Electric Beach Tanning vs Totally Tan & Spa

Documented price lines, service by service

These 8 lines come from published sources and are grouped by what they actually are. Mixing a cancellation fee into a service price list is how misleading "average" figures get made, so they are separated here.

Published prices change without notice. The date at the top indicates how recently this was checked.

How this compares with the wider U.S. market

None of these figures belongs to a brand on this page. They describe the wider market, which is what you need in order to judge a quote rather than just accept it.

Market ranges are planning estimates compiled from published U.S. pricing data. They are not quotes and are not attributable to any brand named on this page.

Where you live changes the price more than anything else

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

Bands scale the $11 national median by published metro cost multipliers. Planning ranges, not quotes.

What actually changes your price

Ask about these when you book, not at checkout. Every one of them is easier to decline before you arrive than halfway through a service.

• Enrolment or annual fee+$15–$60

  Charged in addition to the monthly rate at many chains.

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

  Minimum terms and freeze policies change the true cost.

• Membership tier+$15–$70

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

• Bed level+$8–$40

  Level 1 through level 5 is the primary price ladder.

• Lotion purchase+$25–$90

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

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

The real annual cost of keeping this up

A single $11 appointment is easy to justify. Maintained twice weekly in season, uv bed - level 1 becomes a $528 annual commitment at the national median — and that is the number worth deciding on.

Cadence comes down to typical maintenance intervals. Your own interval is the biggest variable.

Before hunting a discount, check the cadence. Going from 40 to 32 visits per year keeps roughly $106 in your pocket at the same quality of work.

Break-even points for monthly plans

The honest test is your sensible visit count, not your intended one. Most people overestimate by 30–50%. Take the number below and check it against how you behaved last quarter.

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

You can check the maths on your quoted rate against your actual visit count.

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.

• An automatic service charge ought to be disclosed when you book. If you see one at checkout, ask whether it goes to the provider before adding more.
• 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.
• Do not tip on membership dues, booth rent, deposits, annual fees, gift-card loads or cancellation charges — no service was performed.
• 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.

What people get wrong here

These are the ones that generate complaints. Every one is avoided by asking once asked before the service starts rather than after.

1. 1Buying lotion at the counter without checking the pricecosts $25–$90

   The single largest surprise on a first visit.

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

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

3. 3Assuming the membership covers every bedcosts $10–$40

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

4. 4Not asking about the enrolment or annual feecosts $15–$60

   Charged in addition to the monthly rate at most chains.

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 when you book rather than on arrival. Once you are gowned and in the chair, declining an add-on becomes socially much harder — which is the reason they come up at that moment.

1. "Is there a first-visit offer or a package rate I should know about?"
2. "What add-ons do you normally recommend for this service, and what does each cost?"
3. "Which provider tier is that quote for, and what does the next tier up cost?"
4. "What is your cancellation window, and what is the charge if I miss it?"
5. "Are taxes added at checkout, and do you have a card-payment surcharge?"
6. "What is the exact price for uv bed - level 1 at my hair length and density?"
7. "Can you email or text me the quote before my appointment?"

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.

Menu price versus final bill

This is the gap that surprises people. Starting from a $18 base, here is where the money goes by the time the card is out.

Worked at a $18 base with one add-on. Swap in your own quote and the proportions hold.

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

To check a specific quote, do this with your own quote.

How this compares with the alternatives

Before deciding, it is worth seeing where this lands 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 separately.

1. Official Iowa prices and memberships
2. Official service overview
3. Official membership pricing
4. Official membership freeze

Spotted something out of date? Send a correction and we will re-check the source.