"I think I have two left" at the reception desk
A client bought a course of six facials in the spring. She comes in for one in September and says she thinks she has two left. The loyalty card in the drawer has four stamps. The salon software shows three redeemed, because one was done on a busy Saturday and the therapist took payment as a normal facial by mistake, then refunded it the next week by hand. Nobody is sure whether that refund happened.
The client is not trying anything on; she genuinely remembers differently. Reception gives her the benefit of the doubt, as usual.
Courses sold one way, redeemed another
- Courses are sold at the till but redeemed on a paper card, or the other way round.
- Therapists check out a course session as a normal paid treatment when they are busy.
- Upgrades within a course, such as a different facial, are handled by hand.
- Some courses cover a mix of treatments, such as any six waxes, which the software handles awkwardly.
- Clients have no way of checking their own balance.
Disputes, giveaways and messy figures
Beauty salon courses have a few awkward edge cases that make paper cards fail. A client who bought a course of six leg waxes wants to use one session for a bikini wax instead. A course bought as a gift is used by someone else. A course of lash lifts is paused while the client is pregnant or unwell and restarted months later. Each of those is handled by whoever is on the desk that day, and written down, or not, however they see fit.
When balances are unclear, the salon usually gives the client the benefit of the doubt, which quietly gives away treatments. When it does not, it risks an unhappy client who paid up front. Course money that is paid in advance but not yet used also needs to be tracked properly for your accounts, which your accountant will want to see clearly.
One course balance, used everywhere
- We set up each course type in your salon software's course or package feature where it has one, such as Fresha, Phorest or Timely, including mixed courses where the software allows. Where it cannot handle a type, we build a small course ledger linked to it through its API.
- When a course is sold, it is attached to the client with the number and type of sessions, purchase date and any expiry under your terms.
- When the client books, the booking shows she has a course and how many sessions remain, so reception and the therapist know before she arrives.
- At checkout the session is redeemed against the course by default for a matching treatment. Taking payment instead needs a deliberate choice.
- Upgrades are handled as a redemption plus a top-up payment, recorded in one step.
- The client gets a short message after each session with her remaining balance, and can check it from a link at any time.
- The owner sees all open courses, sessions outstanding and their value, with an export for the accountant.
| Moment | Today | With course tracking |
|---|---|---|
| Client books | Nobody knows she has a course | Balance shown on booking |
| Busy checkout | Charged as normal treatment | Redeemed by default |
| Client asks balance | Paper card or memory | Link on her phone |
| Month end | Unused courses unknown | Outstanding sessions and value listed |
How prepaid courses are treated in your accounts, and your terms on expiry and refunds, are for you and your accountant. We record everything they need.
Balances nobody argues about
On a normal Saturday the client arrives, the therapist sees two sessions left on her booking, performs the facial and checks out. The session is redeemed automatically and the client gets a text saying one session left. If she wants to upgrade to a more advanced facial next time, reception can quote the top-up from the same screen. When she is down to her last session, the message can suggest rebooking or buying another course, if she has agreed to hear from you.
Does your salon need this?
- Course balances are tracked on paper cards or in notes.
- Clients and the salon disagree about sessions left.
- Course sessions are sometimes charged as normal treatments.
- Mixed courses are handled by hand.
- You cannot quickly say how many prepaid sessions are outstanding.