A client might leave a consultation excited about new hair extensions or a laser treatment, then get cold feet when they see a four-figure total at checkout. Offering financing to customers gives medspas and salons a way to keep high-value services within reach without discounting the work past the point of profitability.

In this guide, we’ll break down how consumer financing works and ways to discuss payment options with clients. We’ll also explain how Boulevard integrates third-party financing into the booking and checkout process.

What’s Consumer Financing?

Consumer financing lets clients split the cost of a service into installments instead of paying the full amount at once. The business receives sales revenue upfront from the third-party financing provider, which then manages repayment directly with the client, similar to a loan.

For salons and medspas, financing tools can remove major price barriers around high-ticket services without lowering prices or managing complex in-house financing plans. This kind of third-party lending setup covers customer financing for businesses, flexible payments, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans. Some financing tools charge small percentages of the sale as a one-time fee, but you’ll often receive the full cost of the service up front in return.

How Buy Now, Pay Later for Business Fits Into the Checkout Flow

Integrated BNPL financing options appear directly within your salon scheduling software. Clients can review available plans, complete the financing provider’s approval process, and choose an installment plan before confirming the transaction. If your software doesn’t include a native BNPL integration, you may find one as an add-on, but you may need to add more tools to your tech stack.

BNPL can turn a complicated payment schedule into a standard, simple transaction. Once the appointment or sale finalizes, the third-party financing provider pays the business in full. The lender then manages payments directly with the client, so the business doesn’t have to create a separate billing workflow or track outstanding installments within their management system.

How to Structure Payment Plans for Customers

Salon and medspa operators can offer their own payment plans directly to clients. An in-house plan gives the business more control over the fine print, but it also adds administrative work and credit risk. Accounting teams collect each invoice that clients pay over time, which also adds follow-up work when clients are late or miss an installment.

In-house financing tends to work best in established practices with long-standing client relationships. For most businesses looking to offer payment plans to customers, third-party financing solutions take responsibility for collections and administrative tasks, which lowers your business’s risk and keeps workloads light.

How to Offer Financing to Your Customers: 4 Steps

Effective third-party financing fits naturally into the booking and checkout experience. Here’s how to naturally offer BNPL options to your clients in four steps.

1. Choose a Financing Partner That Fits Your Service Mix

Finding the right partner is the first and most complicated step in a financing rollout. You have many variables to consider, so give comparisons your undivided attention. Review programs closely, evaluate how each system works, and speak directly with vendors before making a final decision to make sure your choice fits your clients’ payment preferences.

Start by listing your highest-price services and the treatments clients abandon most. Then, weigh approval rates, purchase limits, and merchant fees in the context of those services. For instance, if your clients often abandon a $2,000 laser package after one or two appointments, a financing provider whose high transaction limits are the main stand-out feature might not have a big impact on cash flow. The same goes for a provider that charges high dealer fees and regularly denies applicants.

Make sure to study your potential financing plans from your clients’ perspective, too. Steep interest rates and confusing fine print could reflect negatively against your business, hurting long-term trust and retention.

Don’t be afraid to ask vendors administrative questions during demos. For instance, if you run a multi-location business, ask how financed transactions are reported across different sites. Look for evidence of stronger conversions, revenue growth, and positive client feedback rather than broad promises about software performance.

Also, confirm that BNPL tools integrate with your existing POS system and management software before committing.

2. Integrate Financing Into Your Booking and Checkout Flow

Choose an integration that presents payment options during the booking and checkout flow, when clients are already thinking about cost. For high-ticket services, you might want to add estimated payments and financing options when the final total price is confirmed.

Keeping the application connected to the appointment gives clients a smoother payment path and lets staff complete the transaction through the tools they already use.

3. Train Providers to Introduce Financing Early

Financing integrations make it easy for clients to set up payment plans at checkout, but they should hear about the option long beforehand.

When a client starts a large treatment plan, providers and front desk staff should be ready to present financing as a standard payment method alongside cash or card. Breaking down the total cost with an estimated monthly fee gives clients time to consider their options, which makes them more likely to move forward with a big purchase than when financing simply appears as a checkout prompt.

Salon management systems give providers context via client profiles and transaction history. Before a consultation, they can review client details to flag when financing options may be useful, particularly for new clients and those who don’t typically purchase higher-value services. Additionally, treatment room and front desk signage can also create natural openings to start financing conversations.

4. Promote Financing Options Across Client Touchpoints

First-time clients might browse treatment pages and compare prices before they ever speak to a provider. Make it clear that you offer financing during that discovery stage to improve conversion chances for high-value services.

Introducing BNPL options across your digital spaces gives clients the same payment context they would receive in person. You might place new financing information alongside eligible service information, booking pages, and in pre-appointment communications. That way, clients get a consistent message wherever they learn about your business.

How Boulevard Makes Offering Financing to Customers Frictionless

BNPL financing options are a natural part of the booking process with Boulevard. A client eyeing a high-value package or treatment can view payment plan options, apply, and arrive at checkout with financing already built into the payment.

On your end, Boulevard’s spa and medspa software connects financing to the same booking, membership plan, and payment records your providers and front desk staff already use. The connection reduces the operational complexity of working with third-party financial institutions. Plus, you’ll receive the financed amount up front while the BNPL financial partner handles approval and collections directly with the client. You’ll see a more predictable cash flow without creating an internal collections process.

Learn more about how Boulevard's Buy Now, Pay Later financing helps boost conversions and sales revenue.

FAQ

What Does It Cost to Offer Financing to Customers as a Salon or Medspa Owner?

Third-party BNPL providers usually charge the business a per-transaction fee as a percentage of the loan, often in low-to-mid single digits. In return, the salon or medspa receives sales revenue up front, and the financing provider takes responsibility for collecting payments from the client.

Does Offering Payment Plans to Clients Increase Average Ticket Value?

Yes, medspas that work with financing companies to offer payment plans tend to see higher sales revenue. Financing can contribute to higher average transactions, particularly for premium services or comprehensive treatment plans. Spreading out the cost over time can make a larger recommendation easier for clients to consider. But success doesn’t come from just offering financing: Presenting and communicating options clearly to clients is essential to closing a sale.

How Do You Introduce Financing to Clients Without It Feeling Awkward?

Offering financing options only after a client shows hesitation about the price can feel uncomfortable or even predatory, depending on the situation. A client-centered approach introduces financing naturally alongside all your options, including credit cards and cash, when discussing payment long before checkout. That keeps the conversation feeling less like you’re pushing clients out of their financial comfort zone, and gives them room to decide what works for their budget.

How Does Boulevard Make It Easier to Offer Buy Now, Pay Later to Salon and Medspa Clients?

Boulevard’s Buy Now, Pay Later feature connects financing directly into the booking and checkout flow, allowing clients to apply for support without leaving your booking platform. Providers and staff can keep working in the same interface they already use for scheduling and payments.

What Types of Services Benefit Most From Client Financing at a Medspa or Salon?

Financing has the greatest potential to improve conversions on high-ticket services where the upfront cost can give a client sticker shock. As medspa trends continue toward bundled treatments and comprehensive care plans, like injectables and body contouring, flexible payment options can make those larger commitments easier for clients to consider.

Disclosure: Buy Now, Pay Later and any other financing options referenced in this article are provided by third-party lenders, not by Boulevard. Boulevard is not a lender and does not extend credit, approve applications, or set repayment terms. Availability, approval, spending limits, plan lengths, interest rates, and fees are determined solely by the financing provider and vary by provider, purchase amount, and state. Checking eligibility typically does not affect a client’s credit score, but submitting a full application may. Not all applicants qualify, and terms are subject to change. This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial, legal, or tax advice — review each provider’s terms and disclosures, along with your own advertising and consumer-lending compliance obligations, before promoting financing to clients.