Merlua

What Is Merlua? 

Merlua is an Online Booking platform built for hair salons, estheticians, and beauty specialists. It brings appointment booking, staff shifts, automated reminders, and deposit payments together in one system. Team members can view and manage their schedules through the Staff App, whereas clients book through a hosted booking page or the Client App. Moreover, its dashboard gives owners an overview of bookings by status, including completed, confirmed, pending, and cancelled.

What Is Merlua Best For? 

The software stands out for its “Client Management” features. It keeps customer details, booking histories, and appointment preferences neatly organized in one accessible spot. By simplifying client records, it works well for salons, estheticians, and independent beauty pros without separate customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Overall, this straightforward layout saves teams time and makes daily customer tracking practically effortless.

How Much Does Merlua Cost? 

Merlua pricing starts at $49/month. This basic plan, known as Pro, includes features such as creating up to ten services, five active promo codes, and payment integration. Another pricing tier of the software is:

• Business: $129/month

It also includes a free Basic plan. In addition to the base subscription cost, organizations should account for additional expenses. These include: 

• Implementation: Up to $500 for a typical small salon setup
• Data Migration: Up to $1,000 for transferring existing client, service, staff, or booking information, depending on the amount of data and whether manual setup is required
• Staff Training: Up to $500 for basic onboarding and training on bookings, calendars, client management, payments, and staff functions
• Payment Processing: Approximately 2.9% + $0.30/online transaction as a reasonable budgeting allowance for Stripe processing
• SMS Reminders: Estimated between $0.01–$0.10/SMS, or around $10–$100/1,000 messages, as a reasonable budgeting allowance for SMS usage
• Website/Booking-Page Setup: Up to $500 for embedding or configuring the Merlua booking page on an existing website

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.

Merlua Integrations 

The software connects with various business applications, including:

• WordPress
• Stripe

How Does Merlua Work? 

Follow the steps below to understand how the software typically works: 

• Create your account by signing up with your business details to get started on the platform
• Configure your offerings by adding services, durations, prices, and staff members
• Share your booking link with clients or embed it directly on your website and social media channels
• Receive online bookings as clients schedule appointments 24/7 through the platform
• Manage client details, history, and schedules from a centralized system
• Send automated reminders to clients to reduce missed appointments
• Process secure payments and track business performance using built-in insights and dashboards

Who Is Merlua For? 

Merlua is ideal for a wide range of industries and sectors, including: 

• Nail studios
• Brow and lash bars
• Hair salons
• Barber shops

Merlua Use Cases 

Based on our analysis of Merlua features, we have identified the following key business scenarios where it is well suited: 

1. Salon Owners Taking Online Bookings Without Client Logins

Merlua gives salon owners a public booking page hosted by itself, so clients can reserve appointments without creating an account. The page can be branded, shared as a link, or embedded on an existing website. Every request then lands in one dashboard for the salon to manage.

2. Multi-Stylist Salons Coordinating Staff Schedules

Salons with several stylists can set up services, staff, and working hours in one dashboard. Automated assignments match bookings to the right team member, while the calendar is built to prevent double-bookings. Stylists then check upcoming clients and earnings in the staff app.

3. Beauty Businesses Reducing No-Shows with Deposits And Reminders

Deposits through the Stripe integration let beauty businesses secure appointments at the time of booking. Automated email and SMS reminders go out to clients ahead of their visits, and the software can help reduce no-shows with SMS automations. The setup keeps missed appointments down without manual follow-up.

4. Aesthetics Practices Running Bookings From A WordPress Website

For practices already on WordPress, the Merlua plugin brings appointments, clients, and payments into the existing dashboard. Clients and services sync in real time, and the plugin is designed to work with any theme. Owners keep their current website while managing the calendar and accepting secure payments.

Is Merlua Right For You? 

If you are a beauty professional, Merlua is a system to manage appointments, staff, and deposits in one place. It is software designed to grow audiences, help businesses get paid faster, and fill up calendars. It also reduces no-shows and helps salons grow, with no complexity, and professional precision. Moreover, Merlua also continues to grow with new tools, such as smart booking with auto time zones or advanced analytics. If those priorities are what a business values, then it may be a good fit for them.

Still unsure whether Merlua software is the right fit for you? Contact us at (661) 384-7070 for further guidance regarding its functionality.