Bridal Makeup Booking and Deposit App (2026)
Bridal makeup runs on the retainer and the contract — a wedding date you held and lost has no walk-in, and payment can't be a wedding-morning conversation. ShowTheReceipts ($15/mo) collects a non-refundable retainer online when the date is booked, bills the party per person, itemizes travel and early-call-time, and states the balance due date on the invoice.
How we picked
Entry-plan prices as published in 2026, taken from each vendor's own pricing page or a recent third-party summary. Judged on the freelance bridal makeup artist's workflow — online retainers, per-person party billing, travel and early-call-time fees, a stated balance due date, and simple contracts — not on multi-chair salon floor management, staff commission splits, or retail inventory built for a salon with employees.
| Software | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| ShowTheReceipts That's us | $15/mo | Freelance bridal MUAs: online retainers, per-person party billing, travel fees, balance due dates |
| Square Appointments | Free / $29/mo+ | Simple booking tied to Square card processing |
| HoneyBook | $19/mo+ | Freelance contracts and proposals across creative services |
| Vagaro | $23.99/mo+ | Salon-style booking with a consumer marketplace |
| GlossGenius | $24/mo+ | Beauty-specific booking with a branded client app |
The date is the asset
A booked wedding is a date you’ll turn other brides away for. Lose it late and there’s no walk-in bride to fill it — which is why the retainer is non-refundable and collected the moment the date is held.
1. ShowTheReceipts — $15/mo
Non-refundable retainer collected online at booking, party billed per person, travel and early-call-time itemized, balance due date on the invoice.
2. Square Appointments — Free / $29/mo+
Simple booking tied to Square’s card processing.
3. HoneyBook — $19/mo+
Contracts and proposals across freelance creative services.
4. Vagaro — $23.99/mo+
Salon-style booking with a consumer marketplace attached.
5. GlossGenius — $24/mo+
Beauty-specific booking with a branded client-facing app.
The lines a bridal invoice needs
- Bride — day-of application
- Party members — per person
- Trial — its own line
- Travel fee — flat or by distance
- Early-call-time fee — pre-dawn starts
- Retainer applied — credited to the balance
Retainer, party, balance — written down
The retainer holds the date, the per-person lines keep the party clear, and the stated balance due date keeps payment off the wedding morning. Everything else is just the contract agreeing to the math before the trial.
Frequently asked questions
How much retainer should I take?
Typically 30–50% of the estimated total, collected when the date is booked and non-refundable. You're holding a date you'll turn other brides away for — a refundable deposit is a reservation she can cancel at your expense, not a booking.
Can it bill a bridal party per person?
It should — one invoice with a line for the bride and each party member, plus travel and early-call-time separately, with the retainer credited. The per-head breakdown keeps a group booking clear instead of a lump sum nobody can check.
Does it track the balance due date?
Yes — state it on the invoice, whether that's day-of, at the trial, or a set number of days before the wedding. A written balance due date is what keeps payment off the wedding-morning to-do list.
Do I need a separate contract tool?
You need the retainer terms, per-person costs, balance schedule, and cancellation policy agreed in writing before the trial. Keep that with the booking so the invoice is just the math the contract already agreed to.