Commission split, explained
A split is written barber-first: 60/40 means the barber keeps 60% and the shop keeps 40%. The right number tracks what the shop carries. A shop supplying product, chairs, front desk, marketing and the client flow needs a bigger share to cover them. A shop that hands over a chair and a booking link needs less.
Commission is the opposite risk profile to booth rent. A slow day costs the barber commission but never rent, and an employee on commission is still owed minimum wage for the hours worked (Ontario's rule; every province has one), so a new barber building a book is safer on commission and a booked-solid barber is usually better off on rent. Retail is a separate percentage — product commission has to leave the shop enough to cover the inventory it paid for.
The mistake shops make most is splitting on the wrong number. Tips belong to the barber and never enter the split. Tax is not revenue and never enters it either. Card fees, promo codes and refunds have to be handled the same way every period or the barber will find the inconsistency before you do.
Percentage (a share of sales) is one of BarberFlow's two pay models, set per barber. Service commission and retail product commission are separate percentages, so the shelf can pay differently than the chair. Payouts run off the same numbers the POS recorded, so nobody rebuilds the math in a spreadsheet on Sunday night.
See EmployeesFrequently asked questions
What is a normal commission split for a barber in Canada?
We found no government source that publishes commission split data for Canadian barbershops, so there is no official normal. The split has to leave the shop's costs covered in a slow month and the barber above minimum wage for every hour worked.
Do barbers get commission on retail products?
Only if the shop offers it, and then at a separate percentage from services, set to leave room for the inventory the shop paid for. A 10% product commission on a $30 pomade pays the barber $3 while the shop recovers its cost and margin.
Are tips included in a commission split?
No. Tips belong to the barber who earned them and are paid on top of commission, never split. Sales tax is also excluded, since it is money collected for the government rather than shop revenue.
