Payments
Managing Payouts
Track card earnings, choose payout timing, and review payout and transaction history.
Last updated 24 July 2026
Track your card payment earnings, choose when you get paid, and control who pays the processing fee, so you always know when money is arriving in your bank account.
Where to find it. Web: Payments > Overview. Mobile: Settings > Payments.
TL;DR
- Payments Overview is accessible to venue Owners. Managers use Payments for Payment issues only.
- There is no minimum balance required, payouts trigger on your scheduled day (or immediately for manual) whenever there is an available balance.
- Stripe charges a payout fee of 0.25% + A$0.25 (AU/NZ) or 0.25% + £0.10 (GB) per payout. This is deducted from your balance, not an OpenChair charge.
- Weekly, daily, and manual payouts require a PRO subscription. Monthly is available on all plans.
- Processing fees are deducted before funds reach your available balance, the Transactions list shows gross amounts.
Overview
Managing payouts lets you:
- View your available and pending balance in real time
- Choose a payout schedule, monthly (all plans), weekly, daily, or manual (PRO)
- Trigger an immediate payout at any time on the Manual schedule (PRO)
- See when your next payout is scheduled
- Review payout history with status tracking (Paid, In transit, Pending, Cancelled, Failed)
- Browse individual transactions with filtering and CSV export (web)
- Connect and recover your payment account through Stripe
- Open Settings > Payment processing to manage card-processing fees or disconnect the payment account
- Open Settings → In-person payments to manage readers, Tap to Pay, external terminals, and walk-out checkout
Note
Card payment processing is available on both FREE and PRO plans. Weekly, daily, and manual payouts require a PRO subscription. Processing fee rates differ by plan, see the fee structure section below.
Prerequisites
Before you can receive payouts, you must complete Stripe Connect setup:
- Go to Payouts in the sidebar (web) or More → Payouts (mobile).
- The Activate payments card shows a checklist of what you need:
| Country | Documents required |
|---|---|
| Australia | Photo ID (driver's licence or passport), bank account details (BSB and account number), business tax number (ABN) |
| New Zealand | Photo ID, bank account number, business number (NZBN) |
| United Kingdom | Photo ID, bank account details (sort code and account number), Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) |
- Click "Connect your bank account" (web) or tap "Connect bank account" (mobile, opens in browser).
- Complete the Stripe verification form. This takes about 2 to 5 minutes.
- When verified, "Account active" appears on the payment account card.
For full setup instructions, see Setting Up Stripe & Card Payments.
Skipping Stripe (cash-only mode)
If you only accept cash:
- On the Payouts page, click "I only take cash payments".
- The page switches to cash-only mode with the message: "Online booking payments are disabled for your venue. Clients can book appointments but cannot pay online."
- To reconnect later, click "Enable online payments".
Your balance
Once your payment account is active, the Balance card shows:
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Total balance | Combined available and pending funds |
| Available to pay out | Funds that are ready to be sent to your bank account |
| Pending | Funds from recent transactions still being processed by Stripe (typically 2 to 7 business days) |
| Next payout | The scheduled date for your next payout (not shown for Manual schedule) |
A badge indicates your payout readiness:
- "Ready to pay out" (green), your available balance is ready to be paid out
- "Accumulating" (amber), your balance is very low; funds are still building up
The balance refreshes automatically every 60 seconds.
Payout fee
Stripe charges a fee each time a payout is triggered. This is deducted from your available balance, not a separate charge from OpenChair.
| Country | Payout fee |
|---|---|
| Australia | 0.25% + A$0.25 per payout |
| New Zealand | 0.25% + NZ$0.25 per payout |
| United Kingdom | 0.25% + £0.10 per payout |
The fee is shown as a line item on your payout confirmation email (Gross balance / Stripe payout fee / Deposited) so you can see exactly what was deducted.
Tip
Choosing a less frequent payout schedule (e.g. monthly instead of daily) reduces the total Stripe payout fees paid per month, since fewer payouts are triggered. Use a higher-frequency schedule when cash flow is the priority; use monthly when minimising fees matters more.
Payout schedule
OpenChair processes payouts on a schedule, not in real time. Payouts are triggered by a daily job that checks whether today is a payout day for your venue.
| Schedule | When payouts are sent | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | 1st of each month | FREE and PRO |
| Weekly | Every Monday | PRO only |
| Daily | Every day | PRO only |
| Manual | Whenever you tap "Pay out now" (web) | PRO only |
Choosing a schedule
Higher-frequency schedules give you faster access to your earnings but result in more Stripe payout fees over the course of a month (because the fixed fee component applies per payout). Choose the schedule that best balances cash flow and cost for your business.
Changing your schedule
On web
- Go to Payouts.
- In the balance card, find the Payout schedule buttons.
- Click your preferred schedule: Monthly, Weekly, Daily, or Manual.
- The change saves immediately.
FREE venues can only select Monthly. The other options show a PRO badge with an Unlock link.
On mobile
- Go to More → Payouts.
- The Payout schedule card shows Monthly and Weekly buttons.
- Tap your preferred schedule. The Weekly button is disabled for FREE venues.
A hint below the buttons shows the schedule detail:
- Monthly: "Paid on the 1st of each month"
- Weekly: "Paid every Monday"
- Daily: "Paid every day"
- Manual: "Pay out whenever you choose"
Note
Daily and Manual schedule changes are only available on web. If your schedule is set to Daily or Manual from the web, the mobile app shows the current schedule but does not allow changing to those options, use the web app to adjust.
Manual payouts
With the Manual schedule, OpenChair never triggers a payout automatically. Instead, a "Pay out now" button appears on the Payouts page whenever there is an available balance.
Tapping the button shows a confirmation with the full fee breakdown before you confirm:
A$182.40 will be deposited into your bank account. Stripe payout fee: −A$0.71 Gross balance: A$183.11
Once confirmed, the payout is sent immediately. Funds typically arrive within 1 to 2 business days.
Payout history
The Payouts section shows your recent payout history (up to 20 most recent payouts).
Each payout displays the date, status, and amount. Status badges indicate:
| Status | Badge colour | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Paid | Green | Payout has arrived in your bank account |
| In transit | Blue | Payout has been sent and is on its way |
| Pending | Amber | Payout is queued but not yet sent |
| Cancelled | Grey | Payout was cancelled before being sent |
| Failed | Red | Payout failed, check your bank account details |
When no payouts have been sent yet, the section shows: "No payouts yet" with the message "Payouts will appear here once a payout has been triggered."
Transactions
The Transactions section shows individual payments received from customers, with status filters and CSV export on web.
On web
The transactions table shows the date, status, customer name or email, payment method (e.g. "Visa ···· 4242", "Card reader", "BECS Direct Debit"), and amount.
Filter pills above the table let you filter by: All, Succeeded, Incomplete, or Cancelled.
An Export button generates a CSV file (transactions-{date}.csv) containing all visible transactions with columns: Date, Status, From, Payment method, Amount, Currency.
Transaction status badges:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Succeeded | Payment completed successfully |
| Processing | Payment is being processed |
| Incomplete | Payment was started but not completed |
| Cancelled | Payment was cancelled |
On mobile
The same transaction list and filters are available. The payment method column is hidden to save space. A "Load more" button appears if there are additional transactions to load.
Processing fees
OpenChair charges a processing fee on each card transaction. The fee depends on your subscription plan, country, and payment channel.
Fee structure
Online payments (customer pays via booking page or saved card)
| Country | FREE plan | PRO plan |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 3.0% + $0.50 AUD | 1.8% + $0.30 AUD |
| New Zealand | 3.5% + $0.50 NZD | 2.5% + $0.30 NZD |
| United Kingdom | 2.5% + £0.30 | 2.0% + £0.20 |
In-person payments (card terminal or Tap to Pay)
| Country | FREE plan | PRO plan |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 3.0% + $0.50 AUD | 1.8% + $0.30 AUD |
| New Zealand | 3.5% + $0.50 NZD | 2.5% + $0.30 NZD |
| United Kingdom | 2.5% + £0.30 | 2.0% + £0.20 |
The same percentage and fixed fee apply to online payments, connected card readers, and Tap to Pay.
International card surcharge
When the venue policy allows it, an additional 1.8% surcharge applies to eligible online payments where the customer's card was issued in a different country from the venue. Connected readers, Tap to Pay, saved-card walk-out checkout, and external terminals never add a customer surcharge.
Who pays the fee
Owners can choose from the policies available for their venue:
| Option | What it means | Available to |
|---|---|---|
| Absorb all fees (default) | Clients pay the advertised price. Your business absorbs card-processing fees. | All venues |
| Pass international card fees only | Eligible international online card payments include the 1.8% surcharge. Domestic online payments and every card-present payment remain absorbed. | New Zealand, and Australia only before the venue's local 1 October 2026 cutoff |
To change the setting:
- Go to Settings > Payment processing on web or mobile.
- Select your preferred option under Card-processing fees.
- The change saves automatically.
Warning
United Kingdom venues are required to absorb all processing fees. Surcharging on consumer payments is prohibited under the Payment Services Regulations 2017. The fee absorption setting is locked to "Absorb all fees" for UK venues and cannot be changed.
Note
Australian venues. Effective from the venue's local 1 October 2026, OpenChair adds no customer card surcharge on any channel. The policy is enforced as Absorb all fees; OpenChair's separate platform fee is unchanged.
Payment account status
The payment account card shows one of five status badges indicating the current state of your Stripe Connect account.
| Status | Web badge | Mobile badge | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | "Active" (green) | "Active" (green) | Charges and payouts enabled, fully operational |
| Setup in progress | "Setup in progress" (grey) | - | Stripe account created but verification incomplete |
| Pending verification | "Pending verification" (amber) | "Pending verification" (amber) | Details submitted, Stripe reviewing (1 to 2 business days) |
| Not connected | "Not connected" (amber) | "Setup required" (red) | No Stripe account, setup has not started |
| Cash-only | Card title: "Cash-only mode" | "Cash only" (grey) | Owner chose to skip Stripe |
Disconnecting your payment account
Disconnecting permanently closes your Stripe account and cancels any pending payouts.
- Go to Settings > Payment processing on web or mobile.
- Open Payment account.
- Click "Disconnect".
- A confirmation dialog warns: "This will permanently close your Stripe account and cancel any pending payouts. This cannot be undone."
- Click to confirm.
Warning
Disconnecting your Stripe account is permanent. Any pending payouts are cancelled. If you reconnect later, you will need to complete the full verification process again.
Role access
Payments Overview and Payment processing are restricted to venue Owners. Managers can use Payment issues to review and create cases, but an Owner must approve and execute money movement.
| Action | Owner | Manager | Stylist |
|---|---|---|---|
| View Payments Overview | Yes | No | No |
| View or create Payment issues | Yes | Yes | No |
| Approve or execute an issue | Yes | No | No |
| View balance and payout history | Yes | No | No |
| View transactions | Yes | No | No |
| Change payout schedule | Yes | No | No |
| Trigger manual payout | Yes | No | No |
| Change fee absorption setting | Yes | No | No |
| Connect or disconnect Stripe | Yes | No | No |
| Export transactions (CSV) | Yes | No | No |
Platform differences
Mobile Payments shows connection, balance, schedule, payouts, and transactions. Processing fee policy and disconnection live in Settings > Payment processing.
| Feature | Web | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | Sidebar > Payments | Settings > Payments |
| Stripe Connect setup | Embedded inline form on Payouts page | Opens browser to web Payouts page |
| Balance display | Balance card with available/pending breakdown | Balance card with available/pending breakdown |
| Schedule change | Four buttons: Monthly / Weekly / Daily / Manual (PRO required for non-Monthly) | Two toggle buttons: Monthly / Weekly (Weekly disabled for FREE with PRO badge) |
| Manual payout trigger | "Pay out now" button (Manual schedule, PRO) | Not available, use web |
| Payout history | Table with date, status badge, amount | Compact table with date, status badge, amount |
| Transactions | Full table with payment method column, filter pills, CSV export | Compact table (no payment method column), filter pills, "Load more" button, no export |
| Fee absorption settings | Settings > Payment processing | Settings > Payment processing |
| Hardware ordering | Settings → In-person payments with order and delivery controls | Settings → In-person payments; ordering can continue on web where required |
| Walk-out checkout toggle | Settings → In-person payments | Settings → In-person payments |
| Disconnect account | Settings > Payment processing | Settings > Payment processing |
| Refresh | Auto-refresh every 60 seconds | Pull-to-refresh + header refresh button |
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Payout amount is less than my available balance | Stripe deducts a payout fee (0.25% + A$0.25/NZ$0.25/£0.10) each time a payout is triggered. Your payout confirmation email shows the full breakdown. |
| Payout shows "Failed" status | Check that your bank account details are correct in Stripe. A failed payout usually means the bank rejected the transfer. Update your bank details and trigger a new payout or wait for the next scheduled day. |
| No payout on the 1st of the month | Payouts only trigger when there is an available balance on the scheduled day. If your balance was zero on the 1st, no payout was sent. The next attempt will be on the next scheduled payout day. |
| "Setup required" or "Not connected" on mobile | You have not completed Stripe Connect setup. Tap "Connect bank account": this opens the setup form in your browser. Complete the verification and return to the app. Pull down to refresh the status. |
| Pending verification taking more than 2 days | Stripe reviews usually complete within 1 to 2 business days. If your status remains "Pending verification" after 3 business days, check for emails from Stripe requesting additional documentation. On mobile, tap "Check progress" to open Stripe. |
| Cannot find fee absorption settings | Open Settings > Payment processing on web or mobile. UK venues and unsupported countries are locked to Absorb all fees. Australian venues from their local 1 October 2026 are also enforced as absorb-only. |
| Daily or Manual schedule option is not showing | Daily and Manual payout schedules require a PRO subscription. On web, the buttons show a PRO badge with an Unlock link. |
| "Pay out now" button is not visible | The manual payout button only appears when your schedule is set to Manual and there is an available balance. Confirm your schedule is set to Manual on the Payouts page. |
| Transactions not appearing | New transactions may take a few minutes to appear. The transactions list refreshes every 60 seconds. If transactions are still missing after 10 minutes, check that your Stripe account status is "Active" with charges enabled. |
| Cannot access Payments Overview | Overview is restricted to venue Owners. Managers are taken to Payment issues; other staff see a restricted-access message. Ask the venue Owner for payout information. |
FAQ
How do I change my payout schedule?
Go to Payouts on web and click your preferred schedule button in the balance card (Monthly, Weekly, Daily, or Manual). Weekly, Daily, and Manual require a PRO subscription. FREE venues only see Monthly active. On mobile, tap Monthly or Weekly in the Payout schedule card.
Is there a minimum payout amount?
No. There is no business minimum, payouts trigger on your scheduled day whenever there is an available balance. A small technical floor (~A$1/NZ$1/£1) exists at the Stripe level, but any meaningful balance will pay out.
Does OpenChair charge a fee for payouts?
No, but Stripe charges a payout fee per payout: 0.25% + A$0.25 (AU), 0.25% + NZ$0.25 (NZ), or 0.25% + £0.10 (GB). This is deducted from your available balance each time a payout is sent. Your payout email shows the breakdown.
How do I view my transaction history?
Go to Payouts in the sidebar (web) or More → Payouts (mobile). The Transactions section shows all individual payments with status, amount, and payment method. On web you can export to CSV using the Export button.
Why is my payout amount less than my available balance?
Stripe deducts its payout fee (0.25% + fixed component) from your balance at the time of payout. Your payout confirmation email shows the gross balance, the Stripe payout fee, and the amount deposited.