Last Updated on August 17, 2026
Every figure was checked on 28 July 2026 against Treatwell’s UK pricing page, its partner terms and conditions, and salon-owner reports. Where Treatwell does not publish a number, we say so. No affiliate links on this page.
Treatwell’s headline is simple: 35% commission on a new client’s first booking, 0% on repeats. The detail is where the money moves. Here is what a £50 booking actually pays, who counts as “new”, and how the fees compare with Fresha, Booksy and taking bookings direct.
Treatwell fees at a glance (July 2026)
| Cost | Treatwell | Fresha | Booksy | Direct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Not published for the UK (budget £30 to £50 a month) | From about £9.95 to £14.95 per team member a month | £40 a month, £5 per extra user | £12 to £29 a month for a site platform |
| New client fee | 35% + VAT on the first marketplace booking | 20%, minimum £4, one-time | 0% (optional Boost: 30%, minimum £5, + VAT) | £0 |
| Repeat client fee | 0% | 0% | 0% | £0 |
| Online payment fee | 2.5% + VAT on prepayments | 1.19% + 20p in person | 0.99% to 1.29% + 20p + VAT | Your provider, typically 1.4% to 1.7% |
| Take from a £50 new-client booking | £21.00 to £22.50 | £10.00 | £0 (£15 + VAT with Boost) | £0 |
The £50 booking, worked through
A new client finds you on the Treatwell marketplace and books a £50 treatment. Commission at 35% is £17.50, plus £3.50 VAT on the commission: £21 gone, you keep £29. If they prepaid online, add the 2.5% plus VAT payment fee and you keep £27.50. VAT-registered salons can reclaim the VAT; most small salons under the £90,000 threshold cannot.
The same client rebooks next month: commission is zero. Prepaid online, Treatwell takes £1.50. Paid in the salon on your own machine, Treatwell takes nothing.
Who counts as “new” (read this twice)
Treatwell’s partner terms define a new booking as anyone not in your client database, or anyone who has not completed a booking with you in the last 365 days. A regular who drifts for a year and wanders back through the Treatwell app costs you 35% again, on a client you already own. Salon owners report exactly this happening.
The April 2025 cancellation rule
Since 1 April 2025, if you or your team cancel a new marketplace client’s appointment later than midnight before the visit, the 35% commission still applies. Rescheduling instead of cancelling avoids the charge. And if Treatwell suspects you are encouraging clients to cancel and rebook direct, its terms allow it to apply commission to customer-cancelled visits for 90 days.
Can you move clients off the marketplace?
The terms say you must not solicit customers to book other than through the marketplace or your Treatwell widget. In practice, repeat bookings are commission-free anyway, so the game is retention: get the client’s number at the first visit, book visit two in the chair, and keep repeats on your own site or the widget. The real risk is not the rule, it is the 365-day reset and the fact that the client’s booking habit, reviews and app relationship live on Treatwell’s platform, not yours.
Why retention decides whether 35% is worth it
Average first-visit salon retention is about 35%: roughly two of every three first-time clients never come back. At that rate, two of every three £21 acquisition fees buy nothing. The salons that make marketplaces pay are the ones already converting first visits into regulars, which is a rebooking process, not a marketing spend. Fix rebooking before you buy bookings.
Common questions
How much commission does Treatwell take?
Treatwell charges 35% plus VAT on a new client’s first marketplace booking, which is 42% of the ticket if you are not VAT registered. Repeat bookings are commission-free, though online prepayments carry a 2.5% plus VAT fee.
What does Treatwell take from a £50 booking?
On a £50 first booking from a new marketplace client, Treatwell takes £21, or £22.50 if the client prepaid online. On a £50 repeat booking it takes £1.50 at most.
Does Treatwell charge if I cancel an appointment?
Yes. Since 1 April 2025 the 35% new-client commission still applies if you cancel a new marketplace client’s appointment later than midnight before the visit. Rescheduling avoids the charge.
Can I ask Treatwell clients to book direct next time?
Treatwell’s partner terms say you must not solicit customers to book outside the marketplace or widget. Repeat bookings are 0% commission anyway, but a client who lapses 365 days counts as new again at 35%.
Is Treatwell cheaper than Fresha or Booksy?
Not for acquisition. On a £50 new-client booking Treatwell takes about £21, Fresha takes £10, and Booksy takes nothing unless you switch on Boost. Booksy instead charges a flat £40 a month.
Three things to do this week
- Treat the 35% as an advertising cost. It only pays off if you convert first visits into direct regulars. Measure your rebooking rate before judging the platform.
- Never cancel, always reschedule. A salon-side cancellation of a new client costs the full 35% plus VAT since April 2025.
- Keep your regulars off the marketplace. Number at first visit, second booking in the chair, repeats through your own site or the commission-free widget.
How findable is your salon without the marketplace?
The free Whito AI Visibility Scorecard checks how findable and trusted your business looks to customers and AI search in about two minutes, and tells you the one thing to fix first.
