No-show cost calculator
Enter your own numbers to see what no-shows and last-minute cancellations really cost your salon, and how much a deposit policy would win back.
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Cancelled too late to fill the slot.
Your estimate. Deposits make clients far less likely to skip.
Lost each month
$1,248
Lost each year
$14,976
250 missed appointments a year
Won back each year with a deposit
$9,734
Each month: $624 from clients who now show up, $187 in deposits kept.
Still lost: $437 a month
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
How it works
Missed visits per month are your weekly appointments × 4.33 × (no-show rate + late cancellation rate). Late cancellations count because a slot freed at the last minute is rarely refilled.
The loss is those visits × your average ticket. With a deposit, part of those clients show up after all (the reduction you set), and the ones who still miss leave their deposit with you.
Everything is an estimate built only from the numbers you enter. The calculator runs in your browser: nothing is sent or saved.
Questions
What is a normal no-show rate for a salon?
Many salons see somewhere between 5% and 15% of appointments missed or cancelled at the last minute, more for new clients booked online without a deposit. Check your own calendar for the last three months: it is the number that matters.
How much deposit should a salon ask for?
Common choices are 20–50% of the service price, or a fixed amount for long services like colour, extensions or lash sets. Enough that clients think twice about skipping, low enough that it doesn't stop them from booking.
Do deposits really reduce no-shows?
Yes: when a client has paid something upfront, they are much more likely to come or to cancel in time. Set the reduction slider to a cautious number if you are unsure.
Related guides
- How to Reduce No Shows for Appointments: 10 Proven TacticsHow to reduce no shows for appointments: what a no-show really costs, what research says about reminders, and 10 tactics salons can use to keep the chair full.
- Hair Salon No Show Policy: Copy-and-Paste Templates (2026)Hair salon no show policy templates you can copy: no-show, late cancellation, deposit and late arrival rules in 3 tones, plus how to enforce them kindly.
- Salon Policies: 12 Copy-and-Paste Templates for 2026Salon policies every hair and nail salon needs: copy-paste templates for late arrivals, kids, redos, tipping, patch tests and photos, plus where to post them.
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