Card payments, explained

How online card payments work in BarkSuite

Taking a card payment when a client books means fewer no-shows and less chasing. This page walks through exactly what you and your client see, using an example salon called Test Salon.

The screens below are illustrations of the real BarkSuite and Stripe screens. Money goes into your own account — BarkSuite never holds your takings and takes no percentage of them.

Start your 14-day free trialSee BarkSuite pricing

The short version

  1. You connect your Stripe account once, from Settings.
  2. You decide whether clients pay a deposit, the full price, or nothing upfront.
  3. A client books online and pays by card on a secure payment page.
  4. The appointment confirms itself and the client gets their confirmation email.
  5. Stripe pays the money into your bank account.

Step 1

Connect your Stripe account, once

In BarkSuite go to Settings → Payments and connect Stripe. Stripe asks for your business details, ID and the bank account you want to be paid into.

This is your account, in your business name. Clients see your salon name on their statement, and payouts go to your bank.

BarkSuite · Settings · Payments

Card payments

Stripe accountConnected
Card paymentsEnabled
Payouts to your bankEnabled
Manage in Stripe

Step 2

Choose what clients pay upfront

You stay in control. Take nothing upfront, a percentage as a deposit, or the whole price. Test Salon here asks for a 20% deposit.

You can also set how long an unpaid booking is held. After that window it's released automatically, so an unpaid slot doesn't sit empty.

BarkSuite · Settings · Payments

When a client books online

No payment needed
Take a deposit
Take payment in full
Deposit amount20% of the groom
Release unpaid bookings after48 hours

Step 3

Your client books and is sent to pay

Your booking page shows the price, the deposit due now and the balance on the day — before the client commits. No surprises.

When they submit, they're taken straight to a secure card page. Card details are entered on Stripe's page, never on yours, and BarkSuite never sees the card number.

barksuite.au/book/test-salon

Test Salon

Saturday 26 September · 10:00am

Full groom — Bella (Cavoodle)$115.00
Deposit due now (20%)$23.00
Balance on the day$92.00
Request booking

You'll be taken to a secure payment page to pay the deposit.

Step 4

They pay by card

Clients can pay by Visa, Mastercard or American Express, and with Apple Pay or Google Pay on phones — which is how most people will pay.

The payment lands in your Stripe balance. BarkSuite doesn't sit in the middle of it and takes no cut.

Secure payment · Stripe

Test Salon

$23.00 AUD

Email
Card number ···· ···· ···· 4242
MM / YY
CVC
Pay $23.00

Apple Pay and Google Pay appear automatically on supported devices.

Step 5

The appointment confirms itself

As soon as the payment goes through, the booking flips to confirmed and is marked as paid by card. Your client gets their confirmation email and a reminder before the day.

You don't have to tick anything off. If a payment doesn't complete, the appointment stays in Awaiting payment so you can see it and follow up.

BarkSuite · Calendar

Bella · Full groom

Confirmed

Sat 26 Sept · 10:00am · Sarah M.

Deposit paid$23.00 · Card
Balance on the day$92.00

Confirmation emailed to the client · Reminder scheduled

Step 6

The money reaches your bank — and shows up in your reports

Stripe pays your card takings into your bank account automatically, usually within a couple of business days, minus Stripe's standard card fee.

Once the appointment is marked as completed, it appears in Reports as card income alongside your cash and bank-transfer work — so your totals and exports stay accurate.

BarkSuite · Reports & Expenses

Income this week

Bella — Full groom (Card)$115.00
Milo — Bath & tidy (Cash)$70.00
Poppy — Nail trim (Card)$25.00
Total$210.00

Export to Excel, Google Sheets, PDF or CSV.

Common questions

Who holds the money?
You do. Card payments go straight into your own Stripe account and are paid out to your bank. BarkSuite never holds your takings and takes no cut of them.
Do I have to take card payments?
No. Card payments are optional. You can keep taking bank transfers or cash, or turn card payments on for online bookings only.
Do I have to charge the full price upfront?
No. You choose: no prepayment, a deposit (any percentage you set), or payment in full at the time of booking.
What happens if a client doesn't pay?
The appointment sits as “Awaiting payment” in your dashboard and never blocks the slot silently. If you've set an auto-cancel window, unpaid bookings are released automatically after that time.
What does it cost?
Stripe's standard Australian card fee applies to each payment and is deducted by Stripe before payout. BarkSuite adds nothing on top.
Can I refund a client?
Yes. Choose a full or partial refund from the booking. The money is returned through your Stripe account, the action is recorded, and BarkSuite updates the amount retained.
How long until the money hits my bank?
Stripe pays out to your nominated bank account on a rolling basis, typically a couple of business days after the payment. First payouts can take a little longer while your account is verified.

Fewer no-shows, less chasing payments

Turn card payments on when you're ready — your bookings, reminders and reports keep working either way.

Start your 14-day free trialExplore BarkSuite features

From $9 AUD/month. No credit card required.