Square is best known for its card readers, but its booking system, Square Appointments, is popular with salons, barbers, beauty therapists and other appointment-based businesses. It has a genuinely free plan, which makes it tempting. Here's what you get, what it costs once you add card fees, and who it suits.
- Square Appointments has a free plan for a single location, with paid plans at $40 and $90 per location per month.
- You pay card fees on top: 1.6% in person and 2.2% for online payments.
- It's strongest for businesses that already use Square to take payments.
- It works well for simple, fixed-time appointments. Mobile and quote-based services may need something else.
Prices were checked in October 2026. Confirm current pricing on Square's website before signing up.
Square Appointments pricing (Australia)
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Single location, getting started |
| Plus | $40 per location per month | Growing businesses wanting more automation |
| Premium | $90 per location per month | Busier teams and multiple locations |
Card fees: 1.6% for in-person payments and 2.2% for online payments, on every plan. There are no lock-in contracts.
So a salon taking $10,000 a month in card payments, mostly in person, would pay around $160 in card fees, plus the plan price.
What you get
- Online booking page customers can use 24/7, plus a booking button for your website, Google and Instagram
- Automatic reminders by text and email to cut no-shows
- Deposits, prepayments and no-show fees, so you're not out of pocket
- Staff calendars and schedules
- Customer records with booking history and notes
- Payments built in, using Square's card readers or online checkout
The paid plans add more advanced features, such as extra automation, resource booking and more control over staff permissions. Check Square's comparison page for the current split, as features move between plans.
Pros
- Genuinely free to start for a single location
- Payments and bookings in one place, which is very handy if you already use Square
- Easy to set up, with a clean booking page customers find simple
- Deposits and no-show protection included
Cons
- Card fees add up if most customers pay online
- Built around fixed-time appointments. Mobile services that travel to customers, jobs that need a quote first, or bookings that depend on location are harder to handle
- Less industry-specific than tools built for one trade, like dedicated salon or physio software
- Your booking page is Square-branded, unless you embed it in your own website
Who Square Appointments suits
Good fit: hair salons, barbers, beauty and nail salons, massage therapists, personal trainers and other businesses with set services, set lengths and customers coming to you.
Maybe not: tradies and mobile services where every job is different, allied health businesses needing clinical notes and health fund integration, and businesses already using another payment system they're happy with.
For a wider comparison, including Fresha, Timely and others, see our guide to online booking systems for small business.
Customers often check your website before booking. Embedding Square's booking widget, or linking a clear "Book now" button, keeps them on your site and makes your business look more established.
The verdict
If you run a salon, barber or beauty business and already use Square for payments, Square Appointments is hard to beat on value. Start with the free plan and upgrade when you need more. If your services are mobile, quote-based or highly specialised, compare it with industry-specific options first.
A website that takes bookings while you work
We build websites with online booking built in, connected to the booking system you already use.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, there's a free plan for a single location. You still pay card fees (1.6% in person, 2.2% online) when customers pay through Square.
Get website tips by email
One short email a month on winning more enquiries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Rhys builds and looks after every Reactive Web website himself, from Redwood Park in Adelaide, for local service businesses that want more calls, bookings and enquiries.
