How to Set Up Digital Tipping in Your Salon
Enable cashless tipping, configure suggested amounts, and let your team earn more — without the awkward conversation
In this guide
Cash tips are disappearing. As more clients pay by card or phone, salons that don't offer digital tipping are leaving money on the table — and their team members are feeling the pinch. Yet many salon owners hesitate to bring it up at the counter, worried it feels pushy.
Digital tipping removes the awkwardness entirely. When a client pays through your salon software, a simple prompt appears with suggested tip amounts. There's no pressure, no conversation, and no fumbling for change. The tip is processed instantly alongside the payment.
This guide walks you through setting up digital tipping in Bella Booking, from connecting your Stripe account to configuring suggested amounts and tracking tip revenue across your team.
Why digital tipping matters
Studies consistently show that digital tipping increases gratuity rates by 15-25% compared to cash-only environments. When clients see a simple prompt with suggested amounts, they're far more likely to leave a tip than when they have to calculate it themselves or dig through their wallet.
For your team, tips can represent a meaningful portion of their income. In many salons, tips account for 10-20% of a stylist's total earnings. Making it easy for clients to tip digitally isn't just a nice-to-have — it's a retention tool for your best people.
- •Clients who pay by card tip more frequently than those paying cash
- •Suggested amounts remove the mental arithmetic that discourages tipping
- •Digital tips are automatically recorded — no more lost or disputed cash tips
- •Transparent tip tracking builds trust between salon owners and team members
If you're concerned about clients feeling pressured, remember that the tipping screen always includes a clear "No tip" option. Most clients appreciate the convenience.
Enabling tipping and connecting Stripe
Digital tipping in Bella Booking works through Stripe, the same payment processor that handles your regular transactions. If you're already accepting card payments through Bella Booking, you're most of the way there.
- 1Navigate to **Settings > Payments** in your Bella Booking dashboard
- 2Ensure your Stripe account is connected — if not, click **Connect Stripe** and follow the prompts
- 3Toggle **Enable digital tipping** to on
- 4Choose whether tipping appears on the **payment terminal**, **online checkout**, or both
- 5Click **Save**
Once enabled, every card transaction will show a tipping prompt before the final charge is processed. The tip is included in the same transaction — there's no separate charge to the client.
Stripe fees apply to tips
Stripe's standard processing fee applies to the total transaction amount including the tip. Factor this into your tip distribution policy so your team understands the net amount they'll receive.
Configuring tip amounts and percentages
The default suggested tip amounts are 10%, 15%, and 20%, but you can customise these to suit your salon's culture and price point. Some high-end salons use fixed dollar amounts instead of percentages, whilst others offer a mix.
Percentage-based tips
Percentage tips scale with the service total, which works well for salons with a wide price range. A client paying $50 for a cut sees different suggested amounts than one paying $300 for a colour service.
| Service total | 10% | 15% | 20% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50 haircut | $5 | $7.50 | $10 |
| $120 colour | $12 | $18 | $24 |
| $300 package | $30 | $45 | $60 |
Fixed-amount tips
Fixed amounts (e.g., $5, $10, $20) work well for salons where most services fall in a similar price range. They're also simpler for clients to process quickly.
Clients can always enter a custom amount regardless of your suggested options. The suggestions are just starting points to make the decision easier.
Team member opt-out and tip distribution
Not every team member wants to participate in digital tipping. Some prefer to keep things simple, and in certain roles (reception, management), tipping may not be appropriate. Bella Booking lets individual team members opt out.
- 1Navigate to **Team > [Team Member Name] > Settings**
- 2Under **Tipping**, toggle **Eligible for tips** on or off
- 3When a team member is opted out, the tipping prompt will not appear for their appointments
Multi-team-member appointments
When an appointment involves multiple team members (e.g., a colourist and a stylist), the tipping prompt appears once for the total service. You can configure whether tips are split evenly or allocated to the primary team member.
The tip distribution method is set at the business level under **Settings > Payments > Tip distribution**. Most salons allocate the full tip to the primary service provider, but some prefer an even split across all team members involved.
Tracking and reporting on tips
Every tip is automatically recorded against the appointment and the team member who provided the service. This means you never need to manually track or reconcile tip amounts.
Where to view tip data
- •**Appointment detail** — shows the tip amount alongside the service total
- •**Team member profile** — displays total tips earned over any date range
- •**Payments report** — breaks down revenue by service income, product sales, and tips
- •**Payroll export** — includes tip totals per team member for easy payroll processing
Use the Payments report to monitor tipping trends over time. If you notice a dip, it might be worth reviewing your suggested amounts or checking that the tipping prompt is appearing correctly on your terminal.
Run the Payments report monthly and compare tip percentages across team members. It can reveal which stylists are delivering experiences that clients want to reward — useful insight for coaching and recognition.
Key takeaways
- ✓Digital tipping increases gratuity rates by removing the awkwardness of asking for cash tips
- ✓Connect your Stripe account and enable tipping in Settings > Payments — it takes under five minutes
- ✓Customise suggested tip amounts (percentage or fixed) to match your salon's price point
- ✓Individual team members can opt out of tipping if it's not appropriate for their role
- ✓All tips are automatically tracked and included in payroll exports and reports
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Last updated: 2026-04-02