Their card on file
A page that holds an appointment with a card the salon never sees — what the client agrees to, and what it can be charged for.
2 min readUpdated August 17, 2026
Asking for a card is the most delicate thing a salon does to a new client. The whole difficulty is that "can we hold a card?" sounds like "we don't trust you" unless the reason is on the same screen.
What the client sees
The page is titled Hold your appointment, and it names the appointment it belongs to — the service, the stylist, the day and the time. Then, in order:
- A line saying you hold a card for this appointment, that nothing is charged now, and that it's only used for a no-show or a late cancellation.
- A tick-box: I agree to the cancellation policy.
- Add card — greyed out until the box is ticked.
- A note that the card is stored by Stripe and that the salon never sees the full number.
- Your cancellation policy, in your own words, with the fee terms spelled out beneath it.
Once a card is saved, the page changes to You're all set and names the card on file, repeating that nothing has been charged.
Why the order matters
The tick-box gates the button, not the other way round. That is deliberate, and it's worth understanding rather than working around: a card collected from somebody who never agreed to your policy is a card you cannot defend charging. If a client later disputes a no-show fee, the evidence is exactly this — the policy they were shown and the box they ticked.
Where the card goes
Into Stripe, not into RewireBox. You get the brand and the last four digits, which is enough to recognise it and not enough to leak it. It's the same card the salon can charge a late-cancellation fee against later, and it stays available for that one appointment's policy.
Common questions
Is the client charged when they add a card?
No, and the page says so twice. Adding a card authorises nothing — it's only charged if they no-show or cancel inside your window, exactly as your policy describes.
Does the salon see the card number?
No. It goes straight to Stripe, and the page tells the client that in as many words. You see the last four digits and the brand, never the number.
Can they add a card without agreeing to the policy?
No — the tick-box gates the button. A card you were never authorised to charge is a card you'd lose a dispute over, so the agreement comes first, in that order, on purpose.
Where does the policy text come from?
Yours, exactly as you wrote it in Settings → Cancellation policy, with the fee terms worked out underneath it.
How do they get to this page?
From a link in the message that asked for it. It isn't a page they'd stumble onto — it belongs to one appointment.
What if the salon hasn't connected payments?
The page tells the client to contact you instead of offering a button that can't work.
Related articles
- What they can do with an appointmentClient portal · Confirming, moving and cancelling from their own phone — and the offer the page makes before it lets a cancellation through.
- Deposits and no-show protectionOnline booking · Taking money up front, holding a card against a no-show, and writing the policy that makes either of them stick.
- Deposits and cards on filePayments · Two different instruments for the same worry — money taken now, and a card held for later. Where each one comes from and what actually charges it.
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
Book a 20-minute walkthrough and we’ll answer it on a screen share — or start free and try it on your own salon’s data.