Software & Comparisons
Hidden Costs of Free Tattoo Booking Platforms
Venue's Solo and Studio plans are $0 a month with 10% on deposits and payments. The FAQ's example is a $50 deposit. Opened November 8, 2026.
Hidden Costs of Free Tattoo Booking Platforms
A $0 monthly plan can still take a cut of the payment. That cut is the cost. The monthly line is the other one.
I opened Venue’s pricing page on November 8, 2026. The page marks itself last published on October 29, 2026, and the prices below are the ones it printed. The longer comparison is Tattoo Studio Pro vs Venue.
Solo is the artist card. Studio is the team card. Both are $0 a month
Solo is for artists who book on their own. Studio is for teams who book together. Both are $0 a month.
Solo says 10% card processing on deposits and payments, charged to the client by default. Studio includes what Solo includes, so that 10% comes with the team card too.
The page does not print a sales-tax line on these $0 cards.
You can set that processing to be paid by the client, by the artist, or split evenly. Artist pays deducts the fee from the deposit and the payments before the money reaches the bank. Split means you and the client divide the booking fee evenly.
That setting is about the booking fee. An artist commission is a different number: the artist’s share of a sale the studio already recorded.
The only dollar example on the free cards is a $50 deposit
The FAQ’s example: a $50 deposit, the client pays $55, you receive $50, and Venue keeps $5. The FAQ says that $5 covers card processing, Stripe fees, notifications, servers, and the team.
That example matches the 10% on the free cards. It is the example the page gives. I am not stretching it across a month of appointments the page never counted.
Deposits under $25 are a separate line. The FAQ says the processing fee is still $2.50 for USD, CAD, and AUD payments. For GBP and euro it is £2 or €2. That floor is not the 10% example, and it is not the 5% on the paid cards.
Solo Pro: $50 a month at 5%. Studio Pro: $150 a month at 5%, plus $35 a month per additional active artist after 5 residents or guests per month
Solo Pro is $50 a month with 5% card processing. Studio Pro is $150 a month with 5% card processing, up to 5 residents or guests per month, then $35 a month per additional active artist.
The Solo Pro and Studio Pro cards say billed monthly in USD, and you can cancel any time. The page does not say whether the $50 or the $150 includes sales tax.
The Pro cards print 5%. They do not repeat the $50 deposit example, so that $55 total stays on the 10% cards.
| Plan | Monthly price | What the page says about the fee |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | $0 a month | 10% on deposits and payments, client by default. FAQ example: $50 deposit, client pays $55, you receive $50 |
| Studio | $0 a month | Includes Solo, so the same 10% |
| Solo Pro | $50 a month | 5% card processing. Billed monthly in USD |
| Studio Pro | $150 a month | 5% card processing, up to 5 residents or guests per month, then $35 a month per additional active artist. Billed monthly in USD |
Deposits under $25 stay on their own line: $2.50 for USD, CAD, and AUD, or £2 or €2 for GBP and euro.
What Tattoo Studio Pro charges instead
Solo is $29 a month or $239 a year for 1 team member, and every feature is on every plan. Yearly billing costs less than paying monthly. Hosting is included. Other team sizes are on the pricing page. Managers and health officials do not count.
Help does not print a Tattoo Studio Pro percent on a client’s deposit. Card payments go through the studio’s Stripe account. That processing is Stripe’s, on the studio’s account. This post does not copy a percent from Stripe’s public rate card.
The commission report shows what each artist is owed. It does not pay the artist. That owed amount is not Venue’s booking fee, and it is not payroll. See tracking artist commissions.
Appointment messages are a confirmation text and up to 5 reminder texts. Help does not state a per-text price.
Consent forms are on every plan. The in-studio form has parent or guardian fields when the client is under 18. The public online check-in cannot capture that consent.
A list of other $0 booking options, with their own fees, is on best free tattoo booking platforms.
Questions
What does the client pay on a $50 deposit on the free cards?
The FAQ says $55. You receive $50. Venue keeps $5. Use that for Solo and Studio, the 10% cards.
Does the $55 example apply to Solo Pro or Studio Pro?
The Pro cards print 5%, and they do not repeat the dollar example. Solo Pro is $50 a month. Studio Pro is $150 a month, then $35 a month per additional active artist after 5 residents or guests per month.
What is the fee when the deposit is under $25?
The FAQ says $2.50 for USD, CAD, and AUD payments, and £2 or €2 for GBP and euro. That line is separate from the 10% example and from the 5% Pro cards.
Is Venue’s booking fee the same thing as an artist commission?
The booking fee is the percent on the deposit and the payments. You can leave it on the client, put it on the artist, or split it. An artist commission is the share of a recorded sale. Tattoo Studio Pro’s commission report shows what is owed and does not pay the artist.
Does Tattoo Studio Pro add its own percent on the deposit?
Help does not print one. Card payments go through the studio’s Stripe account. Solo is $29 a month or $239 a year for 1 team member, and hosting is included.
Does the Venue pricing page say the company sells client data?
The page I opened on November 8, 2026 does not say that. This post does not add a claim the page left out.
Is the $0 monthly line the whole price?
On Solo and Studio, the monthly line is $0 and the page also prints 10% on deposits and payments. On a deposit under $25, the FAQ prints a $2.50 floor for USD, CAD, and AUD. Solo Pro is $50 a month at 5%. Studio Pro is $150 a month at 5%, then $35 a month per additional active artist after 5 residents or guests per month.