The gift of flexibility: How buy now, pay later can lift holiday revenue for salons, spas, and medspas 

The holidays come with their own kind of magic: gift giving, get-togethers, and guests booking every self-care treatment before the clock strikes midnight. 'Tis the season of “treat yourself” and “treat everyone else,” and shoppers are gearing up to spend. This year, 25% plan to spend $1,000 or more, up from 18% in 2024. 

But even with the festive cheer in the air, 60% of consumers say they’re feeling more financial stress this holiday season. And chances are, you’re feeling that tension at the front desk, too.  

Guests want to splurge on premium wellness services, holiday glow-up packages, and luxurious gift experiences. The only thing not on their wishlists? The full upfront cost. It’s a familiar pain point — especially during peak season, when revenue pressures run high and high-ticket service acceptance rates run low. 

So, it’s no surprise that experts predict up to $20.2 billion in holiday purchases will run through buy now, pay later (BNPL) platforms between Nov. 1 and New Year’s Eve.  

BNPL like Klarna, Affirm, AfterPay, and Sunbit are now a major part of the season’s checkout flow. And for wellness brands, these payment options maximize guest spending power, minimize price friction on high-ticket services, and magnify holiday salon sales, all without relying on deep, margin-cutting discounts.  

Read on to unwrap practical ways to package BNPL-friendly offers, promote flexible payment options, and prepare your team with talking points that build confidence and drive conversions. 

Buy now, pay later — sometimes called “pay over time” — lets guests split purchases into smaller installments with minimal to no interest, no hard credit check, and near-instant approval. Clients can choose their payment schedule and use BNPL like Sunbit and Affirm directly at checkout. 

It’s a friction-free way to book high-value wellness services, and it’s more common than ever. U.S. BNPL transactions have reached $175 billion over the past decade, proving just how quickly guests have embraced flexible financing. And when it comes to BNPL for medspas, spas, and salons, this flexibility helps lift holiday sales while keeping luxury services and high-ticket gifts within guests’ reach. 

For guests, flexible payments are becoming a must-have during the holidays. Almost half (44%) of financially stressed shoppers will consider using BNPL this year, and 64% of wellness clients already prefer to use financing options like buy now, pay later when visiting a medspa.  

That behavior tracks with a bigger financial trend: more than six in 10 wellness clients who stopped visiting a business they liked in 2025 did so due to rising costs, and the average ticket size for medspa guests dropped 9% year-over-year. Flexible payment options help ease the current budget strain.  

Choices such as Sunbit BNPL and other providers let guests manage high-ticket purchases over several paychecks and reduce the psychological hurdle of paying up front — whether they’re booking pre-holiday self-care or gifting premium wellness experiences. 

Flexible payments also simplify gifting decisions, particularly when items like the Dyson Airwrap Multi Styler, cosmetics and skin care sets, and fragrances are predicted to be key drivers of holiday spending this year. BNPL for salons and medspas helps make these retail favorites more accessible.  

It’s not just guests who benefit from flexible payments — wellness businesses do, too. Offering BNPL leads to a 91% higher average order value (AOV) for enterprises and a 62% lift for small businesses, demonstrating just how powerful these options can be during peak season. 

Flexible payments also pave the way for more premium service bookings. With an average BNPL loan amount of $135 over six weeks, guests feel more comfortable upgrading products, adding complimentary services, or choosing higher-value holiday packages without upfront hesitation. 

And here’s one of the biggest advantages for businesses: with BNPL, the salon or spa receives 100% of the invoice amount upfront while carrying zero repayment risk. This means owners get immediate cash flow and guaranteed payment, even as guests pay over time.  

Meeting clients where their budgets are is helping to amplify holiday salon sales. And at a time when salons, medspas, and waxing businesses saw a 24% improvement in membership sales year over year, BNPL for salons gives owners another lever to keep that momentum going.  

Plus, BNPL converts better than traditional discounts. Nearly 90% of retail decision-makers say Klarna BNPL, Affirm, and other pay-over-time options are essential for attracting new customers and increasing sales. In other words, BNPL is now a certified business tool, not just a seasonal perk. 

"Buy now pay later has shifted from a nice to have to a serious growth driver for many service businesses", explains Shavini Salhotra, a Product Marketing Leader in Fintech at Zenoti. "More clients are choosing flexible payments to manage tighter budgets, making it a baseline expectation."

A quarter of consumers plan to spend $1,000 or more this holiday season, while another 20% expect to drop between $500 and $1,000. Where is all that spend projected to land? According to shoppers, it’s a season of wellness: 71% of consumers intend to buy self-care items this year. 

Experience gifting is surging, too. More than 60% of U.S. adults say they’d prefer to receive an experience over a physical gift, and half plan to give one. Even better, 85% agree that shared experiences make gifts more meaningful — from couples massages to mother-daughter salon days. 

At the same time, BNPL usage for holiday spending is accelerating at record speed.  

Shoppers aren’t just using BNPL — they’re relying on it. More than half (52%) say they’re more likely to buy when flexible payments are available, and nearly one in five shoppers prefer brands that offer BNPL. Convenience, reliability, and easier budget management lead the list of reasons why. 

Younger guests are driving the momentum for holiday salon sales, too. One in four Gen Z and millennial consumers use BNPL regularly, and nearly 80% of past users plan to use it this year. BNPL for medspas, spas, and salons helps turn seasonal interest into confident bookings. 

More guests now expect flexible payments to be available at checkout, especially during the holidays. Nearly 30% of medspa clients say paying the bill is one of the most frustrating parts of their visit, while 26% say that being able to pay digitally is the hallmark of a great experience. Offering BNPL helps remove friction. 

It also prevents lost revenue. With 43% of consumers saying they abandon purchases when BNPL isn’t offered, flexible payments have become a quiet deal-breaker during the busiest season of the year. As the holidays approach, BNPL for salons, spas, and medspas is the not-so-secret gift that keeps on giving well after the New Year.   

It’s clear that BNPL is a bona fide conversion driver. And for wellness brands, the biggest impact shows up in holiday service packages where price hesitation tends to be highest. Here’s how flexible payment options stretch client budgets and scale company profits for salons, spas, and medspas. 

BNPL for medspas reduces the biggest barrier to booking: upfront cost. It also strengthens membership adoption. More than 90% of clients say they’re more likely to choose a medspa with a membership or loyalty program, and 66% want those programs to include service discounts — meaning flexible payments are especially valuable for holiday medspa promotions. 

BNPL can often be most impactful on holiday medspa services like: 

These categories are generally higher ticket and often require multiple visits, which makes installment payments easier for guests to commit to. For example, a $900 holiday injectable package may convert at higher rates when guests can split the cost into manageable payments, rather than paying in full at checkout. 

BNPL for salons is a trusted technique for increasing average ticket size, especially during peak holiday traffic. It’s particularly effective for salon gift cards, which saw explosive growth last year — salons nearly doubled holiday gift card sales in 2024 (up 93%), making multi-card bundles a high-value upsell opportunity for 2025. 

BNPL also encourages upgrades for high-demand hair services, including: 

These services tend to come at higher price points, positioning installment payments as a simpler way for guests to say yes. For instance, a guest considering a $300 keratin treatment after already receiving a pre-holiday haircut may be far more willing to upgrade when they can pay over time. 

Spas benefit most when guests commit to ongoing care rather than one-off visits. Luckily, flexible payments make that easier to sustain. With options like Sunbit or Affirm buy now, pay later, guests can spread out the cost of recurring services, helping to maintain a consistent self-care schedule through the holidays and beyond. 

BNPL for spas may also have a strong impact on: 

These services often deliver the best results when booked in a series or paired together, making installment payments a practical way for guests to stay on track. For example, a guest planning weekly massages for holiday stress relief may be more likely to commit to four appointments when they can use smaller payments to extend their budget. 

Now that you’ve seen how BNPL for salons, spas, and medspas can maximize holiday spending, here’s a step-by-step guide for designing flexible payment packages that feel just as festive as they are frictionless.   

Tiered bundles make holiday shopping simple by giving guests clear “good, better, best” options. A structure like a “12 Days of Skin” bundle — offered in basic, mid-level, and premium versions — helps different budgets find their perfect fit while still guiding shoppers toward higher-value services. 

Like bundles, holiday shoppers want wellness packages that feel exclusive but are easy to gift. A themed package, such as a “Holiday Glow” medspa bundle, checks both boxes. And with BNPL for medspas, guests can shop polished, ready-to-gift experiences without the upfront strain. 

The average BNPL user has borrowed a total of $2,085 across purchases. When pricing holiday packages, aim for a practical range of bundles, packages, and premium add-ons, such as $300 to $1,500 each. Even higher-value treatments feel more attainable when guests can split payments through Affirm, Sunbit, or Klarna BNPL. 

Speaking of attainable high-value treatments, position BNPL as what makes holiday packages feel special without slipping into “wish list only” territory. A winter transformation bundle or multi-service refresh can stay at full value while still driving strong holiday salon sales simply by offering a flexible way to pay. Guests get the experience they want without waiting for a markdown. 

Gift cards are a holiday staple, and BNPL works especially well when guests want to purchase more than one. Multi-card bundles — like buy-three, gift-three sets — can significantly lift holiday gift card sales because guests can spread out the total rather than spend their entire budget at once. Installment payments remove the sticker shock and make bulk gifting feel merry, not messy. 

Once your holiday packages are mapped out, it’s time to spotlight BNPL where it matters most: at checkout. According to the Zenoti Salon and Spa Consumer Survey, 37% of salon and spa guests think a quick, easy checkout defines a great experience. You could argue that nothing is easier for your clients (and their bank accounts) than to split holiday purchases into installments.  

And this season, digital checkout is where the magic — and the spending — happens. Experts predict that 2025 will be the first year mobile accounts for more than half of online spend, and nearly a quarter of guests say digital or mobile payments enhance their visit. That makes now the perfect time to promote options like Klarna BNPL or Sunbit BNPL to help lift holiday salon sales. 

Consider these places to promote BNPL for salons, spas, and medspas:  

Though roughly 91.5 million consumers already used BNPL this year, there’s a chance many of your guests are not familiar with the “pay over time” option available during booking or checkout. In these situations, your staff can be your greatest salespeople. After all, more guests and smoother transactions mean more money for the entire team. 

Here are the most common questions about BNPL for salons, spas, and medspas, along with simple scripts you can use to educate and empower your staff. 

Answer: “Not exactly. BNPL is a short-term installment plan for one purchase, while a credit card is an ongoing line of credit that can be used for multiple purchases. And unlike credit cards, approval for BNPL is usually quick and doesn’t require a hard credit check.” 

Answer: “Most short-term options, like ‘Pay in 4’ or ‘Pay in 30 Days,’ are typically interest-free if payments are made on time. Longer-term plans may include interest.” 

Pro tip: Staff can gently remind guests to choose the plan that fits their timeline best, whether that’s a short-term option like Affirm Buy Now, Pay Later or a traditional payment method. 

Answer: “Choosing BNPL won’t affect your credit score. Making payments on time may help build a positive credit history, while missed payments could have the opposite effect.”  

Answer: “Yes! Many of our guests use BNPL for service bundles, holiday medspa promotions, and even memberships. It’s a flexible way to lock in your routine without paying everything at once.” 

BNPL for salons, spas, and medspas can be a profitable seasonal tool, as long as it’s managed with care. Start by setting a minimum purchase amount — with Sunbit the minimum value can be as low as $60 — so flexible payments apply to the services that benefit your guests, your team, and your bottom line the most. 

Avoid stacking BNPL on top of discounts, especially during the holidays, when margins already run tight. Likewise, remain mindful that BNPL transactions fees cost merchants anywhere from 1.5% to 7% of each purchase total, so it’s important to build that cost into your overall margins, too. 

Luckily, money arrives quickly (often as soon as the next business day) with solutions like Zenoti Payments, helping salons maintain steady cash flow. The same applies to medspas, where high-ticket services can create bigger swings in payout timing without a reliable system in place. 

Monitoring repayment patterns and payout timing gives you a clear picture of whether BNPL is scaling revenue or simply shifting when money comes in. These simple KPIs make it easy to measure the lift: 

With the right provider, BNPL becomes a natural extension of your client journey — not another add-on to manage. An advanced softwate partner like Zenoti does the heavy lifting behind the scenes, making BNPL for medspas, spas, and salons feel seamless for both your team and your guests. Here’s how: 

Clients enjoy a mix of payment options, from credit and debit cards to Apple Pay, Google Pay, tap-to-pay, gift cards, and BNPL solutions. And with more than 250,000 transactions processed daily and roughly $30M managed each day, Zenoti ensures smooth, secure checkouts. 

Even with tighter budgets, guests still want to splurge this holiday season. BNPL helps salons, spas, and medspas capture more of that festive spend. Flexible payments help guests book the self-care services they want, choose higher-value packages as gifts, and keep their end-of-year budget steady without relying on deep discounts. It’s a seasonal boost that works magic on holiday salon sales. 

Now’s the time to capture the season’s momentum. Explore how BNPL enablement within a platform like Zenoti can simplify checkout, support the guest experience, and strengthen revenue during the busiest weeks of the year.