Short answer: create a tip page in an app such as TipIns, print the QR code and put it on a small stand at your station, facing the chair, so the client reads it during the service. Customers scan it with their phone camera and tip by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. They do not need an app or an account.
Half your clients pay by card and then apologise that they have nothing for you. If you rent your chair, the salon terminal may not be able to pass a tip to you at all, and handing out a personal Venmo handle mixes clients into your private account.
How a QR code tip jar works
You create a tip page once and get a personal QR code and link. A customer points their phone camera at the code, a secure payment page opens in their browser, and they pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card. The tip shows in your balance straight away and is paid out to your bank account.
Where hairdressers put the code
- On a small stand at your station, facing the chair, so the client reads it during the service.
- On the mirror, at seated eye level.
- On the back of your business card or appointment card.
- In your booking confirmation message and your Instagram bio, for clients who remember afterwards.
Size the code for the distance: a phone reads one from about ten times its width. The measurements are in how to make a tip jar QR code sign.
What to write on the sign
Loved your hair? Scan to tip [your name]. Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
Put your own name where the brackets are. You can export a print-ready design from the app in business card, A5, A4 or A3 size.
How to mention it
While you are finishing: "If you would like to leave a tip and you are paying by card, there is a code on the mirror."
Your own code or a shared one
Use a personal code if clients tip you directly. If the salon pools tips with assistants and the front desk, create a group and set the percentages once.
What customers usually tip a hairdresser
The usual tip for a hairdresser in the US is 15 to 20% of the service price, before any discount.
| Situation | Usual tip |
|---|---|
| $40 cut | $6 to $8 |
| $150 cut and colour | $22 to $30 |
| Assistant who shampoos or blow-dries | $3 to $5, given separately |
Customers looking for the etiquette can read how to tip a hairdresser without cash.
What it costs
TipIns is free to download and has no monthly fee. Each tip carries a 10% platform fee plus a small card processing fee, and by default the person tipping covers both, so you receive the amount they chose. Weekly payouts to your bank are free. The details are in the FAQ.
Common questions
Where should a hairdresser put a tip QR code?
On a small stand at your station, facing the chair, so the client reads it during the service. On the mirror, at seated eye level.
What should a hairdresser's tip sign say?
Try: "Loved your hair? Scan to tip [your name]. Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay." Give a reason, show a large code and include your name.
Should I use a personal code or a team code?
Use a personal code if clients tip you directly. If the salon pools tips with assistants and the front desk, create a group and set the percentages once.