What to prioritize in your MedSpa POS search, including HIPAA compliance, retail integration, and more

You got into the medspa business to put cutting-edge medical technology to use in making clients look and feel their best; to recruit and retain a well-compensated staff of skilled practitioners and technicians; and, hopefully, to make a profit while you do it. You probably didn’t get started because you’re super jazzed about handling a variety of payment methods across mixed transaction types.

Making those not-so-thrilling parts happen quickly and easily so you can focus on your clients, staff, and bottom line is where medical spa point-of-sale software comes in. But how do you know if you need a dedicated MedSpa POS, and if so, what features separate the good from the great? Scroll on for the answers.

What is medical spa point-of-sale software?

Medical spa point-of-sale software is any piece of software or software suite that’s made to address the particular payment needs of medical spas, which may include adhering to HIPAA regulations, selling retail products alongside paying for services, integrating multiple common methods of payment, and beyond. While it’s possible to use generic POS software and adapt it as needed, it means more work down the line, and may not come with any guarantees regarding its compliance status.

5 key features for MedSpa point-of-sale software

MedSpas, perhaps more than any other business in the self-care industry, are defined by their application of modern technology. Each part of your tech stack, whether used by technicians to provide treatments, by managers to optimize schedules, or by reception to check out clients, should contribute to making your MedSpa feel like a modern, top-of-the-line business. Medical spa point-of-sale software is just as important for your business as any other piece of technology you use, so here are five features to look for as you start to shop.

HIPAA-compliant integrations

Operating a medical spa means dealing with medical records, and dealing with medical records means HIPAA compliance is not optional. Working with HIPAA-compliant MedSpa point-of-sale software will allow staff to intelligently use customer profiles not just in preparing for appointments but also in concluding them. Technicians and front-of-desk staff can have access to just the information they need for rebooking or retail sales (more on the latter in just a moment) without opening the door to potentially risky overexposure.

Seamless retail sales

The retail side of your MedSpa helps clients keep looking and feeling their best between appointments, and it can also make up a sizable chunk of your business. Healthy MedSpas should typically aim to bring in 15 to 20% of their revenue from retail sales. Don’t settle for point-of-sale software that simply enables you to handle both service and product payments. Instead, look for a MedSpa POS that makes it easy for reception staff to find new products that clients may be interested in, and that can handle the full payment in one easy transaction.

Shopify and ecommerce integration

There’s no reason to limit your retail sales to those fleeting moments before clients return from your clinic to their daily lives, though. Choosing medical spa point-of-sale software that integrates with Shopify and other ecommerce providers means you’ll be able to sell high-quality products to clients (and perhaps even new customers) online as well as in person. Rather than treating online and offline sales as two separate parts of your business, building in Shopify integration will make it easy to sync inventory and even gift cards across all your locations and web presences. Don’t forget that Shopify can even help you sell through Facebook and Instagram, making it easy to turn your social media presence into a new sales channel.

Support for memberships and packages

Memberships are an increasingly popular way for MedSpas to bring in repeat business while giving clients an even more personalized experience; package deals are perennial favorites for offering group discounts or holistic, day-spa-style programs. Despite their ubiquity, they can be a nightmare to handle for POS software that isn’t built to support them natively. It should be just as easy to get customers signed up for recurring memberships or package deals as it is to handle one-off services, whether the transaction is occurring at the front desk or alongside the self-booking experience.

Thoughtful gratuity implementation

Your staff members work hard, and happy clients will want to reward them for their service. A great MedSpa POS should make it easy for clients to show their appreciation with quick options for tipping based on percentage, and it should also serve as a reminder to clients who may have otherwise forgotten to leave that little something extra. While tipping should never be presented as mandatory, needing to press a “no tip” button to proceed makes customers about 20% more likely to show their generosity.

For more medspa operations best practices, check out our guide: The Ultimate Guide to Medical Spa Management Software.