# Take card payments with Stripe, and give refunds

Source: https://docs.meetscarlet.com/payments/
Updated: 2026-11-06

Card payments go through your own Stripe account: members pay in your app, and Stripe pays the money out to your bank. Until Stripe is connected, members pay at the desk.

## Connect Stripe

Only the studio owner can connect Stripe. Managers can see where it stands and the payouts. Connecting Stripe and refreshing its status need two-step sign-in on your account, even though it's optional for everything else; see [Two-step sign-in](https://docs.meetscarlet.com/invite-your-team/#two-step). If your Stripe account pays out in a different currency from the one your studio sells in, the card says so: Stripe converts each payout.

[Screenshot: Settings, Payments on a phone before Stripe is connected: Stripe marked Not connected, a line saying members pay at the desk until then, and the Connect Stripe button.]

1. **Open Settings** Go to Settings and choose Payments in the section links.

1. **Connect** Choose Connect Stripe. Stripe asks for your business and bank details on its own page; Scarlet never sees them.

1. **Come back** When you finish, Stripe sends you back to Settings. If you stopped part-way, choose Continue setup. If the link ran out, the same button gets you a new one.

| Status | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| **Not connected** | Stripe isn't set up yet. Members pay at the desk. |
| **Setup not finished** | Stripe needs a few more details. Choose Continue setup. |
| **Stripe is checking** | You've sent everything. Checking can take a day or two, and card payments turn on by themselves when it's done. |
| **Paused by Stripe** | Stripe needs something before it can carry on. Open setup to see what. |
| **Taking payments** | Members can pay by card in your app. |

Refresh status asks Stripe again, and Update details reopens Stripe's form when you need to change your bank or business details. Payouts show the latest six, with dates on your studio's clock; a Failed or Cancelled one usually means the bank details need checking there. Every payout is listed in your Stripe dashboard.

[Screenshot: Settings, Payments: Stripe marked Taking payments, with card payments and payouts on, and payouts on their way to the bank.]

## Payouts to your bank

Under Payouts you see what's on its way to your bank, what's still clearing, and the payouts already made. Stripe pays out on a schedule once members have paid.

Scarlet keeps 1% of each card payment members make in your app. It comes out of the payment along with Stripe's own processing fee, so a payout is what members paid minus both. When you refund, the 1% on the refunded amount comes back to you.

For example, on a $100.00 card payment Scarlet keeps $1.00, Stripe takes its processing fee (it depends on your country and the card), and the rest is paid out to you. Refund $40.00 of it and $0.40 of Scarlet's fee comes back with it.

## Refund a booking

Open the booking on the schedule. Its payment section shows what was paid, any tip or booking fee, and anything already given back. The front desk can see it; owners and managers can refund.

[Screenshot: A court booking opened from the schedule: Paid $40.00 on the card ending 4242, Refunded $15.00 because the court was double booked, and a Refund… button under the payment.]

1. **Choose Refund** Pick the payment to give back. A deposit, a fee and the main payment each have their own button. A deposit can't be given back while the appointment is still on: cancel the appointment first. A paid share of a split booking works the same way: cancel the booking first.

1. **Choose how much** Refund everything left, or Refund part of it and type the amount. Then write why you're refunding: the reason is required, and staff see it on the payment.

1. **Confirm** The dialog says exactly what goes back and where before you confirm: to the card that paid, or to the member's store credit if they paid with credit.

The dialog first lists anything given back on that payment in the last 24 hours, who did it, and any refund still going through. It also shows an amount refunded outside Scarlet, in your Stripe dashboard. Stripe reports those only as a total, so that line has no date or name.

If you refund the same amount on the same payment within 10 minutes, Scarlet stops and asks, in case it's a double. Check the payment, then choose Refund again only if a second refund is right. Tip refunds ask the same way.

[Screenshot: The Refund this payment dialog: $40.00 paid, Refund part of it chosen with $15 typed, a reason, and a line saying $15.00 returns to the card ending 4242 and $25.00 stays paid.]

If a member accidentally pays twice for the same booking, the second payment is given back automatically. You can also refund it yourself straight away.

If the card holder disputes a payment with their bank, the payment says so and Refund… goes away: refunds are paused while the bank reviews it. You answer the dispute in your Stripe dashboard.

## Late-cancel and no-show fees

When a booking owes a late-cancel or no-show fee, its payment section shows Fee owed and, for owners and managers, Charge fee…. It says which card the fee goes on (the card ending in four digits) before you press. If the member has no card saved, the line says so and the button isn't shown: take the fee at the desk, or ask them to save a card in your app.

If card payments aren't connected yet, [connect Stripe](#connect) first. With Charge late-cancel and no-show fees automatically turned on in Settings (owners only; off to start with), a fee owed is charged to the saved card without anyone pressing. A service can have a no-show fee. For an unpaid court or class booking, a late cancel or no-show owes the booking price. See [deposits and no-show fees](https://docs.meetscarlet.com/appointments/#money).

## Booking fee

In Settings, open Tips and booking fee. In its Booking fee section, an owner can turn on Add a booking fee when a client pays online: a Percentage or a Fixed amount added to online payments, shown to the client as its own line. Read the terms, tick I have read the terms above and I agree to them. and choose Switch booking fee on. If the terms or the rate change, the fee stops being charged until an owner agrees again. Managers can switch it off but not on.

## Tips

Members can tip in two ways. You switch each one on in Settings.

- **After a visit.** Once an appointment ends, the member sees Tip and the name of the person who served them (or Leave a tip) under it in their bookings. After a walk-in, the same button is on the thank-you card. They choose 15%, 20% or 25% of the price, or Other amount, and pay on their saved card or a new one. Under Tips after a visit, turn on Let members tip after a visit. Only an owner can, because a tip charges the member's card. It's on from the start for barbershops and salons.

- **When they book.** A client paying the full price of an appointment online can add a tip before they pay. It's never offered when they pay only a deposit. An owner or manager turns on Offer a tip when a client pays online under Tips and booking fee, sets the three tip choices (15%, 20% and 25% to start with; 0 leaves one out), and chooses whether to Let clients type their own tip.

Under Tips after a visit you also set Days to leave a tip (how long after the visit the button stays open: 7 to start with, up to 30) and Largest tip, the most a member can type in, as a percent of the price. The 15%, 20% and 25% buttons themselves are fixed. A tip after a visit needs a member with an account, so a walk-in added only at the desk can't be tipped in the app, and missed or cancelled appointments can't be tipped. Scarlet keeps no fee on tips left after a visit.

A tip goes to the person who served the member, and the money lands in your Stripe account like any other payment. Scarlet records who earned what, but doesn't split tips or pay them out to your staff. You do that yourself.

1. **See who was tipped** Open Schedule, then Appointments, then Tips. Pick Today, Last 7 days or Last 30 days to see the total, each person's share, and every tip. Owners and managers see everyone's tips. Instructors see only their own, and the front desk doesn't see this screen.

1. **Refund a tip** Owners and managers choose Refund next to a tip, then All or Part of it, and give a reason. The money goes back to the member's card.

> Good to know: The Tips screen lists tips left after a visit. A tip added when booking is part of that booking's payment: open the booking, and its payment section shows the tip inside the amount paid. Refunding that payment in full gives the tip back too.

## Refund a membership

On the member's profile, under Memberships, choose Refund and end…. Refunding ends the membership, and the member loses what's left on it, so the dialog asks you to confirm. Choose Keep membership to back out.

The dialog suggests The refund for the time not used and shows the most that can still be refunded. Tick Refund a different amount to type your own, add a reason if you like, then confirm with the amount on the button.

[Screenshot: The Refund this membership? dialog for Monthly unlimited: refunding ends the membership, the refund for the time not used is $75.00, the most that can still be refunded is $99.00, a Refund a different amount box, a reason field, and the Keep membership and Refund $75.00 buttons.]