add the rest after a month.
- Brief every staff member on the three lines and who can waive.
- Put the policy on the menu, at the desk and in the booking confirmation.
- Give regulars a personal heads-up: “This is for no-shows, not for you.”
- Review fees and waivers monthly. If you charge many fees, the reminders aren’t working; fix those first.
Questions
What is a fair cancellation window for a salon?
Four hours suits most visits, which is enough time to fill the slot from a waitlist. Ask for 24 hours on services of three hours or more, and more for bridal dates.
Is GST charged on a salon no-show fee?
Yes. A cancellation fee is taxed like the service it relates to, so 5% for salon services. Give it its own invoice.
Can I take deposits online with Frizzi?
No. Frizzi doesn’t take online payments. The client can pay to your UPI QR, and the desk records it as a deposit in the client’s wallet, which comes off the final bill.