pro-business
Best Booking Software for PMU and Microblading Artists in 2026
PMU is a two-visit service with a screening, a patch test, a big non-refundable deposit, and a touch-up window that has rules. Here is what PMU and microblading artists need from booking software, what the big platforms charge on those deposits, and which one fits.
PMU is not a single appointment. It is a screening, sometimes a patch test, a big non-refundable deposit, a procedure, and a touch-up window with rules of its own. Then a healed photo months later.
You can see what the work needs by reading PMU artists' own policies. Here is what they say, where the big platforms cost the most, and who each one fits.
What PMU Artists Actually Need, in Their Own Words
A deposit large enough to hold the day. A Durham studio requires "$500 non refundable deposit due at booking," and states that "if you reschedule please note there will be a forfeiture of the deposit for holding the initial requested date and a new deposit will be required." Source: Durham Brows. A Seattle studio asks for $100, and another studio explains why: it is "non-refundable as we are reserving a large time slot especially for you." Source: Indiglo Med Spa consent form. A Utah studio takes $50 and adds: "No reservation is secure until the deposit is received." Source: Desert Bloom Beauty policies.
A screening before the first appointment. "We require a consultation, medical screening, and a 24-hour patch test before taking new clients. We do not take walk in appointments for new clients." Source: Hello Beautiful Studio consent form. The Durham studio lists what disqualifies a client: fillers within four weeks, Accutane in the past six months, a cold or flu, and more. Another studio requires a photo of any existing permanent makeup for approval before booking. Source: Desert Bloom Beauty policies.
A two-visit structure with a touch-up window that has a price. The Seattle studio writes: "Complimentary touch-ups rescheduled after 8 weeks are subject to a $50 fee; after 16 weeks, the cost is $100." Source: In Bloom Seattle. Desert Bloom warns that missing the 6-week follow-up means the touch-up "will be pushed back far beyond the 10 week mark."
A no-show rule with teeth. In Bloom: "No-shows will be charged 50% of the service cost to the card on file." A Rhode Island studio: "We require a credit card on file to secure your appointment... We charge 50% of your service if you do not cancel within 24 hours." Source: Enhanced Beauty Ink policies.
If your booking software cannot hold a deposit, show contraindications before the client confirms, and keep photos across two visits, it is a calendar, not a PMU tool.
Where the Big Platforms Let PMU Artists Down
Big deposits cost real money to take
PaymentReview (fact-checked September 20, 2026) reports that Vagaro treats every online payment as keyed-in at 3.5% plus $0.19, including booking deposits and prepayments. A $500 deposit costs $17.50 plus $0.19 to take, or $17.69. GlossGenius charges a flat 2.6% on card payments (GlossGenius pricing, accessed October 12, 2026), which is $13 on the same deposit.
A commission on the appointment that carries the revenue
PMU packages usually include a complimentary touch-up. That means the first appointment carries most of the revenue, and the first appointment is exactly what a marketplace charges on. StyleSeat's help center says "You pay a one-time 30% fee on that first appointment," which its own cost article (updated August 2026) puts at a maximum of $50. Booksy's Boost takes a one-time 30% of a first visit, up to $100 (Booksy pricing, accessed October 12, 2026).
Consent and health forms live somewhere else
The consent form at Hello Beautiful Studio covers deposit terms, arrival rules, a guarantee, a consultation requirement, and a medical history with a list of conditions. That is a legal document more than a booking feature, and platforms handle it inconsistently.
What This Looks Like in Real Numbers
Say you book two new clients this month for a $650 brow service, each with a $100 deposit and an included touch-up.
StyleSeat: subscription + 30% capped at $50 per client ($100). StyleSeat's pricing page lists $19 a month as a limited-time new-pro rate ($199 a year), while its August 2026 cost article says $35 a month. That is $119 a month at the $19 rate or $135 at $35, before card processing (both pages accessed October 12, 2026).
Primzy: $40 a month. Bookings from your own shared link carry 0% commission, so if both clients book through it the total is $40. If both clients were first found in Primzy's marketplace, Primzy takes a one-time 15% of each first booking (15% of $650 is $97.50), so the total is $40 + 2 x $97.50 = $235. Card processing fees are paid by your clients at checkout, so they add $0 to your Primzy cost.
On Primzy your clients pay the card processing fee at checkout; compare the rate you would pay on other platforms. And note the honest trade: Primzy has a local discovery marketplace, but on a $650 service the one-time 15% on a brand-new client found there ($97.50) is more than StyleSeat's $50 cap. A client who books through your own link is 0%.
Quick Comparison
| Platform | Starting Price | Commission Fees | Deposits / No-Show | Client Marketplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primzy | $40/month flat for one pro (Salon mode: $60 + $5 per employee seat) | 0% on shared-link bookings | Deposits at booking; custom service disclaimers | Yes (15% one time on a new client's first booking found there; 0% on your own link) |
| StyleSeat | $19/month limited-time new-pro rate ($199/year) per its pricing page; $35/month per its August 2026 blog (accessed October 12, 2026) | 30% on first new client, capped at $50 | Deposits and card-on-file fees | Yes |
| GlossGenius | $24/month annual + 2.6% | None | Deposits and no-show fees | None listed on its pricing page |
| Vagaro | $30/month plus add-ons | None on base plan; free marketplace listing, opt-in Fill My Books promotions take 20% of a new customer's first booking | Deposits; online payments at 3.5% + $0.19 | Yes |
| Booksy | $29.99/month + $20 per additional user | One-time 30% on Boost first visit, max $100 | Deposits and reminders | Yes |
| Square Appointments | Free plan; paid from $49/month | None (processing applies) | Free plan with deposits; no-show fees and cancellation policy are on Plus ($49/month) | Square Go (free profile) |
#1: Primzy
Best for: Independent PMU and brow artists who want to keep what they earn on every procedure.
What makes Primzy work for PMU artists
Deposits at booking. Clients put down a 30% deposit when they book. It is captured when you confirm, and the slot is held once you confirm.
Contraindications and aftercare on the booking page. Custom service disclaimers show your health and prep rules for each service before the client confirms. Confirm how any platform handles signed consent forms before you rely on it; many PMU artists keep a dedicated consent tool beside their booking software.
Photos that follow the client. Client photos and persistent notes stay on the profile, so the first session, the touch-up, and the healed result sit together. Booking history and reports export to CSV.
An initial session and a touch-up as separate services. Set each with its own length and price.
A waitlist for cancellations. If a client cancels a confirmed booking, the other clients waiting on that slot (up to five) are all offered it at once, and the first to accept gets it.
A flat, published price. $40 a month for one pro, 0% on shared-link bookings. If you run a team, Salon mode is $60 a month plus $5 a month per employee seat. We define this clearly.
Where we take a share. If you teach a live class, Primzy keeps 20% of class sales.
The honest trade
StyleSeat and Square market card-on-file no-show fees. If charging a fee to a card on file is your top requirement, check the current terms of any platform, ours included. And keep any marketplace that is currently sending you clients while you move your own list to your own link.
Use Primzy if:
- You pay a commission on a first appointment that carries the whole package
- You want your contraindications and aftercare on the page before anyone confirms
- You want photos across two visits on one profile
- You want a platform that invests in your career
#2: GlossGenius
Best for: Solo artists who want a polished setup with deposits and no-show fees.
No new-client commission. The catch: 2.6% on every card payment, and marketing tools on higher tiers.
#3: Square Appointments
Best for: Artists who want a free plan that takes deposits.
The free plan covers deposits; charging no-show fees needs Plus at $49/month (Square pricing page, accessed October 12, 2026). Square Go is a free marketplace profile. The catch: not built for beauty.
#4: StyleSeat
Best for: Artists who need new-client discovery and card-on-file fees.
Real discovery. The catch: 30% on first appointments (capped at $50) and a $2.35 booking fee charged to your clients.
#5: Vagaro
Best for: Studios with a team who want payroll and inventory.
A free marketplace listing, with opt-in Fill My Books promotions that take 20% of a new customer's first booking. The catch: add-ons of about $10 each and the 3.5% online rate on deposits.
Free Booking Software for PMU Artists
Square Appointments has a free plan. Primzy is free for students until they graduate (enrollment is self-reported), with the pro tools except text messaging.
How to Choose
If your biggest issue is protecting a large time slot: Use a deposit collected at booking, and state what happens when a client reschedules.
If your biggest issue is what a big deposit costs to take: Ask any platform what rate applies to online deposits, not only in-person taps.
If your biggest issue is a commission on a package that includes a touch-up: Look at Primzy (0% on your own link; a one-time 15% only on a brand-new client found in its marketplace), or GlossGenius or Square, which list no new-client fee.
If your biggest issue is consent forms: Check how any platform handles signed forms, and keep a dedicated tool beside it if you need one.
If you need new clients right now: Keep a marketplace for discovery, give every past client your own booking link, and move over as your own list grows.
Primzy is a beauty booking platform, CRM, and career investment community built exclusively for independent beauty professionals. Learn more at primzybeauty.com.
Sources
- Durham Brows; In Bloom Seattle; Enhanced Beauty Ink, "Policies"; Desert Bloom Beauty, "Policies"
- Hello Beautiful Studio, "PMU consent form"; Indiglo Med Spa, "Microblading and PMU forms"
- StyleSeat Help, "Get Bookings On Autopilot With New Client Connection" (checked October 12, 2026)
- StyleSeat, "How Much Does StyleSeat Cost?" (updated August 2026; checked October 12, 2026)
- StyleSeat pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- Booksy, "Pricing" (accessed October 12, 2026)
- PaymentReview, "Vagaro" review (fact-checked September 20, 2026; checked October 12, 2026)
- GlossGenius, "Pricing" (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Square, "Appointments pricing" and Square Go (accessed October 12, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What is the best booking software for PMU and microblading artists?
It depends on what protects your day. PMU artists need large deposits collected at booking, a way to show contraindications and aftercare before the client confirms, client photos over time, and touch-up scheduling. Primzy offers deposits, custom service disclaimers, client notes and photos, and $40 a month for one pro with 0% commission on shared-link bookings. Primzy intake forms let a client complete questions and e-sign a consent or waiver after booking, attached per service; confirm how any platform handles signed consent forms before you rely on it.
How large should a PMU deposit be?
Published PMU policies range widely. One studio requires a $50 non-refundable deposit, several ask for $100, and another requires $500 non-refundable at booking for a bundle of brow services. Whatever the amount, the policies say the same thing: the deposit is applied to the total and the slot is being held for one client.
How do PMU artists handle touch-up windows?
Most set a window and enforce it. One Seattle studio states that complimentary touch-ups rescheduled after 8 weeks cost $50 and after 16 weeks cost $100. A Durham studio prefers the touch-up at 6 weeks, and another studio warns that missing the 6-week follow-up pushes it beyond the 10-week mark.
Can a booking platform charge a no-show fee to a card on file?
Some can. A Seattle PMU studio charges no-shows 50% of the service cost to the card on file, and a Rhode Island studio requires a card on file and charges 50% of the service without 24 hours notice. Primzy's no-show protection is a 30% deposit held at booking, and if a client cancels late and the deposit is retained, the pro receives 85% of it. Check the terms of any other platform before you rely on card-on-file fees.
Why do deposits cost more on some platforms?
Because online payments can be priced as keyed-in. PaymentReview (September 2026) reports Vagaro charges 3.5% plus $0.19 on online payments including deposits, so a $500 deposit costs $17.69 to take.
Does a marketplace commission apply to PMU?
It applies to a client's first appointment. StyleSeat's help center states a one-time 30% fee on a first appointment, which its cost article puts at a maximum of $50, and Booksy's Boost takes a one-time 30% of a first visit, up to $100, per its pricing page. Since a PMU package often includes a complimentary touch-up, the first appointment carries most of the revenue.
