How much is a new client fee on Fresha?

The New Client Fee, Explained: How Fresha Charges for Marketplace Customers

Fresha charges a one-time fee for each client who discovers a business through its marketplace, calculated based on the value of their first completed appointment. This fee is designed to cover the cost of acquiring new customers via the platform, but the exact percentage or dollar amount is not publicly disclosed in most sources. Instead, Fresha’s help center confirms the fee’s structure: it applies only to first-time appointments from marketplace-driven bookings, with caps and minimums depending on the service’s value.

What triggers the fee? A client’s first completed appointment after discovering a business through Fresha’s marketplace. This includes bookings made via the platform’s search functionality, but excludes returning clients, manually added contacts, or appointments initiated outside the marketplace. Additional services like memberships, gift cards, or tips added after the initial booking are also exempt.

Cancellation and refund rules further shape the fee’s impact. If a client cancels online through their Fresha account, the fee is deferred to their next appointment. However, business-initiated cancellations or unmanaged appointments still incur the fee, and it is non-refundable. A “New Fresha Client” label appears on profiles until the first appointment is completed, ensuring transparency for businesses.

Comparing Fresha’s model to alternatives highlights key differences. For example, Booksy charges a one-time 30% commission on a new client’s first visit, while Vagaro does not take a percentage of online booking revenue. Fresha’s approach aligns with marketplace-driven platforms that prioritize client acquisition costs, whereas some competitors offer flat fees or free plans.

For businesses, the fee underscores the trade-off between marketplace exposure and revenue retention. While Fresha’s platform connects providers with high-intent customers, the cost structure may influence decisions about marketplace reliance. Alternatives like AI Business Sites offer models where businesses retain full control over pricing and client acquisition, avoiding per-booking fees altogether.

Understanding these mechanics helps businesses evaluate whether Fresha’s marketplace model aligns with their growth strategy. By focusing on first-appointment value, the fee encourages long-term client retention, as 83% of clients return after their third visit, according to Fresha’s data. However, the lack of published rates means businesses must consult Fresha’s pricing page for specifics.

• Fresha’s fee applies only to first completed appointments from marketplace-discovered clients.
• Exemptions include returning clients, manually added contacts, and additional services like memberships.
• The fee is non-refundable and defers only if a client cancels through their Fresha account.
• Competitors like Booksy and Vagaro use alternative models, including flat fees or no percentage-based charges.
• Businesses can avoid the fee by unlisting their profile, though this disables marketplace bookings.

For businesses weighing platform options, the fee structure reflects a broader trend in service booking software: balancing visibility with cost. While Fresha’s model emphasizes marketplace-driven growth, alternatives offer varying degrees of control over pricing and client acquisition.

Every marketplace-acquired client comes with a price tag — the question is whether you know exactly what it is, and whether you ever stop paying it.

Fresha's new client fee is a one-time charge for each client who discovers your business through the Fresha marketplace and books online. According to Fresha's own help center, the fee is calculated based on the value of the client's first completed appointment, with a maximum cap for high-value services and a minimum fee for low-value or free ones. Notably, the exact percentage isn't published in the fee documentation — Fresha defers to a separate pricing page for current rates.

The mechanics matter as much as the amount. The fee only applies to the first completed appointment from a marketplace-discovered client — returning clients, manually added clients, and add-ons like memberships, gift cards, and tips are excluded. If the client cancels online, the fee defers to their next appointment. And it's non-refundable.

Framed honestly, this is a client-acquisition cost — you're paying for access to "high-intent consumers actively searching and ready to book," as Fresha describes its marketplace. And there's evidence it works: Fresha reports that 4 out of 5 clients return for a second appointment after discovering a business through the platform.

The comparison landscape shows how differently platforms charge for the same thing:

• Booksy's Boost charges a one-time 30% commission on a new client's first visit, with repeat visits commission-free
• Vagaro states it takes no percentage of online booking revenue
• Flat-fee tools like Square Appointments ($49/month for small teams) and Setmore ($12/month pro) charge nothing per client

Beyond the marketplace fee, Fresha's broader pricing includes a subscription starting at $19.95 per month for the independent plan, plus a one-time $14.95 setup fee per bookable team member.

Here's the trade-off worth sitting with: you can unlist your profile from the marketplace to avoid the fee entirely — but doing so disables your online booking channels. Your client acquisition becomes dependent on someone else's platform, or on marketing you run yourself.

That second option is where ownership comes in. Businesses that drive their own demand — through their own website, their own booking system, their own payments — pay no per-client fee because the clients were never rented in the first place. That's the philosophy behind how we build at AI Business Sites: booking, payments, and client data live on your own site, in your own Stripe account, not behind a marketplace toll booth. The fee only exists when the relationship does.

The value of Fresha’s new client fee hinges on a critical factor: client retention. Fresha’s own data shows that 4 in 5 clients return after discovering a business through the platform, while those past their third appointment return at rates exceeding 83%. This high retention rate directly impacts whether the one-time fee is a cost-effective investment or a recurring burden.

When businesses maintain strong client relationships, the fee becomes a low-cost acquisition expense. Retaining clients reduces the need for continuous marketing spend, as repeat visits offset the initial fee. However, if clients churn, the fee transforms into a leaky bucket—requiring repeated payments to attract new customers. This dynamic is compounded by the hidden cost of no-shows, which can cost a typical salon up to $2,250/month.

For businesses prioritizing long-term growth, Fresha’s fee structure aligns with retention-driven strategies. High retention not only validates the fee’s value but also strengthens revenue stability. Conversely, low retention risks turning the fee into a cycle of repeated spending, alongside the financial toll of unfulfilled appointments.

Understanding this balance helps businesses evaluate whether Fresha’s model suits their operational goals. By focusing on retention, the fee becomes a strategic investment rather than a transactional cost.

The new client fee is a one-time acquisition cost, not an ongoing commission — but you don't have to accept it by default. Fresha's own help center confirms the fee exists and how it's calculated, though exact rates live on a separate pricing page. Your options: keep Fresha and treat the fee as the price of discovery, reduce your exposure through exemptions, or own your pipeline outright.

Keep Fresha if marketplace discovery drives your business. Fresha's marketplace connects businesses with high-intent consumers actively searching and ready to book. If that's where your new clients come from, the fee is effectively a customer-acquisition cost — and Fresha's own data shows that 4 out of 5 clients return for a second appointment after discovering a business through the marketplace.

That retention rate makes the one-time fee easier to justify: you're paying once for a client who keeps coming back. Compare that with Booksy's Boost model, which charges a one-time 30% commission on a new client's first visit.

Reduce the fee by using the exemptions. Fresha's documentation is clear that the fee applies only to the first completed appointment from a marketplace-discovered client. It doesn't apply to returning clients, manually added clients, or clients who confirm prior visits, and additional services, memberships, gift cards, and tips are excluded. The more you convert one-time discoveries into repeat clients, the less the fee matters over time.

Avoid it entirely by unlisting. Fresha allows businesses to unlist their marketplace profile, which eliminates the fee — but it also disables the online booking channels that come with marketplace visibility. That trade-off only makes sense if you're already driving your own traffic and don't need Fresha's discovery engine.

Own your pipeline instead. For businesses that want to stop paying per acquisition, the alternative is to