Booking bill
Booking costs start at the renewal price
Online booking is rarely included in the headline builder price. It is usually a paid add-on or a higher plan tier, and that is what sets the real monthly bill for a salon or cleaning business.
Intro booking pricing often rises at renewal. A plan that looks cheap in month one can cost noticeably more in year two once the promotional period ends. Read the renewal figure for the booking tier you actually need, not the number on the homepage.
- Booking is often a paid add-on or a higher plan tier.
- Year-two renewal is the real price you will pay every year.
- Salons and cleaners still book by phone and text, so a booking page has to earn its fee.
Before you commit, work through the small business website maintenance cost guide and the small business website checklist, which set out the recurring lines that sit alongside booking.
Booking costs, year one vs year two
Booking is rarely included in the base plan price. It is usually a paid add-on or a higher tier, so the bill you see at signup is often not the one you pay in year two. The table below sets the year-one and year-two lines side by side. List prices were checked at the time of writing, and every figure must be confirmed on the builder's current pricing page before you pay.
Wix: Core plan for online payments
Booking tools are free to install, but taking payments or deposits needs Core at $29 a month on annual billing, against $17 for Light. Year-one cost is about $348 charged up front. The renewal is the same $29 a month, so the jump comes from the plan tier you need, not a surprise increase. Year-two cost: confirm the renewal figure on Wix's pricing page.
Squarespace: Acuity Scheduling as a second subscription
Squarespace does not include booking on any website plan. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16 a month on annual billing, so a salon taking appointments pays for two subscriptions. Basic is $19 a month after the July 2026 price rise, which reaches existing sites at renewal. Combined year-one cost is about $35 a month before email, with the same two lines continuing in year two. Verify the Acuity and plan figures before buying.
Hostinger: Unlimited tier with bookings
Appointment booking sits on the Unlimited tier at $3.99 a month intro, prepaid over a four-year term ($191.52). The renewal is $16.99 a month on Unlimited, so the year-two figure is far above the headline. Payment fees are separate from the plan price. Verify the renewal and term terms before committing.
Payment processing fees on every paid booking
Whatever the builder charges for the plan, each deposit or paid booking carries a payment processing fee. This cost scales with volume, so a busy cleaner pays more in year two than in year one even with an identical plan. Check the percentage and any per-transaction charge on the payments page.
Reading the table for a single-chair salon: you need one staff calendar and deposits. The main cost is the booking add-on plus one plan tier, so compare the year-two total of each route.
Reading the table for a multi-cleaner business: check for per-staff or seat limits and paid reminder messages, which multiply with headcount. A low plan price can become the most expensive option once every cleaner needs a calendar.
Which builders handle appointments without a renewal shock
A salon or cleaning business needs a booking flow that does more than show hours and a phone number. A booking page that only lists opening times captures no bookings at all. The questions below decide whether a builder's booking tool does the job, and whether the price still holds in year two.
A service menu with prices
Clients need to pick a cut, a clean or a call-out and see what it costs before they book. Check whether the builder lets you list each service with a duration and price, or whether that sits behind a higher tier.
Staff or cleaner availability
Each person needs their own working hours and days off. Single-operator plans often cover one calendar only, so a three-chair salon or a team of cleaners may need a plan with more staff seats.
Reminders that cut no-shows
Automatic confirmation and reminder messages reduce missed appointments. Some builders include email reminders free, while text (SMS) reminders are often metered or billed per message. Price the text reminders before you count on them.
Deposits and a calendar that does not double-book
Taking a deposit adds a payment processing fee on every booking, and that fee is part of the year-two bill. A calendar that syncs with Google Calendar stops two clients landing in the same slot, so confirm the sync works on the plan you intend to keep.
Check the booking bill, then choose a builder
Booking looks free on the pricing page and is often not. Before you pay for a website with online booking, check the renewal figure for the booking add-on, the fee taken on each booking, and what happens when you add staff or send reminders.
- Booking add-on renewal. Confirm the price the booking tool renews at, not the intro rate, and whether it is a separate subscription from the website plan.
- Payment fee on each booking. Deposits and prepaid appointments often carry a transaction fee on top of card processing. Multiply it by your weekly bookings to see the real cost.
- Staff or seat limits. A plan may cover one calendar. Adding a second stylist or cleaner can push you up a tier at renewal.
- SMS reminder charges. Text reminders cut no-shows, but many builders bill them per message or lock them behind a higher plan.