Best POS for a salon in London
Last reviewed 2026-08-05 · by the RetailPOS team
A single chair in Hackney and a multi-stylist salon in Chelsea have different scale but the same core need: attribute each service to the stylist who did it. A generic retail till can't. Here is what to look for in London, and where RetailPOS fits.
What a London salon POS must do
1. Per-stylist attribution. Each service is tied to the stylist who performed it, so commission and tips are theirs — not pooled across the salon.
2. Services + retail on one ticket. A colour service and the shampoo a client buys on the way out ring on the same bill, with product stock depleting correctly.
3. Product depletion. Colour cream, developer and consumables draw down as used, so you reorder on real usage.
4. VAT & clean receipts. Standard 20% VAT applied per line, with tidy receipts and refunds.
5. Multi-chair / multi-site. Commission across several stylists, and one report across more than one location.
How the options compare
| RetailPOS | Square | Booking-first app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-stylist commission & tips | Built in | Limited | Yes |
| Service + retail on one bill | Yes | Retail-led | Varies |
| Product/colour depletion | Yes | Basic | Rare |
| Card processing | Bring your own | Bundled fixed rate | Bundled or add-on |
| 20% VAT per line | Yes | Basic | Varies |
| Multi-site on base plan | Yes | Higher tier | Higher tier |
Where RetailPOS fits — and where it doesn’t
Pick RetailPOS if you want stylist-level commission, service-plus-retail billing and product depletion in one flat-priced product that also runs your inventory.
Look elsewhere if your business is appointment-led first and the POS is secondary — a booking-first platform with online scheduling, reminders and calendar management may suit better. RetailPOS is a point-of-sale with strong service handling, not a full salon-booking system.
Frequently asked
- Can each stylist earn their own commission and tips?
- Yes — services are attributed to the stylist who performed them, so commission and tips are individual rather than pooled across the salon.
- What VAT applies to a London salon?
- Salon services and retail products carry the standard 20% UK VAT (once you are VAT-registered). Check any figure with the VAT calculator (select United Kingdom).
- Does it handle bookings?
- RetailPOS focuses on the point of sale, commission and retail/product stock. If online booking, reminders and a calendar are your primary need, a booking-first platform may fit better; RetailPOS handles the sale and service attribution side.
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