Fresha

The typical implementation process for Fresha is designed to be very quick and straightforward, letting businesses start taking advantage of its features with minimal delay.

Typical Implementation Process:

• Sign-Up & Setup: You can sign up for Fresha for free, enter your services, staff, business hours, pricing, and other essential information directly into the platform.

• Account Verification: If you want to process payments through Fresha, you’ll need to complete a standard account verification, which generally takes up to two working days once you submit the required identification and business documents.

• Getting Started: For most salons and spas, basic setup is fast, and you can begin taking appointments in a matter of hours after signing up.

• Team Training: Fresha is built to be user-friendly, so your team should be comfortable using the system within one or two days. No specialized technical knowledge or implementation team is needed.

• Adding Features Over Time: You can gradually introduce advanced features like automated reminders, integrated payments, and analytics as your team gets comfortable.

Typical Timeline:

• Account setup: Takes minutes to an hour for initial data entry.

• Booking clients: Many businesses are fully operational and can start booking the same day.

• Full team usage: Usually within one to two days, with minimal training.

• Payment account verification: Typically up to two working days after submitting documents.

• Advanced features: Can be adopted at your own pace, whenever your business is ready.

• Service Menu: Fully configurable—create, reorder, group, archive, or delete services and bundles. You can set custom pricing and durations for each service and even assign unique prices by staff member or location.

• Calendar and Appointment Management: Customize your calendar view with filters (by service, team member, status, etc.), and color-code appointments for better visual management.

• Sales and Checkout: Tailor each transaction by adding discounts, changing items or quantities, and applying taxes automatically according to your preset workspace settings.

• Client Experience: Customize notification messages (such as appointment reminders and follow-ups) and adjust their timing. However, the visual design/template of these notifications isn’t fully customizable.

• Reporting: Upgrade to premium to customize, duplicate, and organize reports according to your specific needs.

• Team Management: Flexible setup for team profiles, permissions, commission, schedules, and pricing.

• Integrations: Some limited integrations are offered, mainly for marketing (email/SMS), payment processing, analytics integrations (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel), and a data connector for broader integration (subject to an additional cost).

• Marketing and Loyalty: Launch tailored marketing campaigns, track loyalty, and offer custom promotions or memberships.

• If you add more bookable team members beyond the free solo account, there is a monthly fee per team member.

• There is a one-time 20% commission (with a minimum amount per client) when you acquire brand-new clients through the Fresha marketplace. Bookings with returning clients or those who discover you outside the marketplace are free of commission.

• Payment processing fees apply for using Fresha’s integrated payments: a percentage plus a fixed fee per transaction, with slightly higher rates for manual card entries and lower rates for in-person/tap-to-pay.

• Physical payment terminals, if required, are available for a one-time purchase fee.

• SMS and WhatsApp notifications: Your business receives a small monthly free quota, after which you pay a small amount per message sent. Marketing texts and emails also have per-message charges, with a limited number included for teams.

• Premium support (24/7 phone and chat), advanced insights and analytics, loyalty program management, Google Reviews boost, and API/data connectors are available as premium add-ons for an ongoing monthly fee per feature or per location.

Fresha provides new users with a strong onboarding experience, combining self-paced resources and accessible support options:

• Fresha Academy: Step-by-step video lessons and tutorials guide new users through account setup, adding business details, creating services, managing team members, and scheduling shifts. These short courses are easy to follow and help users get started quickly.

• Help Center: A comprehensive online knowledge base includes articles, FAQs, and guides on all features and common questions.

• Video Tutorials: Beginner-friendly video guides are available and regularly updated, covering everything from basic use to more advanced functions.

• Email and Chat Support: Users can reach out through email and live chat for one-on-one assistance.

• Premium Support Option: For an added monthly fee, users can access 24/7 premium support, including phone and priority live chat.

Fresha is highly focused on the security and privacy of user and client data, implementing a multi-layered protection strategy:

• AI-Driven Fraud Detection: Utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning to preemptively identify and prevent fraudulent transactions, resulting in a 99% reduction in fraud attempts.

• Industry Compliance: Adheres to leading standards, including ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR, to ensure global best practices for data security and privacy.

• Data Encryption: All data is encrypted both at rest (in cloud storage) and in transit using industry-standard TLS (Transport Layer Security).

• Advanced Firewalls and Access Controls: Modern firewalls and zero-trust access management restrict unauthorized system access and protect data from threats.

• Continuous Monitoring and Automated Compliance: Regular compliance checks, automated security protocols, and strict vendor controls further secure the platform.

• Breach Notification Policy: Fresha commits to notifying affected partners quickly—within 72 hours if feasible—if any security breach occurs.

• Bug Bounty Program: Actively encourages ethical hackers and security researchers to identify vulnerabilities, continuously strengthening the overall security posture.

Fresha releases regular software updates to introduce new features, address user feedback, and strengthen security:

• Update Frequency: New features and enhancements are rolled out multiple times a year, with recent updates focused on usability, notification options, payment improvements, and more.

• Managed Releases: Updates are managed centrally by Fresha’s technical team. Users do not need to manually install updates; changes are applied seamlessly from the cloud, ensuring all users benefit immediately and with minimal disruption.

• User Communication: Significant updates, new features, and system enhancements are regularly communicated to users through news posts, release notes, and sometimes email updates.

• Feedback-Driven Development: User suggestions and feedback play a major role in planning new features and enhancements, making the platform responsive to evolving business needs.

Fresha’s policies are designed to give businesses control over their client and business data while ensuring compliance with strict data protection regulations:

• Data Ownership: In most cases, the business (referred to as the "Partner") is considered the data controller for personal data input into the Fresha platform. Fresha acts as the data processor. This means your business controls the use, accuracy, and legality of the data you collect through Fresha—with Fresha processing it only to deliver the services you use.

• Data Access and Rights: Partners retain the right to access, correct, and request deletion or restriction of the data stored on Fresha. You can manage most requests relating to client data directly via the Fresha platform.

• Portability: Fresha provides export features, allowing you to export your client lists and reports (and in some cases appointment and service data) in standard formats like CSV, Excel, or PDF. This ensures you can take your core business data with you if you ever choose to leave the platform or need to migrate to another system.

• Data Retention and Deletion: After ending your subscription or account, you have up to 30 days to export your data from the system before it is deleted, except where data must be kept longer to meet legal requirements.

Fresha offers flexible terms to accommodate changing organizational needs:

• Scaling Up: You can upgrade your plan at any time by adding more bookable team members or extra features (like advanced analytics, loyalty programs, or add-ons). Charges are prorated, so you pay only for the additional capacity and features from the time you add them. Your allowances and access to premium features adjust immediately.

• Scaling Down: If you reduce the number of bookable staff or downgrade your plan, your subscription fees decrease accordingly as of your next billing cycle. You can also unsubscribe from premium features you no longer need. If you remove your business from the marketplace or cancel your subscription, some data or client-facing content (such as reviews) may become inaccessible—but can usually be restored if your subscription is later reactivated.

• No Long-Term Lock-In: Fresha does not require long-term contracts. You can change or cancel your subscription as your business changes, giving you control and flexibility as you scale up or down.

• Flexible Contract Structure: Fresha generally operates on a monthly subscription basis for paid plans, with no long-term lock-in or penalties for cancellation. There is no initial long-term contract—your agreement renews automatically each billing cycle unless you make changes or cancel.

• Scaling and Cancellation: You can scale your plan up or down (for example, by adding or removing bookable staff or premium features) at any time. Downgrades or cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period. If you wish to stop paid services that incur ongoing charges (such as premium add-ons or team member seats), you must give at least 30 days’ notice in writing for those features, as per the partner terms. You remain liable for service fees during any applicable notice period.

• Account Termination: Either Fresha or the business partner may terminate the agreement for material breach of terms, by providing notice. Fresha reserves the right to suspend or close your account for violations of their policies or inappropriate behavior.

• Data Retention upon Cancellation: After cancellation, your business retains access to export your data for a limited period, typically up to 30 days. Afterwards, data will be deleted unless legal obligations require longer retention.

• Appointment Cancellations (for clients): Each business sets its own cancellation policy for appointments—clients must observe the partner’s cancellation window. Fees or penalties may apply for late cancellations or no-shows, as defined in the business’s terms and communicated at booking.

• No Additional Fees for Cancellation: There are no Fresha-specific fees or penalties tied directly to renewing or ending standard software use, outside any owed charges for services delivered up to cancellation.

• GDPR: Fresha is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), safeguarding the privacy rights of users in Europe and globally.

• ISO 27001: The platform adheres to ISO 27001, a leading international information security management standard, covering regular security audits, policies, and access controls.

• HIPAA: For customers in health or wellness fields (such as spas with medical elements), Fresha also meets the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements for handling sensitive health information.

• Other Standards: Fresha supports zero-trust access management, continuous automated compliance monitoring, and advanced encryption both in transit and at rest. Regular vulnerability scanning, security training, and a bug bounty program further strengthen its protection measures.

• Supply Chain and Vendor Controls: All third-party vendors and partners are required to demonstrate compliance with Fresha’s standards for data protection and privacy.

• Audit Readiness: Fresha maintains operational procedures and evidence to support audit readiness for all compliance frameworks—this includes regular testing and transparent documentation.