Guide
Hidden fees in booking software: seven things to check
Most booking software publishes its fees. The ones that catch people out are on the pricing page but easy to miss. Here is what to look for before you sign up, with the figures each platform publishes.
The checklist
Seven things to check on a pricing page
The examples are read from each platform's own pricing page on 2026-10-26. Prices change, so check the page itself before you sign up.
1. A percentage of what your client pays
Some platforms take your customer's card payment through their own account and keep a percentage of every deposit and balance. The rate is set by the software, not by a provider you chose, so you cannot shop around for a better one.
Published figures: Check Cherry: 2.9% + 30c per card transaction. HoneyBook: From 2.7% + 10c per card transaction in its payments FAQ, 2.9% + 25c in its plan table; 1.5% for bank transfers.
2. A monthly price that is billed yearly
A headline price can be the monthly equivalent of an annual payment. Look for "billed annually" or "billed yearly" next to the figure, and for the month-to-month price.
Published figures: Check Cherry: $39/month, or $29/month billed annually ($348 a year). HoneyBook: $29/month billed yearly, or $36 month to month (Starter plan).
3. Features held back for a higher plan
The entry price rarely includes everything on the features page. Check which plan the features you need start on: contracts, staff tools, your own domain.
Published figures: Check Cherry, contracts and e-sign: Included on Standard, Growth and Unlimited plans. On BoothZen, the attendant app starts on Team and your own domain on Pro.
4. A cap on bookings or projects
Some plans are priced by how much you use them. Find the number on the plan you are looking at: upcoming bookings, projects or invoices, and what the next plan up costs.
Published figures: Check Cherry Standard: $39/month, or $29/month billed annually; 30 upcoming bookings. Aisle Planner prices its plans by number of projects. BoothZen: Free for your first 10 bookings, counting only bookings still to come.
5. A trial that needs your card
A trial that takes card details up front turns into a charge if you forget to cancel.
Published figures: Aisle Planner: No free plan; 30-day trial, but a card is required to start. HoneyBook: No free plan; 30-day free trial, no card required.
6. The cost of leaving
The cost of leaving is the time it takes to get your bookings and customers out. Check whether there is a self-serve export before you put a season of bookings in.
Published figures: HoneyBook: No self-serve export; their team manually uploads your existing documents for you. Check Cherry: Exports contacts, bookings, invoices and contracts at any time.
7. Charges that only appear in the terms
Read the terms for fees that are not on the pricing page: setup, reactivation, chargebacks, extra users.
Published figures: Ours is a £15 fee to reactivate a workspace after a lost chargeback on your own subscription, to cover the card network's dispute charge. It is on our pricing page and in the terms.
Worked through
What a card fee costs on one booking
On a £450 booking paid as a deposit and a balance, a software-set rate of 2.9% plus a fixed charge comes to a little over £13. Twenty bookings like that is over £260 a season. The full example, and what you pay instead on BoothZen, is on no booking fees.
Questions
Questions about booking software fees
Does booking software have hidden fees?
Most booking software publishes its fees on its pricing page. The ones that catch people out are there but easy to miss: a percentage taken from every card payment, a monthly price that is billed yearly, features that start on a higher plan, a free-plan cap, and a trial that needs a card.
Is a card processing fee a booking fee?
Every card payment costs something to process. The difference is who sets the rate. If the software processes the payment, it sets the percentage. If you connect your own Stripe or PayPal account, you pay your provider's rate and the software takes nothing.
What does BoothZen charge?
Free for your first 10 bookings, then plans from $12.99 a month, billed monthly with no annual contract. We take no percentage of any booking. You pay your own payment provider's card fees, and there is a reactivation fee after a lost chargeback on your own subscription.
When were these figures checked?
Each competitor figure was read from that platform's own pricing page on 2026-10-26. They are the same figures our comparison pages show.
Try BoothZen with no booking fees
Free for your first 10 bookings. Deposits go straight into your own account.