Question 1

What goes on a salon or spa invoice?

Accepted Answer

Service description (cut, color, perm, balayage, manicure, pedicure, facial, massage), stylist/technician name (helps with tip allocation), retail products sold, gratuity (if added), and any add-ons (deep conditioner, paraffin, hot stones). Most salon software produces this automatically; for solo booth renters or in-home services, Issueable generates the same shape on demand.

Question 2

Do I charge sales tax on services or just products?

Accepted Answer

Most US states tax retail products (shampoo, styling tools, polishes) but not the salon services themselves. About a dozen states tax both — Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia, and a handful of others. Texas taxes hair restoration but not haircuts. Florida has split treatment. Issueable's two-tax-line support lets you apply tax only to product line items.

Question 3

How should I show gratuity?

Accepted Answer

Most salons leave gratuity off the printed invoice — clients tip in cash or via the POS at checkout, and gratuity isn't part of taxable sales. If you do include it (some high-end spas roll it into a single invoice), list it on its own line and exclude it from the tax base. For credit card tips, the salon software handles allocation; the invoice just shows the total tendered.

Question 4

Should I bill booth-rent stylists separately?

Accepted Answer

Yes — booth/chair rental is a separate B2B transaction from the salon's customer billing. Booth renters pay weekly or monthly rent ($150-$500/wk depending on market and chair quality) and run their own books. Issue the booth-rent statement to the stylist as its own invoice; their customer-facing invoices are theirs to issue. Issueable supports both — salon owners use it for booth-rent statements; their renters use it for client billing.

Question 5

How do I handle gift certificates and prepaid services?

Accepted Answer

Gift certificates are deferred revenue — you've taken the payment but haven't earned it until the service is rendered. Track them separately from completed-service invoices. When redeemed, issue an invoice referencing the gift certificate ("Service: $85. Gift cert applied: -$85. Balance: $0"). Some states require gift certificates to be redeemable indefinitely; check your state's escheatment rules.

Question 6

Can I bill for hair extensions or large color services as packages?

Accepted Answer

Yes — premium services typically book as packages with a deposit at scheduling and balance at appointment. Common: $100-$300 deposit at booking for color corrections or extension installations, balance due at appointment. State the deposit explicitly on the booking invoice and on the final invoice ("Deposit applied: -$200, balance due: $650"). Without a deposit, no-shows on premium services hurt enormously.

Question 7

How should multi-stylist appointments be billed?

Accepted Answer

List each service with the stylist's name as part of the description: "Cut & color (Sarah): $185", "Manicure (Maria): $45", "Pedicure (Maria): $65." This helps with tip allocation and lets the salon track per-stylist revenue. Issue one invoice covering the visit; internal commission/booth-rent allocation happens off the customer-facing document.

Question 8

Do I need to issue a printed receipt or just an email invoice?

Accepted Answer

Customer preference and POS workflow drive this. Most salons print receipts at checkout and offer email/text as an option. Issueable produces a clean PDF that emails or prints identically. For a customer who wants documentation (HSA-eligible cosmetic services, business expense for an interview-prep cut), a clean PDF invoice carries more weight than a thermal POS receipt.

Salon & Spa Invoice Template

Built for Salon & Spa Billing

Service + Retail Lines

Per-Stylist Attribution

Booth-Rent Statements

From Solo Chair to Multi-Station Salon

Hair Salons

Nail Salons

Day Spas

Solo Stylists / Booth Renters

Salon Invoice FAQ