Nail and Lash Studio POS in Malaysia: What to Look For

A nail or lash studio lives in its appointment book. A full set of extensions can take two hours, a gel manicure with detailed art can run long, and one no-show leaves a gap you can't fill at short notice. Most new customers find you on Instagram or TikTok and message you on WhatsApp, and many regulars come back every two to four weeks for a refill.

This guide covers what Malaysian nail and lash studios should look for in a POS and booking system, from a one-desk home studio to a busy mall outlet. If you are in Singapore or Hong Kong, see our nail salon software guide for Singapore and Hong Kong.

Booking by technician

In nail and lash work, customers often follow a particular technician, and not every technician does every service. Look for a system that lets you:

• Give each technician their own calendar and working hours.
• Choose who can do each service, so a customer can't book a lash lift with someone who only does nails.
• Set a realistic duration per service, plus cleanup time between customers.
• Offer options with their own price and time, such as short or long nails, or classic, hybrid and volume lashes.
• Charge more for senior technicians if you price by level.

Nail art and design add-ons

Nail art pricing is rarely one number. A gel manicure might be a fixed price, with extras for chrome, cat-eye, gems, hand-painted art per nail, or a full custom design. Your system should make extras quick to add at checkout, and should keep each extra as its own line in your sales report, so you can see what actually sells.

Common ways to set this up:

• Add-ons as separate services (for example "Chrome finish" or "Hand-painted art, per nail") that the technician adds to the bill.
• "From" prices for custom designs, where the final price is set at checkout after the design is agreed.
• Photos on the customer's file, so next time you can find last month's design without scrolling through your phone.

Deposits for long sets

A two-hour full set or a complex design is exactly the kind of booking where a no-show hurts. Many studios take a deposit for these and not for a quick removal or polish change. Look for:

• Deposits per service, either a fixed amount or a percentage, so only long or high-value services need one.
• Online deposits paid by card when the customer books, plus the option to record a deposit paid another way, such as a bank transfer or DuitNow QR.
• A clear cancellation and no-show policy, shown on the booking page before the customer confirms.
• The deposit deducted automatically from the final bill.

Write your rules down: how much notice is needed to move a booking, whether a late customer still gets the full service, and when a deposit is kept.

Refills, infills and packages

Lash fills and gel infills bring customers back on a regular cycle, so they are a natural fit for packages. A package of five lash refills, or six gel infills valid for six months, gives you predictable bookings and gives the customer a better price.

Your system should track sessions left and expiry dates, show the balance at checkout, and let a manager freeze or transfer a package when a customer travels or gives it to a friend. Our guide to nail salon packages and memberships covers how to price them and the pitfalls to avoid.

Retail products

Cuticle oil, nail care sets, lash cleansers and aftercare kits add to each visit. Look for stock tracking with barcodes and low-stock reports, so you know when to reorder, and consider whether you want an online shop so customers can buy aftercare between visits.

Instagram and WhatsApp booking

Your Instagram bio and WhatsApp chats are where most bookings start. The easiest flow is a booking link you can put in your bio and paste into WhatsApp replies, where customers pick the service, the technician and a free time, 24/7, without a long back-and-forth.

Then check how confirmations and reminders are sent. Many studios want them on WhatsApp because that is where customers read messages. Ask whether reminders cost extra per message, and which number they are sent from.

Payments in Malaysia

Nail and lash customers pay in many ways: cash, cards, DuitNow QR, Touch 'n Go eWallet, GrabPay, ShopeePay and bank transfers. Make sure the POS records each method by name, allows split payments (for example part prepaid credit, part DuitNow QR) and gives you a daily close that matches your bank and e-wallet statements. If you are unsure whether you need to charge service tax, check with your accountant and the official Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) guidance.

Commission for nail and lash technicians

Technicians are often paid a percentage of the services they perform, sometimes with a lower rate on retail and a split when two people work on one customer. Our guide to calculating commission works through the maths with examples; the same principles apply to nail and lash technicians.

The checklist

1. A calendar per technician, with each service limited to the people who can do it.
2. Services with options (length, lash style) that each have their own price and duration.
3. Quick add-ons and "from" prices for custom nail art.
4. Deposits per service, online and recorded, with a clear no-show policy.
5. Refill and infill packages with expiry dates and balances at checkout.
6. Customer photos and allergy notes on file.
7. Retail stock tracking, and an online shop if you want one.
8. A booking link for Instagram and WhatsApp, with reminders customers actually read.
9. Cash, card, DuitNow QR and e-wallets recorded by name, with split payments.
10. Commission rules that match how you pay technicians.

Where Senvia POS fits

Senvia POS is a cloud POS and booking system made by HS Commerce Sdn Bhd in Malaysia, in English and 简体中文, for the browser, iPad and Android. For nail and lash studios:

• A calendar per team member; each service can be limited to the team members who perform it, with its own duration, cleanup time and variants (each with its own price and duration), plus surcharges by staff level.
• Services can have a "from" price set at checkout, so custom art is easy to charge.
• Deposits per service (fixed or percentage). Online deposits are paid by card on your own Stripe account; deposits paid another way can be recorded on the booking. No-show fees can be turned on.
• Online booking on your own website, with a booking link to share from Instagram and WhatsApp. Confirmations and reminders go out by e-mail, or by free WhatsApp assistive reminders sent from your own WhatsApp number. Online booking is part of the website add-on and included in the Full plan.
• Session packages for refills and infills, with validity, freezing and transfer rules, and stored credit with bonus top-ups.
• Customer profiles with photos (each with its own consent) and allergy notes shown at checkout and on bookings.
• Inventory for retail and salon-use products, and an online shop (an add-on on Base, included in Full).
• Payments by cash, your own card terminal, bank transfer, stored credit and your own named methods such as DuitNow QR or Touch 'n Go, with split payments.

At the time of writing, plans start at USD 25.90/month, with a 30-day free trial and no card needed. See pricing for current details, or read about moving from your current system.