Palm Beach Tan vs Planet Beach

What the brand actually publishes

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.

One location's price is not evidence of a national rate. Verify locally before booking.

Market ranges: what everyone else charges

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

These bands describe the national market, not this page's subject. Use them to judge whether a quote is sensible, not as a price you can book.

What uv bed - level 1 costs in your metro tier

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.

Where the extra money goes

Ask about these when you book, not at checkout. Every one of them is easier to decline before you arrive than mid-appointment.

• Lotion purchase+$25–$90

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

• Membership tier+$15–$70

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

• Enrolment or annual fee+$15–$60

  Charged on top of the monthly rate at many chains.

• Bed level+$8–$40

  Level 1 through level 5 is the primary price ladder.

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

  Minimum terms and freeze policies change the true cost.

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

Exactly what to ask when you book

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 there a first-visit offer or a package rate I should know about?"
2. "Is a shampoo, blow-dry or finish included in that price, or billed separately?"
3. "If I join the membership today, is there an enrolment or annual fee on top?"
4. "What is your cancellation window, and what is the charge if I miss it?"
5. "Do you take a deposit, and does it come off the final balance?"
6. "Which provider tier is that quote for, and what does the next tier up cost?"
7. "Are taxes added at checkout, and do you have a card-payment surcharge?"

At checkout: check the itemised total against the quote before paying. Corrections are straightforward at the desk and nearly impossible afterwards.

From menu price to what you actually hand over

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

Illustrative. The 8.4% tax figure varies by state - several states do not tax personal services at all.

Takeaway: budget $112 when the board says $74. The difference is $38.

Prefer not to do the arithmetic? You can do this with your own quote.

Annual cost of ownership

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 reflects typical maintenance intervals. Your own interval is the largest variable.

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 — generally more than switching salons would.

When a membership actually beats paying each visit

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

Uses a $11 market per-visit rate. Substitute the rate you were actually quoted.

Use the quoted rate rather than the market one and check the maths on your quoted rate.

Tipping: the numbers rather than the etiquette

Tip on the pre-tax service amount. If a discount or promotion applied, the norm is to tip on the original value of the work, not the discounted price.

• Cash gets to the provider quickest and is still preferred in most independent salons.
• On a $11 service, the gap between an 18% and a 20% tip is $0.22. It matters less than whether you tip at all.
• Holiday tipping is a separate convention from per-visit tipping and is usually a one-off larger amount.
• Salons that add an automatic service charge should say so when you book. Spot one on the bill, ask whether it goes to the provider before adding more.

What people get wrong here

These recur constantly in pricing disputes. Each is prevented by one question in advance rather than at checkout.

1. 1Comparing headline prices across different scopescosts $20–$70

   Two "haircut" prices can include entirely different work.

2. 2Not asking what is required versus optionalcosts $20–$70

   Some finishes are effectively mandatory but quoted separately.

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

   Together they add roughly a quarter to the menu price.

If you want the policy detail behind these: How To Compare Salon Prices and What Is An Airbrush Tan.

Worth comparing before you commit

The number alone seldom determines it. Compare scope first — what is actually included — before you look at the figure.

Frequently asked - with the maths

Sources and how we checked them

Listed so you can check the figures yourself. If a source has changed since we recorded it, the correction form below is the fastest way to flag it.

1. Official FAQStarting membership and price variation · updated 2026
2. Official Premier One pageOnce-monthly spray membership and billing dates · updated 2026
3. Official pricing and rewards finderLocation-specific membership pricing · updated 2026
4. Official contact and freeze informationMembership freeze structure and Tan Dollars · updated 2026
5. Official spray-tan preparation and aftercarePreparation, rinse and aftercare timing · updated 2026
6. Parker Colorado official pricingMembership tier prices and startup-fee conditions · updated 2026
7. Official membership pageLocation-specific membership and first-service offer · updated 2026
8. Official U.S. brand websiteBrand identity, service scope, location/booking model and official-source gate · updated 2026
9. Risks of tanningUV risk facts · updated 2026
10. Tanning overviewUV risks · updated 2026

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