Why is Skoop moving to a new payment flow?

With the current payment flow, Skoop members pay at the counter after their service and Skoop charges a service fee within 24 hours of the appointment. While this has worked in the past, there has been some confusion for members: because they enter their credit card information on the Skoop app when they book an appointment (in case of any late cancellations or no-shows), they often expect to be charged by Skoop for the service.

We’ve heard time and again that members (and many providers) prefer a world in which payment is handled outside of the salon. At Skoop, we value simplicity above all else, and there is no simpler process for consumers than to show up, enjoy their appointment, and leave without having to wait for any checkout process.

Of course, this comes with some added responsibility for providers, specifically the need to be aware of which appointments are booked through Skoop. We value making life easier, not harder, for our providers, so we’re careful to avoid making changes that would require providers to take on any additional responsibility. In the case of this new payment flow, we are confident that it will ultimately be a painless process. Skoop members will easily be able to communicate that they have booked on Skoop, helping to avoid any possible confusion.

One other reason we’re really excited about the new payment flow is that it will truly unlock the power of the Skoop network (that’s you!). There are three programs that we will be releasing that will take advantage of Skoop payments: a referral program, a loyalty program, and a gifting program. We’ll share more details on these programs in a follow-up post, but for now the important takeaway is that each of these programs is intended to grow the number of users we are sending to you.

How will the new payment flow work?

When Skoop users book an appointment, we require that they input their credit card information, but we will not charge them at the time of booking. We will charge the card within 24 hours after their scheduled appointment time, and immediately payout the charge to you (minus the Skoop service fee).

Any tipping should still take place in person. If the customer decides to purchase an add-on or product during their service, they should pay directly at the counter.

Is sharing my business information, personal information, and bank information with Stripe safe?

In a word, yes! Stripe is the gold standard for security and is trusted by leading and established brands for managing payouts, including Lyft, DoorDash, and Shopify. Stripe has been audited and is certified to PCI Service Provider Level 1, the highest level of security in the payments industry.

Due to legal obligations, Stripe has to request your Social Security number (SSN) and Employer Identification Number (EIN) so that it can verify your information.

Note that Stripe does not grant Skoop access to any sensitive information, including SSN, EIN, and bank account information.

OK! I’m ready to make the switch. How do I start receiving payments from Skoop?

You should have received a unique link via email from us which contains an online form that we need for you to fill out in order to switch to the new payment model. Filling out the form should take just a couple of minutes! If you’d like, you can take a look at preview of that onboarding process.