Beverly B.
Disappointed with the fee structure
As a beauty professional, I pride myself on providing excellent service to my clients, but I’m increasingly frustrated with the way StyleSeat operates. I’ve been using this platform for some time now, and while it has its benefits, the fee structure has become a significant concern for me. To start, the new client fee of 30% on every booked appointment is quite steep. It disheartens me to think that after pouring my heart and soul into my work, I’m only left with a fraction of what I earn. It feels discouraging when I realize that I’m only seeing about 2/3 of my gross pay after StyleSeat takes their cut. On top of the new client fee, there’s also a transaction fee that StyleSeat charges, and this is in addition to the fees charged directly to the clients for booking. It feels like a never-ending cycle of expenses, and it raises my eyebrows that they even take a cut from my tips. This is particularly saddening considering how hard I work to earn those tips. When I finally start to account for my costs—supplies, products, and overhead expenses—the reality is that I’m not left with much. I can’t stress enough how demotivating it is to see my income dwindling due to these high fees. I want to provide the best for my clients, but the current structure makes it challenging to sustain a profitable business. I believe that it’s time for StyleSeat to reconsider their fee policies, especially for new clients. While I understand the need for a platform to cover its costs, this model ultimately leaves beauty professionals like me feeling undervalued and overburdened. Here's hoping they can find a way to create a more balanced fee structure that supports rather than hinders our success.
Response from StyleSeatOct 16, 2024
Hi Beverly! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate the opportunity to provide some clarity. Our New Client Connection Program includes a one-time 30% fee on the first appointment booked with clients we introduce. This fee applies only when a new client is referred through our marketing efforts. If one of your existing clients is mistakenly marked as a new client, please let us know! You can easily request a correction by clicking the link in the appointment details that says “new client from StyleSeat” and selecting “request a correction.” Regarding the processing fees, these are standard across the industry and cover credit card processing costs for client payments. Additionally, StyleSeat charges a $2.35 booking fee to help maintain a seamless booking experience, which is common practice among similar platforms. We see that you’re currently on our Basic Plan. Based on your feedback, you might find our Premium Plan beneficial. It allows you to customize your features, including the option to disable the New Client Connection Program. Plus, you can process regular appointments using any payment method, and payments processed outside of StyleSeat won’t incur our processing fee (though please note that most payment processors have similar fees). We want to thank you again for sharing your feedback. We have passed it along to our Product team to take into consideration as we continuously work to make StyleSeat the best experience possible for our Professionals. We appreciate you being part of our community!