Does the online booking system transfer when I buy a salon?

A salon’s appointment book is part of what keeps it running. If the booking account is in a stylist’s personal name, or the platform’s terms do not allow a change of owner, you may close on Friday and be unable to take bookings on Saturday. Ask these questions during due diligence, not afterward.

Find out who holds each account

Make a list of everything clients touch: the booking platform, the website and its domain, the business phone number, the online listing, review pages, and social media. For each, note whose name and email are on the account. Anything held personally by the owner or a stylist usually needs to be moved before closing or covered in the agreement, so ask your lawyer.

Check client history, deposits and settings

Ask whether client records, colour formulas and visit notes can be exported or transferred, and whether future appointments and prepaid deposits carry over. Review no-show and cancellation settings, since clients booked under the old rules may expect them to continue. Ask your lawyer how the platform’s terms apply.

Handle client information carefully

Booking systems hold personal information. Ask your lawyer what clients must be told and what the seller may share before closing. See what a seller can hand over at closing for the general approach.

Plan the switchover

• Agree a date for moving each account and who does the work.
• Keep the old phone number and listing live until the new ones work.
• Send clients one clear message about any change.
• Check upcoming appointments by hand the week after.