Why Prepaid Beauty Packages Need a Standard-Form Contract — and How to Sign One Electronically

Why a prepaid package needs a contract

A package means the customer pays a lump sum up front and then comes back for treatments over several visits. The money arrives first and the service comes later, so whenever something changes in between — the customer moves, their health no longer allows treatment, or the shop relocates — it is easy to disagree about how much should be refunded and how. To give both sides a clear set of rules, Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) published the Model Contract for Beauty Services (the current version was announced on June 8, 2023), along with a list of items a business must include in, and must not include in, such contracts. A “standard-form contract” simply means a contract the shop drafts in advance and uses with every customer. Under these rules, a beauty business selling prepaid courses needs a contract that meets these requirements: required items still count as part of the contract even if they are left out, and clauses that break the rules do not count. So rather than extra paperwork, think of it as agreeing on the rules up front — which protects both the customer and the shop.

Key point 1: Give the customer at least three days to review

The model contract asks the shop to hand over the contract and all attachments before signing and to allow at least three days for the customer to read them. Those three days let the customer understand, without pressure, what they are buying, the total cost, and how much they would get back if they stopped. The most common problem in practice is “pitch it and sign it on the spot,” only for the customer to realize at home that the terms are not what they expected. A better approach is to send the contract first and agree to sign a few days later. Even if the customer wants to sign the same day, record the actual number of review days honestly instead of simply ticking “three-day review period given.”

Key point 3: Prepayments above NT$50,000 need a performance guarantee

If a customer prepays more than NT$50,000 in one go, or pays in installments but their unused prepaid balance adds up to more than NT$50,000, the shop must provide a performance guarantee for the portion above that amount. Common options include a bank guarantee, a trust, an escrow account that holds the payment, or a joint guarantee with other businesses in the same trade. The goal is that if the shop runs into trouble, the customer’s prepaid but unused money is still protected. High-priced courses are common in the beauty business, so it is worth checking now whether any of your plans go above NT$50,000 and asking your bank or trade association early about suitable guarantee options.

Key point 4: A pre-treatment health check and two signed copies

Before treatment, the shop must ask the customer in writing whether they are being treated for an illness, have allergies, are taking any medication, or have sensitive skin, plus anything else that would make treatment unsuitable. The customer signs to confirm, and the record is kept for at least two years. This protects the customer — and if a skin problem comes up later, it also shows the shop did its duty to ask and inform. The contract is made in two copies, one for the shop and one for the customer, and the shop may not take back the customer’s copy for any reason. Records of the services and products used must also be kept for at least two years after the contract ends.

Three headaches with paper contracts

Many shops know they should sign contracts; what holds them back is the paperwork: 1. Every copy needs the customer’s name, phone number, address, course, and price written by hand, which leads to blanks and mistakes as the customer list grows. 2. If someone changes the refund deadline or fee percentage, nobody may notice that it now goes beyond the legal cap — which works against the shop if a dispute arises. 3. Paper must be kept for two years or more. The shop’s copy goes missing, the customer loses theirs, and it is hard to prove later how many days the customer had to review or when they signed.

How electronic signing works in MeiYe Zhan

MeiYe Zhan builds the contract into customer records and the package purchase flow. Each shop decides whether to turn it on (it is off by default): 1. Set your shop terms once: in settings, fill in the refund deadlines, fee percentages, member card replacement fee, the court for disputes, and the other blanks. Any number above the model contract’s cap is blocked and cannot be saved. 2. Buying a package creates the contract automatically: once a package purchase is saved, a contract draft pops up. The customer’s name, phone, birthday, address, invoice title and tax ID, the shop’s name, owner, and the staff member handling the sale, plus the course, number of sessions, per-session price, and total are all filled in. Several packages bought at once are combined into one contract. The clauses follow Taiwan’s official model and are generated in Traditional Chinese. 3. Three ways to sign: on an in-store tablet, by showing a QR code the customer scans with their own phone, or by sending a private link so the customer can read it at home first. 4. The customer’s copy is their private link: after signing, they can open it anytime to view, print, or save it as a PDF — nothing to lose.

How the system handles review time, minors, and signing records

・Review time recorded honestly: the system records the date the contract was handed over for review and the actual signing date. It ticks “at least three days to review” only when three full days have passed; otherwise it states the actual number of days rather than ticking the box for the shop. The first time the customer opens the link is also logged as proof of delivery. ・Minors need a guardian’s signature: based on the customer’s birthday, the system checks whether they are under 18. A minor cannot finish signing without their legal guardian signing too. ・Reminders for large prepayments: if the prepayment is above NT$50,000 and no guarantee method has been chosen, the draft shows a red warning. ・Signing records kept by the system: the signing time, the device and network address used, and a “digital fingerprint” of the contract content are saved. Change even one character and the fingerprint no longer matches; the contract page shows the check result directly. ・Signed contracts cannot be edited or deleted: if one really must be cancelled, only a manager or the owner can void it, with a written reason, and a record is kept.

Checklist before you start

1. Confirm your shop terms: refund deadlines and fee percentages cannot go beyond the model contract’s caps, and ideally match how you charge today. 2. Review high-priced courses: do any plans involve prepayments above NT$50,000? Decide on a guarantee method first. 3. Complete customer records: enter birthdays, addresses, and invoice details so the contract fills in completely. 4. Adjust your sales rhythm: try to get the contract to customers three days ahead — sending the link is the easiest way. 5. Brief your team: agree in advance who creates contracts, who sits with customers to sign, and who to ask when a contract needs to be voided.

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