Commission versus flat fee
What does a booking marketplace cost you per year?
25% or 30% of the first service sounds small until you multiply it by twelve months. Put your own numbers in and see the full picture.
What you would pay in a year
| Option | Fee per year | Commissions per year | Total per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treatwell | €0 | €2,100 | €2,100 |
| Booksy with Boost | €612 | €2,520 | €3,132 |
| Booksy without Boost | €612 | €0 | €612 |
| Calendace Standard | €156 | €0 | €156 |
With Calendace you would pay €456 less per year than with Booksy without Boost.
- The Standard plan covers up to 3 professionals and 600 bookings a month.
- Treatwell adds 2% on every online payment and requires a 12-month commitment, so that total is a commitment, not an estimate.
- Calendace charges no commission per appointment or client, and no extra per professional within the plan limit. No lock-in.
Questions about the maths
Is the commission paid once per client or on every appointment?
Once, on each new client's first booking. That client's later visits pay no commission. This is why the maths depends on how many new clients the platform brings you, not on how many appointments you have.
What if those clients would have come anyway?
That is the question that matters. The calculator assumes they would not, that the platform genuinely found them. If a long-standing client books through the marketplace because it is convenient and that counts as a new client, you are paying for people who were already yours. Read the small print before signing.
When is a marketplace worth it?
When you have just opened and nobody knows you. At that point every person through the door is worth it, and paying 25% of a first visit is a good investment. It stops paying off once most of your appointments are repeat clients.
Guides
Practical guides
Short articles on the questions businesses like yours ask us most.
What a booking marketplace really costs: commission vs flat fee
A 25% or 30% cut of every new client sounds small until you multiply it by twelve months. The full maths for a salon with three professionals, including commission, per-staff fees and lock-in, and the one case where the marketplace does pay off.
How to move your clients from a marketplace to your own booking page without losing them
Leaving Booksy or Treatwell overnight is the quickest way to lose clients. What to say at the front desk, on Instagram and in the reminder, how long to keep both running, and what to check in your contract first.
How to choose booking software for a small salon: ten questions before you sign up
Ten questions worth asking any appointment software before you put your clients into it, and Calendace's honest answer to each one, including the things it doesn't cover.
To compare before you decide:PricingCalendace vs BooksyCalendace vs TreatwellCalendace vs Fresha
A flat fee and no commission
Your booking page, your brand and your client list stay yours. Free plan, no card and no lock-in.