Your Own Customers Shouldn't Cost You 20%
Customer Googles your name → Clicks your website → Books through your Fresha link → Fresha charges 20% commission.
They didn't find you. You found them. Stop paying the middleman tax.
The Marketplace Tax
- Customer searches Google for "hair salon Vancouver"
- Finds YOUR business (your reputation, your SEO)
- Clicks "Book Online"
- Gets redirected to Fresha
- -Fresha charges 20% commission
The Direct Way
- Customer searches Google for "hair salon Vancouver"
- Finds YOUR business
- Clicks "Book Online"
- Books directly with Askie
- +You keep 100%
The Marketplace Tax: Three Ways They Extract Your Profits
Marketplace platforms like Fresha don't just charge commission once. They've built a system that continuously extracts value from your business in three ways:
They Tax Your Organic Traffic
You pay 20% commission on customers who found YOU through Google, Instagram, or your website. That's not a marketplace fee—that's a tax on your own marketing.
They Profit When Your Customers Leave
Fresha makes MORE money when your client switches to a competitor (another 20% commission). Loyalty is bad for their business model. Churn is profitable.
They Promote Your Competitors
Once your client downloads the app, they see "similar salons" and competitor ads. You're literally paying them to advertise your competition to your own loyal clients.
The Data
80% of salon bookings come from organic discovery (Google, Instagram, referrals)—yet you pay commission on them as if the marketplace found them.
For a $60k/year salon, that's $9,600 in commission fees on customers who were already coming to you.
Direct Booking That's Actually Direct
Askie does two things marketplace platforms fundamentally can't: Put YOU in control of customer relationships (no competitor promotion, no customer diversion) and make hybrid strategy actually manageable (automatic calendar sync across all channels). Whether you want to go marketplace-free or run a strategic hybrid model, Askie makes it work.
How It Works: Own Your Traffic, Sync Your Calendars
1. Customer Discovers You
- Google search
- Instagram profile
- Your website
- Facebook page
- Word-of-mouth referral
- Even Fresha marketplace
We don't care WHERE they find you. What matters is what happens next.
2. They Book Direct
No need to handover the data for your loyal customers to the marketplace.
- Instagram DM: Books in 3 taps (no app, no marketplace link)
- WhatsApp: Books instantly (no redirect)
- Google Listing: Books directly (no commission)
- Your Website: Books on your page
The customer relationship and the data is YOURS to own and manage.
3. Automatic Calendar Sync
Want to keep marketplace presence while routing direct traffic through Askie? No problem.
- Askie syncs with ALL your calendars in real-time
- Direct booking through Askie? Automatically blocked on Fresha/Booksy/Vagaro
- List on multiple marketplaces? Sync them all
One calendar view for everything. Zero manual updates. Zero stress.
Ways Askie Protects Your Profits
Don't Share YOUR Customer Details With A Marketplace
A majority of your customers start their search on Google. They find YOU in the results—because of your reviews, your reputation, your years of service. They click "Book Online" on your Google Business listing.
Key Features:
- Customer books directly on YOUR booking page
- No commission, no marketplace, no redirect
- Customer relationship stays 100% yours
- 24/7 availability
Askie vs. The Marketplace Platforms
See the real difference (including hidden costs)
Zero Commission
Multi-Channel Booking
Customer Data Ownership
Google Reviews Integration
Lowest Booking Friction
AI-Powered Intelligence
Social Proof Integration
With a better control of your customer data and your booking pipeline, Askie makes the total cost of ownership lower than other competitors. As a small business owner you get the control you deserve without getting tied up in a extractive relationship.
Questions Salon Owners Ask
Most appointments don't come from marketplace apps anyway, they come from Google (35-60%), Instagram (15-30%), and word-of-mouth. Askie helps you convert these inquiries that are already looking for YOU. We make it easy to book from wherever customers find you: Instagram DMs, Google Business Profile, your website, Facebook.
Plus, marketplace customers are often one-time discount hunters with low loyalty. Your best customers find you organically and come back for your quality, not because of a deal. Those are the customers worth serving better. However, you can still use a hybrid model if you'd like, by continuing to be on a marketplace for new customers, while repeat/existing customers are handled by Askie.
We make onboarding easy:
• Free migration of all your customers, services, and schedule • No downtime—we set everything up before you switch • We'll help train your staff (usually takes 15 minutes) • Export your data anytime if it doesn't work out—no lock-in
Most salons who switch see an immediate increase in bookings because the flow is so much easier for customers.
Yes. Here's how:
1. You'll capture Instagram DMs and WhatsApp messages you're missing now (67% of social inquiries go unanswered during business hours)
2. Customers can book 24/7 when you're closed (40% of bookings happen outside business hours)
3. The booking flow is so much easier that more browsers become bookers (up to 35% higher conversion)
4. Smart scheduling automatically fills your slow periods
Most salons see 20-30% more bookings in month one. The software pays for itself with just one extra appointment per week.
Askie integrates with Square, Stripe, and other payment processors. Or continue to use what you already have. You choose your preferred provider, we never touch your money or take a cut.
Unlike marketplace platforms that process payments (and take commission), we're just booking software. You keep 100% of every transaction, processed however you want.
Absolutely. Export your complete customer list, appointment history, and all data with one click, anytime, for any reason. We don't hold YOUR data hostage.
Your customers are yours, not ours. We're just software helping you manage them better. If Askie stops working for you, take your data and go. No penalties, no runaround, no "please reconsider."
Never. We charge a simple monthly subscription ($25 or $50 depending on team size). That's it.
No commission on bookings. No transaction fees. No "boost" charges. No per-appointment fees. No hidden costs.
We make money when you succeed with our software, not by taxing your bookings.
Still have questions?
Ready to Book More Appointments (And Keep 100% of the Profit)?
Join salon owners who ditched the marketplace platforms and never looked back.