Frequently asked questions

The Chair is a mobile app that connects you with talented barbers and stylists in your city. Whether you're a local looking for a new go-to, a newcomer settling in, or a traveller passing through — swipe, discover, and book in seconds.

The tagline says it all: Find Your Chair.

Yes. Downloading The Chair, browsing barbers, saving favourites and booking appointments is completely free for clients. You only pay the barber for the service, at the barber's own rates.

We're launching in select North American cities first, with more added every month. Once you sign up, we'll let you know when The Chair goes live in your area.

Download The Chair from the App Store or Google Play, open it, and choose "I'm a Client". Sign up with email, Google or Apple — it takes under a minute.

Browse barber profiles as a stack of cards showing their portfolio, specialties, ratings and price range:

• Swipe right or tap the heart to save a barber to your favourites
• Swipe left or tap X to skip
• Tap the card to see the full profile before deciding

The more you swipe, the better we get at showing you barbers matched to your style.

Yes. Tap the filter icon to narrow results by:

• Specialty (skin fade, beard trim, locs, twists, lineup, etc.)
• Distance from your location
• Budget per cut
• Languages the barber speaks
• Availability (open now, this weekend, etc.)

Open any barber's profile and tap Book appointment. Depending on the barber's setup, you'll either book directly in-app or be sent to their booking platform (Booksy, Fresha, Vagaro, etc.). You'll get a confirmation as soon as it's booked.

Absolutely. Tap the message icon on any barber's profile to ask about styles, pricing or availability before you book. Messages appear in your Inbox.

Cancellation and rescheduling are handled through the barber's booking platform. Open your booking confirmation and tap Manage booking to be taken there. Each barber sets their own cancellation policy — check the details before booking.

After your visit, you'll get a notification prompting you to review. It takes about 30 seconds:

• Rate 1 to 5 stars
• Select what stood out (Great cut, On time, Good vibes, etc.)
• Add optional photos and a short comment

Reviews help other clients discover great barbers and help barbers grow their business.

Yes. Toggle "Post anonymously" when writing your review and your name won't be shown publicly. The barber still receives your feedback but sees you as "Anonymous".

Yes — go to Account → My Reviews, tap the review, and choose Edit or Delete. Changes are reflected on the barber's profile immediately.

Barbers can send a friendly review request to recent clients through the app. Reviews are one of the biggest ways barbers get discovered on The Chair, so it's a big help — but there's zero pressure. You can ignore the request or leave any rating you feel is fair.

Go to Account → Settings → Sign-in & Security. You can update your email, change your password, or add two-factor authentication.

Visit getchairapp.com/account-deletion/ and follow the 3-step process. Your account will be scheduled for deletion, and you'll have 30 days to cancel if you change your mind.

You can also do this in-app under Account → Settings → Delete Account.

We collect only what we need to make the app work — your profile info, saved barbers, bookings, reviews and general location (to show barbers near you). We don't sell your data. Full details in our Privacy Policy.

Location is only used to show barbers near you and calculate distances. You can turn it off at any time in your device settings — you'll just need to enter your city manually.

Go to Account → Settings → Notifications. You can toggle push, email and SMS separately for messages, bookings, reminders and promos.

Head to onboarding.getchairapp.com and fill out our short onboarding form. It takes about 5 minutes. Once you're in, you'll get a welcome email with next steps.

Founding barbers get their free access until January 1, 2027. After that, it's CAD $20 per month — a simple flat subscription (details in your dashboard). No commissions on bookings — you keep 100% of what your clients pay you.

Both are welcome. Shop-based, home-based, mobile-only, chair renters — The Chair is built for independent professionals in every setup. You'll indicate your service type during onboarding.

You must hold any licence your city/state/province requires to practice legally. We may ask for proof during verification. Working without a required licence violates our Terms of Service.

The top-performing profiles have:

• A clear, professional headshot
• 6+ portfolio photos showing your best work from different angles
• 3–5 specialties clearly listed
• Honest pricing and service durations
• Languages spoken (huge for newcomers)
• A short bio (a couple of sentences is plenty)

Open the barber app → Profile → Portfolio → Add photos. Upload high-quality images (portrait orientation works best). You can add up to 30 photos.

Yes. Under Profile → Services, add each service you offer with its price and duration. Clients see the starting price on your card and the full list on your profile.

Verified barbers get a blue checkmark and appear higher in search. Verification requires:

• Government-issued ID
• Proof of licence (where required)
• A minimum of 5 completed bookings and 3 reviews

Apply from Profile → Get verified. Reviews typically take 3–5 business days.

Not at all. The Chair connects to whatever booking system you already use — Booksy, Fresha, Vagaro, Square, Squire, or your own link. Clients tap Book on your profile and are sent straight there.

Yes. Native booking is included with your subscription — no extra cost. Set your hours, services and buffer times once and clients book directly in the app.

Yes. Under Settings → Booking rules, set your notice period (e.g. 24 hours), late fees and no-show policy. Clients see your policy before they confirm.

Toggle the Online switch on your dashboard. When you're online, clients see a green "Online now" badge on your card and you appear higher in search.

Open your barber dashboard → Reviews → Request. Pick a recent client, tweak the message if you want, and send via in-app, email or SMS. Simple.

Yes — every review has a Reply button. Public replies show under the review and are a great way to say thanks or address feedback constructively.

Tap the ⋯ menu on the review and choose Report. Our trust team reviews it within 48 hours. Reviews that violate our guidelines (spam, personal attacks, no proof of visit) are removed. We never remove reviews just because they're negative.

Yes. Barbers with more recent 4–5 star reviews rank higher for their specialties in the swipe deck. Profile completeness, response time and repeat clients also factor in.

No. There are no commissions on bookings. You pay a flat monthly subscription and keep 100% of what your clients pay you (minus standard payment processor fees if you use our built-in booking).

If clients pay you in person, you keep it immediately. If they pay through The Chair's built-in booking, funds land in your bank account within 2–3 business days after the appointment.

Go to Settings → Payouts. You can update your bank account or add a debit card for instant payouts (fee applies).

Your dashboard shows earnings by day, week and month, plus lifetime totals. Export a CSV any time for your accountant from Earnings → Export.

Yes. Cancel any time from Settings → Subscription. You'll keep access until the end of your current billing period. No cancellation fees, no gotchas.

Pausing hides your profile from search and blocks new bookings, but keeps all your data, photos and reviews intact. You can resume any time with one tap.

Go to getchairapp.com/account-deletion/ or open Settings → Delete Account. You'll have 30 days to change your mind before deletion is permanent.

Our team is here to help. Reach out and we'll get back to you within one business day.