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AI invoicing tools for hair and beauty salons in the UK

Salons mostly take payment at the till rather than sending invoices, but the bookkeeping behind it still matters: card fees, deposits, product sales, tips and chair or room rental income. Booking apps take payments at the desk; accounting software turns the totals into records for tax and VAT.

Prices were re-checked on each provider's own page; the date is next to each one. Rules and figures from GOV.UK are linked where they're used.

Payments in your booking app

Fresha, Booksy and Timely all take card payments, at a fee; compare processing rates on each pricing page if most clients pay by card (checked 14 October 2026). Export daily totals to your accounting software so card fees and refunds show up.

Tips

By law, all tips must be passed to workers without deductions, and the statutory code of practice covers a written tipping policy and records (GOV.UK). Record card tips separately from service income so they're easy to pass on and trace.

Invoices for chair rental and events

If self-employed stylists rent a chair, invoice them monthly from Zoho Books (free plan) or FreeAgent (£19 a month for sole traders, excl. VAT; checked 15 October 2026). Bridal and event bookings need a proper invoice showing the deposit paid. See our Making Tax Digital guide for the new quarterly reporting dates.

The options, with prices

Tool	Price and free plan	UK notes and source
Fresha Booking, payments and client records for salons, spas and barbers, with a consumer marketplace.	Independent: $19.95 a month. Team: $14.95 per bookable team member a month. 20% one-time fee on new marketplace clients (minimum applies). Card fees extra. 7-day free trial. Booking links, Facebook and Instagram bookings and email/app notifications are included free.	Our check showed US-dollar prices; the provider may show pounds to UK visitors. Source, checked 14 October 2026
Booksy Booking app for hair, beauty and barbers with a marketplace listing and marketing tools.	£40 a month for all features, plus VAT. Extra users £5 a month each. Optional Boost: one-time 30% fee (minimum £5) on new marketplace clients. 7-day free trial. No booking fees on unlimited bookings.	UK prices in pounds, plus VAT. Source, checked 14 October 2026
Timely Salon and spa booking software with client records, payments and text reminders.	Build: $26, Elevate: $39, Innovate: $47 per staff member a month, billed in USD when we checked. 14-day free trial, no card needed.	Payments available in the UK. Our check showed US-dollar prices; the provider may show pounds to UK visitors. Source, checked 14 October 2026
Zoho Books Accounting software with a free plan for very small businesses and paid UK plans.	Free: £0. Standard: £12 a month (£10 billed annually). Professional: £24 (£20). Premium: £30 (£25). Per organisation. Free plan for sole traders and micro businesses.	UK pricing in pounds. Source, checked 15 October 2026
FreeAgent UK accounting software for sole traders, partnerships and small companies.	Sole traders: £19 a month. Limited companies: £33 a month or £330 a year. All excl. VAT, with 50% off the first six months when checked. Free with a NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank business account, or Mettle (conditions apply). Free for eligible NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank and Mettle customers; otherwise a 30-day free trial.	UK company, pounds. Source, checked 15 October 2026

What to check before you choose

Card processing rate and payout timing.
Can you record tips separately?
Can it export daily totals to your accounting software?
Recurring invoices for chair rental?
Fresha and Timely showed US-dollar prices when we checked.

A prompt to start with

Paste this into ChatGPT or Claude, filling in the brackets:

You're helping me with my salon's books. Here are this month's till totals, card payouts, tips and chair rental payments: [paste]. Reconcile card payouts to takings, list card fees, total tips by staff member, and list any unpaid chair rental. Don't give tax advice.

Free tools

Price a job with the quote and VAT calculator (20%, 5%, 0% and reverse charge), or work out your day rate (see how much to charge per hour). Comparing job management apps? Read Tradify vs Jobber. If a business customer pays late, the late payment interest calculator works out the statutory interest you can add, and how to chase a late payment sets out the steps. For ready-made messages, see 16 ChatGPT prompts for tradespeople. Deposit, rebooking and tipping-policy prompts: ChatGPT prompts for salons. Over £50,000 turnover? Making Tax Digital for Income Tax has applied since 6 April 2026; check your date with the Making Tax Digital checker.

Questions

Do I have to pass on card tips to staff?

Yes. GOV.UK says all tips must be given to workers without deductions, under the statutory code of practice.

Do I need invoicing software if I use Fresha or Booksy?

The booking app handles payments; accounting software is still useful for your tax records and Making Tax Digital.

Are these prices in pounds?

Not all. Where a provider only publishes US dollar prices we show dollars, so check the price in pounds at checkout.

Do you get paid if I sign up?

Some links may become affiliate links, and we'll label them when they do. It doesn't change what we list. See how we make money.

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