Booking software for nail salons and nail technicians
The nail booking that goes wrong is always the same one: a client books an infill, turns up needing a full set with removal, and the next two clients wait. TimeToBook lets you list infills, full sets, removals and art as separate services with honest durations, prompts clients to rebook at three weeks, and takes a deposit on the long appointments. One technician is free.
Free for one staff member. No card needed. Last updated 28 October 2026.
The short version
TimeToBook fits nail technicians and salons from one tech to about ten that want online booking with accurate service times, reminders, client notes and deposits, without marketplace commission or per-booking fees. Pedicure stations are set up as bookable resources so they never double-book. It does not pair two techs on one client or run packages and loyalty, which most small salons do not need.
Nail salons by the numbers
Figures we use when we talk to nail technicians. Every one links to where it came from.
- 16% vs 1%
- Nail salon cancellation rate versus no-show rate. Clients cancel late far more often than they vanish.
- 2.72%
- UK no-show rate for gel nail appointments booked on Treatwell, with nail extensions close behind at 2.69%.
- Every 3 weeks
- The standard BIAB infill interval; one NZ salon prices infills differently under and over 3 weeks.
- 24%
- Of nail salon revenue comes from add-ons like art, removal and repairs, against 15% across beauty generally.
Source: Zenoti benchmark via nail salon guide, 2026
Source: Treatwell data via Scratch, 2025
Source: Nail Garden price list, 2026
Source: Zenoti benchmark via nail salon guide, 2026
What nail technicians need from booking software
The problems that come up every time we talk to nail salon owners, and what TimeToBook does about each one.
| The need | How TimeToBook handles it |
|---|---|
| Infill, full set and removal with honest durations | Each is its own service with its own time and price: "BIAB infill, 60 min", "BIAB full set, 75 min", "Removal, add-on, 15 min". Clients add several to one booking and TimeToBook totals the time and only offers slots where the whole thing fits. The calendar draws the services as one connected block. Feature details |
| Clients who book an infill but need a full set | TimeToBook does not refuse a booking based on when the client last came in, so this still needs a human eye. What helps: the client's last visit and notes are on the booking screen, infills can be listed as "under 3 weeks" and "over 3 weeks" with different times and prices, and rebooking reminders in TimeToBook Plus prompt clients at three weeks before they drift. Feature details |
| Nail art that takes anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour | List art in tiers (simple, detailed, full set of hand-painted) as separate add-on services with their own durations and prices. Clients add the tier when they book; bespoke designs stay "ask at the salon" by leaving them off online booking, which you can do per service. Feature details |
| Deposits on long sets, not on a 30-minute polish change | Deposits are switched on per service, fixed or a percentage, up to full prepayment. The deposit is refunded automatically if the client cancels inside your notice window and kept if they do not show. Part of TimeToBook Plus, where online payments are available in your region. Feature details |
| Late cancellations rather than no-shows | Nail clients cancel more than they ghost, so the notice window matters. Every confirmation and reminder has a manage link; inside your window (24 hours by default, adjustable) the client cancels or, with Plus, reschedules themselves, and the slot reopens online straight away. Outside the window the buttons disappear and they have to contact you. Feature details |
| Several techs, different skills | Assign each service to the techs who do it, so a client picking gel extensions only sees the right people. Price and duration can differ per tech, and each has their own hours and app login. Feature details |
| Pedicure chairs that run out before techs do | Set each pedicure station up as a bookable resource that only offers pedicures, the same way you add a staff member. A station then cannot be double-booked, clients book its time online, and it has its own column on the calendar. Each resource is priced like a staff member. Feature details |
A nail salon service menu, as TimeToBook stores it
Every service in TimeToBook has a duration, optional processing time (hands-off time another client can be booked into), optional buffer time (clean-down nobody can book into), a price, and a rebook interval that drives automatic rebooking reminders. Here is a typical nail salon menu set up that way. Durations are typical, not rules; adjust them to how you actually work.
Services can be as short as 5 minutes, which is why a single repair can be its own add-on. Online start times are offered every 15 minutes by default. Rebook intervals follow product life: gel polish at two weeks, BIAB and acrylic at three.
| Service | Duration | Rebook | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gel polish manicure | 45 min | 2 wks | £28 to £50 |
| BIAB full set | 75 min | 3 wks | £35 to £65 |
| BIAB infill, under 3 weeks | 60 min | 3 wks | £30 to £49 |
| BIAB infill, over 3 weeks | 75 min | 3 wks | – |
| Acrylic full set | 90 min | 3 wks | £30 to £55 |
| Acrylic infill | 60 min | 3 wks | £30 to £50 |
| Gel extensions | 90 min | 3 wks | £55 to £90 |
| Removal, add-on Booked with a new set | 15 min | – | £5 to £15 |
| Removal only | 30 min | – | £10 to £30 |
| Classic pedicure | 45 min | 5 wks | £30 to £50 |
| Gel pedicure | 60 min | 4 wks | £32 to £55 |
| Nail art, simple Add-on | 15 min | – | £2 to £8 per nail |
| Nail repair Add-on, per nail | 5 min | – | £3 to £5 |
Typical prices are UK ranges from published salon menus, checked October 2026. Set your own in TimeToBook; the software does not dictate pricing.
What TimeToBook costs a nail salon
The first staff member is free, forever. Each additional staff member is £10 a month. No marketplace commission, no contract.
Solo nail salon
Free
One bookable person. Online booking page, calendar, email reminders and confirmations, client records, the mobile app. Not a trial.
Three-tech salon
£20/month
3 bookable staff: the first is free, then 2 × £10. Three technicians on one calendar, each with their own services, prices and hours.
SMS reminders
Prepaid credits, £4 per 100. They never expire. Email reminders are free and unlimited.
Deposits
Take a deposit on online bookings with TimeToBook Plus. A 7% platform fee per deposit, card processing included. No monthly fee for payments.
No marketplace commission
Nobody takes a cut of a booking made through your page, and your clients are your clients. The only per-transaction fee is on payments taken through TimeToBook, where that is available, and it includes card processing.
Is TimeToBook right for your nail salon?
Simple on purpose. Here is who it suits best, and the few things we leave out.
A good fit if you…
- Are a solo tech or a salon of up to about ten and want clients booking the right service online
- Want deposits on sets and extensions without a card terminal or a payments subscription
- Want clients prompted to rebook at three weeks instead of chasing them on Instagram
- Are paying per-tech fees or marketplace commission elsewhere
What we don’t do
- Two technicians working on one client at the same time as a single booking
- A till, tipping, retail sales or loyalty points inside the booking app
“Just wanted to feed back that all customers are finding the system super easy to use and I am only hearing good reviews.”
Questions nail technicians ask us
-
Can clients add removal to a new set when they book?
- Yes. List removal as a short add-on service and clients tick it alongside the new set. TimeToBook adds the time to the appointment so the slot is long enough, and the calendar shows both services as one block.
-
Can I charge a different price for an infill over three weeks?
- Yes, by listing "infill, under 3 weeks" and "infill, over 3 weeks" as separate services with their own time and price. The client chooses when they book. TimeToBook does not pick the tier from their history, but the last visit date is on the booking so you can correct it at the appointment.
-
How do rebooking reminders work for nails?
- Set a rebook interval on each service, usually three weeks for BIAB and acrylic. Once that long has passed since a client's last visit and they have nothing booked, TimeToBook Plus emails them a short reminder with a one-tap link that pre-selects their usual tech and service. It stops once they book.
-
Can I hide bespoke services from online booking?
- Yes. Any service can be marked as not bookable online while staying on your menu for bookings you add yourself. Most salons do this for complex art, repairs on another salon's work, or anything that needs a look first.
-
Can I take a deposit on full sets only?
- Yes, with TimeToBook Plus where online payments are available in your region. Deposits are set per service, fixed or a percentage. They are refunded automatically for cancellations inside your notice window and kept for late cancellations and no-shows.
-
How do I handle a salon where two techs sometimes work on one client?
- Book it as two bookings at the same time, one per tech. TimeToBook does not have a parallel-service feature that pairs two staff on one appointment, so the client sees two confirmations unless you book it yourself and skip the emails.
-
Is it free for a solo nail tech?
- Yes, with no time limit. One bookable person gets the booking page, calendar, email reminders and confirmations, client notes and the mobile app for nothing. You pay only when you add a second tech, buy SMS credits, or choose TimeToBook Plus.
Further reading
-
Cancellation Policies That Actually Work
How to write a no-show and cancellation policy that protects your time without making first-time clients feel locked in. With a template you can steal.
-
The First 90 Days of a New Client
Most salons spend a lot to get a new client through the door, then leave the second visit to chance. Here's how to turn first-timers into regulars.
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How SMS Reminders Reduce No-Shows
No-shows cost salons thousands every year. A simple text message the day before an appointment can cut them dramatically.
TimeToBook for other businesses
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Lash and brow studios
Booking software for lash and brow techs: infill timing, patch tests as a separate booking, deposits on full sets, 24h SMS reminders. Free for one technician.
-
Beauty salons and skin clinics
Booking software for beauty salons and skin clinics: mixed menus, mask time another client can book into, consultations, reminders and deposits. Free for one.
-
Waxing studios
Booking software for waxing, sugaring and laser studios: short back-to-back slots, combos, 4 to 6 week rebooking reminders, deposits on long services. Free for one.
- All industries
Set up your nail salon in an afternoon
Type in your services, add your hours, share the link. Free for one person, £10 a month for each extra staff member after that.
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