The real cost of marketplace commissions: one barbershop's year
By George Ogunbande, Founder & CEO, FlatPurse Inc.
Marketplace booking apps sell "free" new clients. They aren't free. Here is one example Edmonton barbershop's year, priced three ways.
The shop (worked example)
- 3 barbers, 40 new marketplace clients a month
- Average first-visit ticket: 45 dollars
New-client commission, per year
| Platform | New-client fee | Annual new-client cost |
|---|---|---|
| Booksy Boost | 30% of first visit, capped at USD 100 | about 6,480 dollars |
| Fresha | 20% of first visit, minimum USD 6 | about 4,320 dollars |
| FlatPurse Flow | None | 0 dollars |
That's 40 clients × 45 dollars × the fee × 12 months. Fees per Booksy pricing and Fresha pricing, checked October 9, 2026; both publish US terms.
The takeaway: the subscription is rarely the expensive part. Commission on growth is. On Flow, the same shop on Pro (CAD 89 a month, 1,068 dollars a year) pays less for the software than one quarter of Booksy Boost commissions.
No card required. Full Pro+ access during the trial. Set up in under a day. We'll move your clients over for you.