fresha.md
Fresha
Refreshed 2026-06-03 with sourced web research (replaces the earlier "needs source" skeleton). Confidence: every figure carries a source ref [S#]; anything unverified is labelled inline. Do not quote a number without its source.
Snapshot
- HQ: London, UK. Founded 2015 (UAE origin) by William Zeqiri. [S6][S13]
- Scale (May 2026): ~130,000 businesses, 500,000+ professionals, 120 countries, ~35M appointments/month, $15B+ annual GMV, run-rate >$140M, ~60% YoY, profitable. [S6][S13]
- Turkish presence: yes, live TR marketplace, TRY billing, Istanbul/Türkiye landing pages. Salon density appears thin (see below). [S3][S7]
- Primary segment: both, salon SaaS + consumer marketplace.
- Pricing model (CHANGED in 2025): no longer "free." Hybrid stack, paid subscription + payment processing fee + 20% marketplace "new client" commission + paid add-ons. Fees compound. [S1][S2][S5][S12]
Capability Matrix
- Booking / scheduling: full, core product. [S3][S13]
- Online widget: present but un-brandable; clients forced to create a Fresha account to book. [S2]
- Consumer marketplace: strong, its moat, monetised via the 20% new-client fee. [S1][S7]
- Reviews / reputation: verified reviews on listings. [S7]
- Marketing automation: yes, metered (pay per message in TR). [S3]
- Payments: integrated card + ~$499 terminal; core monetisation. [S5][S9]
- Loyalty: paid add-on (TRY 805/location/mo). [S3]
- Mobile app: yes, consumer + pro. [S4]
- AI: early/roadmap; KKR round earmarked for AI; "dynamic pricing" floated in TR press, not shipped. [S6][S13]
Pricing (Turkey, latest known, sourced 2026-06)
| Tier | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription, Independent (solo) | TRY 240.95 (≈$19.95) | TR-priced [S3] |
| Subscription, Team (per member) | TRY 160.95/member (≈$14.95) | TR-priced [S3] |
| Subscription, Enterprise (20+) | Custom | [S3] |
| Marketplace new-client fee | 20%, min $6/new client, one-time, capped | Global; TR rate not separately confirmed [S1][S2][S5] |
| Payment processing (online, US ref) | 2.79% + $0.20 | US; TR % unverified [S5][S12] |
| WhatsApp client msgs | 20 free/mo, then TRY 1.30–2.40 | TR [S3] |
| Marketing email / text | TRY 2.01/email, TRY 5.43/text (after free tier) | TR [S3] |
| Add-on: Loyalty / Google Boost / Insights | TRY 805 / 245 / 165 per mo | TR [S3] |
Net read: subscription is cheap; real cost is the stacked 20% new-client commission + processing + metered messaging + paid add-ons. TR processing % unverified (page redirects to a localised quote).
Distribution / GTM in Turkey
- Live TR marketplace + TRY billing. Storefront is English-UI with Turkish business names (
/lp/en/...), NOT a fully Turkish consumer experience. [S7] - Istanbul landing surfaced "7 Beauty Salons near you / avg 569 reviews across 5 venues", single snapshot, indicative of low density, NOT a national count. [S7]
- KVKK / data-residency posture: unverified, no Fresha-specific statement found. [S14]
Known Weaknesses (salon-owner pain)
- 2025 "free tier killed" shock, public backlash (Reddit/TikTok/IG). [S1][S2][S12]
- The 20% new-client fee is the #1 grievance, charged even on owner-acquired clients; framed as a recurring acquisition tax with no volume discount. [S2][S5][S8][S12]
- Stacked, un-budgetable costs. [S2][S12]
- Email-first / slow support; chat+phone gated behind paid plan. [S8]
- Payout delays reported. [S8]
- Un-brandable booking page + forced client account = lock-in feel. [S2]
Recent Moves (2024-2026)
- Aug 2024: €27.8M / $30.8M venture debt (J.P. Morgan AM) for ML. [S6][S15]
- Early 2025: removed free tier. [S2][S12]
- 2025: EU expansion (Madrid, Paris, NL). [S15]
- May 21 2026: $80M round led by KKR, valuation past $1B (unicorn), total funding $285M; use of funds = global expansion + heavy AI. [S6][S13][S16]
Glossgo Angle
- Zero new-client commission is the headline wedge, attacks Fresha's most-hated fee directly. [S2][S5][S8][S12]
- Predictable TRY-native pricing vs Fresha's un-budgetable stack. [S2][S3][S12]
- True Turkish localization + explicit KVKK posture + denser local supply. [S7][S14]
- Brandable salon vanity sites (already in glossgo's stack) + no forced account wall. [S2]
- Turkish-language live support + reliable TRY/IBAN payouts. [S8]
Open Intelligence Questions
- Exact TR payment-processing % and payout currency/IBAN mechanics.
- National TR salon count (needs a marketplace crawl).
- Whether AI dynamic pricing ships in TR and when.
- KVKK/data-residency posture for TR PII.
Source Log
| Date | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06 | fresha.com/help-center .../188-marketplace-new-client-fees [S1] | 20% min-$6 fee, cap, exclusions |
| 2026-06 | fresha.com/pricing (TR storefront) [S3] | TRY subscription + SMS/email/add-on pricing |
| 2026-06 | thesalonbusiness.com/fresha-review [S5] | US processing fees, 20% fee, complaints |
| 2026-06 | techfundingnews.com (Fresha unicorn) [S6] | $80M KKR, $1B val, $285M total, scale metrics |
| 2026-06 | fresha.com/lp/en/.../tr-istanbul [S7] | TR marketplace live, TRY prices, English UI, density snapshot |
| 2026-06 | trustpilot.com/review/fresha.com [S8] | payout delays, slow support, fee complaints |
| 2026-06 | fresha.com/payments [S9] | ~$499 terminal, processing variants |
| 2026-06 | pabau.com/blog/fresha-pricing [S12] | processing fees, 20% "acquisition tax", 2025 pricing shock |
| 2026-05-21 | webrazzi.com Fresha 80M [S13] | TR press: round, valuation, AI roadmap |
| ref | kvkk.gov.tr [S14] | KVKK framework (Fresha posture unverified) |
| 2024-08 | eu-startups.com Fresha venture debt [S15] | Aug-2024 debt, 2025 EU offices |
| 2026-05 | ventureburn.com Fresha 80M [S16] | confirms $80M/KKR/$1B/$15B GMV |