Glo Tanning vs Totally Tan & Spa

Published prices from official sources

These 9 lines come from published sources and are grouped by what they actually are. Averaging a penalty charge in with service prices is how misleading "average" figures come about, so they are separated here.

A single location's menu proves nothing about the chain. Check with the location you intend to book.

National price context for these services

These are U.S. market ranges compiled from published industry pricing data, not figures published by any single brand. Use them to place a quote against the national picture.

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.

The same service, four different markets

Rent and wages flow straight into the menu. Applying published metro cost bands to the $11 national median for uv bed - level 1 gives the following planning ranges.

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 ignore the four lines below it that end up setting the bill.

• Enrolment or annual fee+$15–$60

  Charged on top of the monthly rate at many chains.

• Membership tier+$15–$70

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

• 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.

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

What to tip, in actual dollars

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

• Assistants who shampoo or rinse are regularly tipped separately, generally a few dollars.
• If the salon owner performed the service, tipping is optional by norm - though rarely refused.
• Salons that add an automatic service charge should say so when you book. If you see one at checkout, ask whether it goes to the provider before adding more.
• A tip is for the work performed, not for the price you were charged. Do not penalise a provider for a menu they did not set.

What people get wrong here

Ordered by how regularly they happen rather than dollar impact. The fix in every case is a question when you book.

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

   Charged on top of the monthly rate at most chains.

2. 2Buying lotion at the counter without checking the pricecosts $25–$90

   The single largest surprise on a first visit.

3. 3Joining before checking the freeze policycosts $60–$300

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

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

   Higher-level beds are usually an upgrade in addition to the plan.

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

Seven questions that prevent a surprise bill

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 exactly why that is when they are raised.

1. "Do you take a deposit, and does it come off the final balance?"
2. "Is a shampoo, blow-dry or finish included in that price, or billed separately?"
3. "What is the exact price for uv bed - level 1 at my hair length and density?"
4. "Is there a first-visit offer or a package rate I should know about?"
5. "Which provider tier is that quote for, and what does the next tier up cost?"
6. "Are taxes added at checkout, and do you have a card-payment surcharge?"
7. "Can you email or text me the quote before my appointment?"

And when you pay: read the itemised receipt line by line. Unexpected charges are nearly always fixable at the desk and almost never fixable later.

What the bill looks like at checkout

Work it forwards once and you will never be caught out again. A $56 service does not cost $56.

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

Plan for the total, not the base. The $28 gap between the two is the part people forget when comparing two salons.

You can work this out for your exact 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.

Cadence reflects typical maintenance intervals. Your own interval is the biggest variable.

Before hunting a less expensive provider, look at the interval. One fewer visit a year is about $13 kept; two fewer is $26. Neither costs you any quality.

When a membership actually beats paying each visit

Ignore the marketing and do one division. If the plan costs more than your sensible monthly visit count × $11, it loses money. The table shows the crossover for common plan prices.

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

Before signing, check the maths on your quoted rate.

How this compares with the alternatives

Price alone seldom settles it. Line up the inclusions first — what is actually included — and only then the price.

Questions people actually ask

Sources and how we checked them

Every published figure above traces to one of these. Where a source describes a single location or a time-limited offer, that scope stays attached to the number rather than being generalised.

1. Official pricing
2. Official membership pricing
3. Official membership freeze

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