Short answer: create a tip page in an app such as TipIns, print the QR code and put it on a stand on your manicure table, beside the lamp. 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.
Your client has wet nails, a card in their hand and no cash, and the salon terminal will not take a tip. That is the single most common way a nail technician loses a tip, and it happens at the last second of the appointment.
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 nail technicians put the code
- On a stand on your manicure table, beside the lamp.
- On the pedicure chair armrest or the wall beside it.
- On the drying station, where clients sit with nothing to do for five minutes.
- On your personal card, for clients who rebook with you by name.
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
Love your nails? Scan to tip [your name]. Tap to pay, no cash needed.
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
As they move to the dryer: "If you want to tip by card, you can scan this with your phone. Apple Pay works, so you do not have to type."
Your own code or a shared one
A personal code each is the fair choice where technicians have their own clients. Use a group only if the salon genuinely pools tips.
What customers usually tip a nail technician
The usual tip for a manicure or pedicure in the US is 15 to 20% of the price.
| Situation | Usual tip |
|---|---|
| $35 manicure | $5 to $7 |
| $60 pedicure | $9 to $12 |
| $90 gel set with nail art | $15 to $18 |
Customers looking for the etiquette can read how to tip a nail technician 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 nail technician put a tip QR code?
On a stand on your manicure table, beside the lamp. On the pedicure chair armrest or the wall beside it.
What should a nail technician's tip sign say?
Try: "Love your nails? Scan to tip [your name]. Tap to pay, no cash needed." Give a reason, show a large code and include your name.
Should I use a personal code or a team code?
A personal code each is the fair choice where technicians have their own clients. Use a group only if the salon genuinely pools tips.