Terms and conditions for a hairdressing salon

A salon's money is lost in gaps: the appointment that was not kept, the colour correction the client expects for free, and the deposit policy that turns out to be unenforceable because the booking was made online. Terms that make no-show fees stick, put the skin test on a proper footing and say what a consultation is for are what I draft, for a fixed fee of £995 in five working days.

Who this is for

Hairdressing salons in England and Wales taking bookings online, by phone and in person, employing stylists or renting chairs to self-employed ones. Your clients are consumers, so the terms are written for the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the online booking rules, with a note on how they interact with stylists who work for themselves.

What matters in salon terms

Online bookings and the right to cancel

An appointment booked online or by phone is a distance contract under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, so the client has 14 days to cancel. Most appointments fall inside that period, which means the service starts within the cancellation period, and that only works for you if the client expressly requested it at booking. The booking flow and the terms need that request and the cancellation information built in; without them a no-show fee is hard to enforce and the client can cancel without cost.

Deposits, no-shows and lateness

The terms can take a deposit for longer or higher-value appointments and charge for no-shows and late cancellations, but against a consumer the charge has to reflect what you actually lose from an empty chair rather than punish the client. A lateness policy that shortens or forfeits the appointment should be stated in advance. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats a disproportionate charge as unfair, and a fair one as enforceable.

Skin tests, consultations and results

The terms should require a skin test before colour services, give you the right to refuse the service without one, and make the client responsible for disclosing previous treatments, allergies and box dye. A consultation sets expectations, and the terms should say that results depend on the client's hair and history and that a photograph is a reference, not a promise. That is what stops a difference of opinion becoming a refund.

Corrections, complaints and vouchers

The terms should give a short window for the client to raise a concern and offer a correction appointment as the first remedy, with refunds only where the service was not carried out with reasonable care and skill. Gift vouchers need an expiry that is reasonable and stated on the voucher, and package or course purchases need to say what happens if the client stops part way through.

Retail products, prices and stylists

Retail products sold in the salon carry the goods rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and the terms should say how returns are handled. Prices must be displayed, card payments cannot carry a surcharge under the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, and the salon's name and contact details must be available under the Provision of Services Regulations 2009. Where stylists rent chairs, the terms should make clear whether the client's contract is with the salon or with the stylist, because it changes who is responsible when something goes wrong.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted around your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want to know how much of a problem they are. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of terms drafted around your business, not a template with your name inserted
• A covering note in plain English explaining every commercial choice I made and why, so you can defend the terms in a negotiation without ringing me
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions set at a level that will survive a procurement review
• Consumer-facing wording drafted to be enforceable where you sell to consumers
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly, which is where most businesses actually fail
• One round of amendments after you have read them

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country

Questions I am often asked

Can I charge the full price for a no-show?

You can charge what you lose, and for a no-show that can be close to the full price of the slot if it could not be refilled. The terms should say so, the client should have agreed to it at booking, and the amount should not go beyond your loss.

A client refuses a skin test and then reacts to the colour. Am I liable?

If the terms and your process require a test and the client refused, the service should not have gone ahead. Where it did, the refusal is recorded and the client was warned, your position is much stronger, but you cannot rely on a term to exclude liability for personal injury caused by your own negligence.

Do the terms cover my self-employed stylists?

They cover the client relationship. The arrangement with the stylist needs its own document, which is the chair rental agreement.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Chair rental agreement for a hairdressing salon, for stylists renting from you
• Terms and conditions for a barber shop

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.