Best Spray Tan Chains

Documented price lines, service by service

Everything below was published by a source listed at the foot of this page. Grouping matters: 9 of these 22 lines are actual services and the rest are add-ons, plans or policy charges that should never be averaged together.

Published prices change without notice. The review date on this page tells you how current this set is.

U.S. market ranges for comparison

A quote well above these bands is not automatically bad value - it normally means a different scope, a senior provider, or an costly metro. This table tells you which question to ask.

National planning ranges. A quote outside these bands is not automatically wrong - check what is included before judging it.

Regional price bands for this service

Rent and wages flow straight into the menu. Applying published metro cost bands to the $45 national median for spray tan (booth) gives the following planning ranges.

Your own market may sit between tiers. The point is the 2.5x spread, not the exact figure in any one row.

Why your quote differs from the menu

Ranking these matters. Most of us compares the headline price of two salons and ignore the four lines below it that actually decide the bill.

• Required add-ons+$20–$70

  Some finishes are effectively mandatory but quoted on a separate line.

• Provider experience+15–60%

  Junior through master tiers are priced in bands.

• Service complexity+$20–$120

  Length, density, area size and condition all add time.

• Tax and gratuity+20–30%

  Neither appears on the menu price.

• Geographic market+30–90%

  The same service swings widely between metros.

Related cost breakdowns: Spray Tan Cost, Spray Tan Price Components Guide and Automated Spray Tan Cost.

The realistic total, worked through

Every line below is normal and expected. None of it is a scam — but almost none of it appears on the menu board either.

An illustration built from the ranges on this page. Your tax rate and add-on choices will differ.

Takeaway: budget $133 when the board says $86. The difference is $47.

You can try it with your own figures rather than doing this by hand.

Twelve months of spray tan (booth), priced out

Most budgets break at the cadence, not the price. Spray tan (booth) maintained every 10-14 days in season works out to around $648 a year once gratuity is included.

Assumes 12 visits annually. Change that number and every figure in this table shifts with it.

The cheapest lever is nearly always stretching the cadence, not finding a less expensive provider. Moving from 12 visits per year to 9 saves about $162 annually — typically more than switching salons would.

Gratuity, converted from percentages into money

Working out a percentage on the spot is a nuisance. These are the dollar amounts at the low, middle and high end of the market range.

• Tip the same on a redo as on the original if the redo was not the provider's fault - and speak to management rather than the provider if it was.
• If more than one person worked on you, ask how tips are shared before assuming the lead provider receives all of it.
• On a $45 service, the gap between an 18% and a 20% tip is $0.90. It matters less than whether you tip at all.
• An automatic service charge ought to be disclosed when you book. Spot one on the bill, ask whether it goes to the provider before adding more.

The costly errors, ranked

Each of these is common, avoidable, and has a dollar figure attached. None of this involves haggling — only a well-timed question.

1. 1Not asking what is required versus optionalcosts $20–$70

   Some finishes are effectively mandatory but quoted separately.

2. 2Comparing headline prices across different scopescosts $20–$70

   Two "haircut" prices can include entirely different work.

3. 3Forgetting tax and gratuitycosts $20–$30

   Together they add approximately a quarter to the menu price.

If you want the policy detail behind these: Prepare For Spray Tan and Spray Tan Aftercare.

The booking script, word for word

You do not need to negotiate. You need the price to be stated before the service starts. These questions do that without any awkwardness.

1. "Is removal of my existing product included, or is it a separate charge?"
2. "What add-ons do you normally recommend for this service, and what does each cost?"
3. "If this runs longer than booked, does the price change?"
4. "Can you email or text me the quote before my appointment?"
5. "Is a shampoo, blow-dry or finish included in that price, or billed on a separate line?"
6. "Are taxes added at checkout, and do you have a card-payment surcharge?"
7. "If I join the membership today, is there an enrolment or annual fee on top?"

Then do one thing at checkout: ask for an itemised receipt. If a line appears that you were not told about, that is the moment to raise it — not after you have left.

Your other options, and when each wins

The number alone seldom determines it. Line up the inclusions first — what is actually included — before you look at the figure.

Questions people actually ask

Sources and how we checked them

12 sources were reviewed for this page. Official brand pages are used for brand claims only; nothing here extrapolates one location's menu into a national rate.

1. Official pricing and rewards
2. Official FAQ
3. Official pricing and specials
4. Official membership store
5. Official UV service
6. Official pricing
7. Official homepage
8. Risks of tanning
9. Sunless tanners and bronzers
10. Official Premier One page
11. Official membership freeze information
12. Official VIP membership terms

Found an error? Report it here - corrections are logged and dated.