Walk-ins and bookings shouldn't be two systems
Square Appointments lets you toggle a tech to "walk-in available" and assign next-up from a queue, while still honoring booked clients on the calendar. One screen, no double-booking.
For Nail Salons
Walk-in or booked. Quick ticket, sharp commission.
Square Appointments handles the booking calendar, walk-in queue, technician commission, and polish/retail attach — all on one ticket, with processing built for fast turns.
- Walk-in queue + appointment calendar in one app
- Tech commission per service & retail
- Cash discount keeps margin on $20 manis
What we hear from operators
The four problems we solve first
Tech commissions need real rules
Per-tech rates, separate splits for service vs. retail, tip flow-through, and 1099 booth-renter logic — Square handles each rule per staff member and exports clean reports for payroll.
Card fees on a $25 mani sting
$0.10 per swipe is 0.4% before the percentage on a $25 ticket. Duet keeps the listed price as the card price; cash customers get an automatic discount. Effective processing approaches 0%.
Retail is a hidden upside
Polish, files, gift sets — Square for Retail attaches retail to the service ticket so techs see commission on the product they recommended. Inventory updates without a second app.
The Square Stack
The exact Square products that fit your business
SugarPay deploys, configures, and supports each of these — billed through Square, activated and trained by us.
Square Appointments
Online booking, walk-in queue, deposits, no-show fees, automated reminders, and per-tech calendars with their own hours and services.
Square Card on File
Tokenized cards for memberships, packages, and one-tap rebookings. Card data lives in Square's PCI environment — never on a laptop or notebook.
Square for Retail
Polish, files, sample kits, gift sets — barcode-driven inventory and retail attach on the same ticket as the service.
Square Loyalty
Star-based loyalty ("$5 off after 8 manis") drives the repeat-visit rhythm that nail salons live on.
Square Marketing
Win-back automation ("haven't seen Lisa in 4 weeks"), birthday rewards, and segmented campaigns — from your real client list.
Square Payroll for Tipped Employees
Designed around tip + commission splits, with 1099 support for booth renters who run their own books.
Recommended Hardware
Your kit, decided in five minutes
We'll size the bundle to your footprint and ticket volume. Square Hardware financing is available to spread the spend.
Front desk
Square Stand
iPad-based all-in-one for check-in, check-out, retail attach, and tip prompts.
Chair-side
Square Terminal (handheld)
Hand the device to the client at the chair for tip & sign — feels like a fine-dining tableside flow.
Booth renters & mobile techs
Square Reader
Pocket-sized Bluetooth reader for booth renters who want their own ring-up without buying a full stand.
Retail
Brother / Dymo label printer
For barcoded retail bottles, sample tags, and gift card sleeves.
Switching from
Why operators move to SugarPay + Square
vs. Booksy
Booksy's marketplace charges 3.49% + 30¢ on processing AND a per-booking marketplace fee. Square Appointments has no marketplace fee — you keep your client list and your customer relationship.
vs. Vagaro
Vagaro is appointment-first but retail and reporting feel bolted on. Square gives you a unified ticket (service + retail), inventory, and reporting from one vendor.
vs. Salon Iris
Long-tenured but desktop-heavy and on-prem hardware-dependent. Square is cloud-native and works on tablets that fit the polish station.
vs. Boulevard / GlossGenius
Solid stylist-first booking apps but processing rates set unilaterally. With Square + SugarPay, you choose Standard rates or 0% Duet, and you own the merchant relationship.
Detailed comparison pages and migration guides are on the way. In the meantime, tell us your current processor and we'll model the actual savings against your sales.
Vertical FAQ
The questions nail salons operators ask first
Can we run walk-ins and appointments in one app?
Yes — toggle a tech as walk-in available; the queue auto-fills around their booked clients. The same calendar handles both flows without conflict.
How does commission work for booth renters?
Booth renters can each have their own Square account (we set them up) or share one with separate staff calendars. Either way, processing flows to the right person and the right 1099.
Does it handle deposits and no-show fees?
Yes. Configure a deposit amount or % per service, a cancellation window, and an automatic no-show fee against the card on file. Clients agree at booking; Square enforces it.
Will Dual Pricing work for personal services?
Cash discount programs are broadly permitted across the U.S. We configure compliant table-tent signage, on-screen disclosure, and receipt language for your jurisdiction at onboarding.
Can I link gift card and retail sales to the booking client?
Yes — Square's customer profile attaches gift cards, retail history, service history, loyalty stars, and notes (e.g., color preference, allergies) to the same record.
Other industries
Different shop, same playbook
Restaurants
Run a tighter kitchen. Keep more of every check.
QSR
Speed at the counter, kiosks at the wall, kitchen on rhythm.
FSR
Floor maps, course pacing, splits, comps — without the legacy pain.
Bars / Nightclubs
Tabs, tips, taps. POS that keeps up with the rush.
Retail
One inventory. Every sales channel.
Retail Clothing
Size, color, season — the variants don't have to be your headache.
Liquor Stores
Compliance-ready POS for beer, wine & spirits.
Salons & Spas
Book it. Sell it. Keep it. With one calendar.
Med Spas
Memberships, packages, deposits — and the retail to match.
Wholesale
B2B pricing tiers, NET terms, ACH — the way wholesale actually works.
Service / Entertainment
Bookings, deposits, day-of payments — for venues, events & service pros.
Quote me my chair.
Tell us your tech count, average ticket, and current booking app — we'll quote Standard rates or Duet within one business day.
Get my quote →