Electric Beach Tanning vs Palm Beach Tan

Documented price lines, service by service

14 documented amounts, split into services, add-ons, plans and policy charges. Each keeps the precise label it was published under so you can match it against the menu you are shown at booking.

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

National price context for these services

Use this as a sanity check. If a quote lands well outside the national band below, ask what is included before writing it off — scope differences explain most outliers.

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

Before deciding a quote is high, check it against your own market rather than the national number. A $16 quote is expensive in a tier-4 market and unremarkable in tier 1.

Derived by applying regional cost-of-doing-business multipliers to the $11 national median. Treat as a sanity check on a quote you have been given.

Six things that decide what you pay

Ranking these matters. Nearly everyone compare the headline price of two salons and skip past the next few lines below it that really determine the bill.

• Lotion purchase+$25–$90

  The largest and least-expected line on a first visit.

• Contract term and freeze ruleschanges the contract, not the price

  Minimum terms and freeze policies change the true cost.

• Bed level+$8–$40

  Level 1 through level 5 is the primary price ladder.

• Membership tier+$15–$70

  Each tier unlocks a different set of beds and spray inclusions.

• Enrolment or annual fee+$15–$60

  Charged in addition to the monthly rate at many chains.

Related cost breakdowns: Airbrush Tan Cost, Spray Tan Cost and Automated Spray Tan Cost.

What to tip, in actual dollars

Two rules do most of the work: tip on the service before tax, and tip the person who performed it.

• 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.
• On a $11 service, the difference between an 18% and a 20% tip is $0.22. It matters less than whether you tip at all.
• At a resort or hotel spa, look for a service charge already applied before adding another tip.
• Card tips may be pooled or delayed to the next pay run. Ask if you want it to reach one person directly.

The costly errors, ranked

These are the errors that show up repeatedly in pricing complaints. All of them are fixed by a single question up front rather than at checkout.

1. 1Not asking about the enrolment or annual feecosts $15–$60

   Charged in addition to the monthly rate at most chains.

2. 2Joining before checking the freeze policycosts $60–$300

   A plan you cannot pause bills through the off-season.

3. 3Buying lotion at the counter without checking the pricecosts $25–$90

   The single largest surprise on a first visit.

4. 4Assuming the membership covers every bedcosts $10–$40

   Higher-level beds are normally an upgrade on top of the plan.

If you want the policy detail behind these: How To Compare Salon Prices and Prepare For UV Tanning.

Exactly what to ask when you book

Ask these at booking rather than on arrival. Once you are gowned and in the chair, declining an add-on becomes socially much harder — which is precisely why they are offered there.

1. "Which provider tier is that quote for, and what does the next tier up cost?"
2. "Is removal of my existing product included, or is it a separate charge?"
3. "Is a shampoo, blow-dry or finish included in that price, or billed on a separate line?"
4. "What is the exact price for uv bed - level 1 at my hair length and density?"
5. "If I join the membership today, is there an enrolment or annual fee on top?"
6. "If this runs longer than booked, does the price change?"
7. "What is your cancellation window, and what is the charge if I miss it?"

One more at the desk: ask for the itemised total before you tap the card. Every line should match something you were told about on the phone.

From menu price to what you actually hand over

Work it forwards once and you will never be caught out again. A $18 service does not cost $18.

Illustrative. The 8.1% tax figure varies by state - several states do not tax personal services at all.

The rule of thumb: add around 85% to any menu price for uv bed - level 1 to get your realistic out-the-door number.

You can run the numbers for your own service rather than doing this by hand.

Annual cost of ownership

The per-visit price hides the real decision. At twice weekly in season, this service costs about $528 a year including gratuity if you pay national median rates.

Gratuity is included at 20% because it is effectively compulsory. Strip it out if you budget gratuity on a separate line.

The cheapest lever is almost always stretching the cadence, not finding a less expensive provider. Moving from 40 visits a year to 30 saves about $132 annually — typically more than switching salons would.

Is the monthly plan worthwhile?

A membership is worth it above one number: monthly fee ÷ per-visit price. Below that visit count you are subsidising the salon. At a $11 per-visit rate, here is where each plan level breaks even.

Break-even = monthly fee / per-visit price. At $11 a visit the maths is simple enough to do at the counter.

Use the quoted rate rather than the market one and run your own break-even.

Your other options, and when each wins

Before deciding, it is worth seeing where this sits against the nearest alternatives on both price and what you get for it.

What people want to know before booking

Sources and how we checked them

Brand-specific amounts on this page come from the pages below. A source covering one location is not used as evidence of a national price, and market ranges are labelled on a separate line.

1. Official Iowa prices and memberships
2. Official service overview
3. Official pricing and rewards

Pricing shifts. If you were quoted something different, send it over and we will re-verify.