Irish fintech company enabling cashless tipping in salons

An Irish fintech company has reported a 79% increase in the average value of tips paid to hairdressers, barbers, beauticians and nail technicians using its technology.

Co-founded in 2020 by tech entrepreneurs Oli Cavanagh and Charles Dowd in response to the cash-free culture accelerated by the pandemic, Dublin-based Strikepay offers a patent-pending digital tipping solution.

Aiming to revolutionise the way we tip, pay and donate, the platform enables cashless and contactless digital payment solutions for tipping, payments and donations without requiring an app or a payment terminal. The company has already teamed up with restaurant chains and taxi companies to enable contactless tipping.

Announcing its latest partnership with hair and beauty group Sugar Culture, Strikepay is now live in all Brown Sugar, Sugar Daddy and Sugar-Coated branches in Ireland, with the salon chain just one of many now using the cashless gratuity solution. Others include Dylan Bradshaw, Cut + Sew, Sam’s Barbers, Waxperts and Nails Inc.

Clients can thank their service professionals directly by simply tapping the Strikepay tag worn by the individual or scanning their QR code using just their phone. With no app or in-store payment terminal required, the tip is instantly sent through Apple Pay, Google Pay or any saved card.

“We are having a meaningful impact on the service industry and salon service professionals in Ireland with our data showing a positive increase in the value of tips,” said Cavanagh.

“Charles Dowd and I created this technology in response to an everyday need we were experiencing ourselves. We couldn’t tip people any more, yet we wanted to. Now that we’ve fixed the problem, we’re also getting a lot of thanks from customers who were equally embarrassed that they had no cash to tip. Everyone is a winner. For businesses, cash management is a real pain, especially when handling tips, but Strikepay takes that pain away while empowering employees,  increasing their income and job satisfaction, and boosting morale.”

“Our industry was decimated by the pandemic, but our focus now is on recovery and the welfare of our team who have spent an extended period of time out of work,” said Sugar Culture MD Mark O’Keeffe. “We have a wonderfully loyal and generous clientele across the business, and some of the best artists in the industry on the floor delivering a five-star service to their clients day in day out, so we’re delighted to support those using Strikepay as it allows them to instantly accept cashless contact-free tips from their clients directly.”