Salon accounting software that knows a haircut from a shampoo.
A salon runs two businesses on one till: services delivered by people who earn a share, and retail products that sit in stock. Add tips, prepaid packages, gift cards and a second branch, and generic accounting software is guessing. Nonari posts each piece where it belongs — at the moment the client pays.
Service and retail on one bill
A haircut and a shampoo on the same receipt post to two revenue accounts, and the shampoo leaves stock at cost. One entry, no splitting later.
Commissions per stylist, per service
Rates per stylist and per service. Every billed visit accrues the commission, so the weekly payout is a report, not a calculation.
Packages and gift cards as liabilities
A prepaid package is money you owe in services. Nonari books it as deferred revenue and recognises it visit by visit.
Four salon postings that a spreadsheet gets wrong every week.
Commission is the first. A stylist on 40% of services has earned $28 the moment a $70 haircut is billed — if the books do not accrue it, the month-end payout is a surprise expense and the monthly profit was overstated all along. Tips are the second: they belong to the stylist, not to revenue. Prepaid packages are the third: selling five cuts for $300 is not $300 of revenue today; it is a $300 liability that becomes revenue $60 at a time. Gift cards are the same story. Retail is the fourth: the shampoo on the shelf is inventory at cost until it is sold, and salons that skip that end up with a product margin they cannot see.
General-purpose accounting software can hold each of these accounts, but nothing in it knows that a bill contained a haircut by Sara and a shampoo, so someone reconstructs it from the booking system every week. Nonari’s POS carries the stylist, the service and the product on the bill and posts all four correctly at checkout.
- Commission accrued per billed service at the stylist’s rate; payout report weekly or monthly
- Tips to a liability per stylist, paid out without touching revenue
- Prepaid packages and gift cards as deferred revenue, recognised on redemption
- Retail products in stock at cost, sold on the same bill as the service
- Chair rental for contractors: the stylist’s revenue and your rental fee kept apart
One client visit, eight accounts, zero spreadsheets.
A client has a $70 haircut with Sara, buys a $30 shampoo and tips $20 on the card. The settlement posts $120 to card clearing, $70 to service revenue, $30 to product sales and $20 to tips payable for Sara. The shampoo leaves stock at its $12 cost. And because Sara is on 40% of services, $28 of commission expense is accrued against a payable in her name at the same moment. On Friday the tips and commission payables are paid out from a report; nothing is recalculated.
The month’s profit is now right every day: service margin after commission, product margin after cost, tips nowhere near revenue. Sara can see her own week without asking the owner, and the owner can see which stylist and which product line actually earns.
Money you have but have not earned yet.
Selling a five-cut package for $300 creates a customer credit and a $300 deferred-revenue liability. Each redemption decrements the credit and recognises $60 of revenue. The client’s remaining balance prints on the receipt; the liability on the balance sheet is exactly the cuts you still owe. Gift cards work the same way, and expired or forfeited balances are released to revenue with an entry you can point to.
An afternoon, then the first appointment.
Import the service menu with prices and durations, stylists with commission rates, retail products with opening stock at cost, and clients. Set the tips and package policies once. Opening balances load until the trial balance foots, and the first appointment bills through the new till the next morning.
- Services with price and duration; stylists with commission rate (CSV)
- Retail products with opening quantity and cost
- Clients with any outstanding package or gift-card balance as a liability
- Branches for a chain, sharing the catalogue with their own stock (unlimited users)
What the salon edition includes.
Service catalogue and stylist billing
A menu of services with default price and duration; each line on a bill carries the stylist, so commission and reporting follow.
Commissions and tips
Per-stylist, per-service rates accrued at billing; tips to a liability per stylist; a payout report for weekly or monthly settlement.
Packages, gift cards, loyalty
Prepaid packages and gift cards as deferred revenue with balances on the receipt; loyalty points on top for repeat visits.
Retail inventory
Products sold at checkout leave stock at cost; per-branch stock with reorder points; supplier bills post to payables.
Chair rental and contractors
Contractor stylists keep their revenue; you bill a chair-rental fee. The split is recorded, not remembered.
Multi-branch
A salon chain shares the catalogue; each branch keeps its own stock, staff, drawers and profit and loss.
Nonari vs generic accounting software for a salon
Two plans. Every feature on both.
One location, one company
Up to 3 locations, +$32 each after
Unlimited users on both. 15-day free trial, no card. See the full pricing page.
Frequently asked.
What is the best accounting software for a salon or spa?
One whose till knows which stylist did which service, so commissions, tips, packages and retail post correctly at checkout instead of being rebuilt from the booking system. Check for per-stylist commission accrual, tips as a liability, deferred revenue for packages and gift cards, and retail stock on the same bill. Nonari does all four on a full ledger, with unlimited users so every stylist can see their own week.
How do I record stylist commissions in the books?
Accrue them when the service is billed: debit commission expense, credit commission payable in the stylist’s name, at their rate. Pay the payable weekly or monthly. Recording commission only when it is paid overstates profit between payouts. Nonari accrues it automatically from the rate on the stylist and the service line on the bill.
How are prepaid packages and gift cards accounted for?
As deferred revenue. Selling a package or gift card creates a liability; each redemption reduces it and recognises revenue for the service delivered. The client’s remaining balance shows on the receipt, and the liability on the balance sheet equals the services still owed.
Can I run rented chairs or contractor stylists?
Yes. A contractor stylist can be set up so their service revenue is theirs and you bill a chair-rental fee; the split is recorded on each bill. Employed stylists on commission use the standard rate model.
Does it work for a chain of salons?
Yes. Branches share the service and product catalogue but keep their own stock, staff, drawers and profit and loss, consolidated at the company level. Basic is one location; Pro covers up to three, with more added on.
How much does salon accounting software cost?
Nonari is $29 a month for one salon and $70 a month for up to three, till and inventory included, unlimited users, 15-day free trial with no card. Salon booking systems with payments commonly charge per user or a percentage of card volume on top of an accounting subscription.
Bill one appointment and see Sara’s commission appear.
15-day free trial, no card. Add two services, one stylist and a shampoo, bill a visit with a tip, and check the payables before you decide.