Direct answer
The working number is $10–$65. Across the 12 amounts published for Spray Tan vs Automated Spray Tan, the middle of the range lands at $20, the cheapest documented line is $10 and the highest is $599.
Spray tan (booth) is priced on time and product, not on a fixed rate card, and that is why two quotes in the same city can differ by 57% for the same service name.
- Working range
- $10–$65
- U.S. market midpoint
- $45 per session
- Basis
- 12 price points documented from official sources
- Last reviewed
- August 2026
The short version
- $10–$65 is the working range for Spray Tan vs Automated Spray Tan, from 12 documented amounts.
- The full documented set spans $10–$599 once fees and add-ons are counted.
- The U.S. national median for spray tan (booth) is $45 per session.
- Add about 27% to any menu price for sales tax and gratuity.
- Maintained every 10-14 days in season, the annual cost is roughly $648.
- The biggest single variable is bed level — level 1 through level 5 is the primary price ladder.
Published prices from official sources
12 documented amounts, split into services, add-ons, plans and policy charges. Each keeps the exact label it was published under so you can match it against the menu you are shown when you book.
| Line | Published | Midpoint | Spread | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TanCard setup fee | $10 | $10 | — | No monthly fee |
| Hybrid TanCard session | $12 | $12 | — | TanCard rate |
| Sunless first-month offer | $19.99 | $19.99 | — | New member online offer |
| Entropy TanCard session | $20 | $20 | — | TanCard rate |
| Spray tan | $25–$29 | $27 | $4 | Electric Beach Tanning |
| Natural spray tan | $42 | $42 | — | Tan Your Hide |
| Full-body spray tan | $65 | $65 | — | Organic Bronze Bar |
| Line | Published | Midpoint | Spread | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunless membership | $59 | $59 | — | Official membership store |
| Sunless membership monthly | $59 | $59 | — | Official membership store; plan details apply |
| Spray-tan membership | $64 | $64 | — | Tan Your Hide |
| Sunless annual membership | $599 | $599 | — | Official membership store |
| Sunless membership annual | $599 | $599 | — | Official membership store; plan details apply |
Franchise and independently-owned locations set menus inside a corporate band. Use them as documented examples only.
Market ranges: what everyone else charges
Context, not a price list. The point of these numbers is to tell you whether the quote in front of you is standard for the U.S. in 2026.
| Service | Market low | National median | Market high | Unit | What drives it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spray tan (booth) | $25 | $45 | $75 | per session | Booth is less expensive; hand airbrush costs more. |
| UV bed - level 1 | $6 | $11 | $18 | per session | Base-level bed, longest exposure time. |
| UV bed - level 2 | $10 | $16 | $26 | per session | Faster bronzing bed. |
| UV bed - level 3 | $15 | $23 | $36 | per session | High-pressure or hybrid equipment. |
| UV bed - level 4/5 | $22 | $34 | $55 | per session | Top-tier beds and stand-ups. |
| Unlimited tanning membership | $20 | $45 | $110 | per month | Tier decides bed access and spray inclusions. |
National planning ranges. A quote outside these bands is not automatically wrong - check what is included before judging it.
The same service, four different markets
Location is usually the largest single variable. The national median for spray tan (booth) is $45; the same appointment can land near $31 in a small market and $79 in a top-tier metro. That is a 2.5× spread on an identical service name.
| Market tier | Planning range | Multiplier | Example markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 - highest-cost metros | $61–$79 | 1.35–1.75× | Manhattan, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Washington DC, Miami Beach |
| Tier 2 - large metros | $50–$59 | 1.10–1.32× | Chicago, Los Angeles suburbs, Denver, Austin, Atlanta, San Diego, Portland |
| Tier 3 - mid-size metros | $42–$50 | 0.94–1.10× | Columbus, Kansas City, Charlotte, Nashville, Phoenix, Indianapolis |
| Tier 4 - small metro and rural | $31–$42 | 0.70–0.93× | Smaller cities, county seats and rural markets |
Derived by applying regional cost-of-doing-business multipliers to the $45 national median. Treat as a sanity check on a quote you have been given.
Six things that decide what you pay
Ranking these matters. Most of us compare the headline price of two salons and ignore the four lines below it that end up setting the bill.
- Lotion purchase+$25–$90
The largest and least-expected line on a first visit.
- 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.
- 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.
Related cost breakdowns: Automated Spray Tan Cost, Spray Tan Cost and Spray Tan Price Components Guide.
Tipping: the numbers rather than the etiquette
Tip on the pre-tax service amount. If a reduction or promotion applied, the norm is to tip on the original value of the work, not the discounted price.
| Gratuity rate | On $25 | On $45 | On $75 | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | $3.75 | $6.75 | $11.25 | Standard for a satisfactory service |
| 18% | $4.50 | $8.10 | $13.50 | Common default in mid-size and large metros |
| 20% | $5 | $9 | $15 | Typical for a stylist you intend to rebook with |
| 25% | $6.25 | $11.25 | $18.75 | Reserved for complex colour, long appointments or a rescue job |
- An automatic service charge ought to be disclosed when you book. Spot one on the bill, ask whether it reaches the provider before adding more.
- 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 $45 service, the difference between an 18% and a 20% tip is $0.90. It matters less than whether you tip at all.
- If more than one person worked on you, ask how tips are shared before assuming the lead provider receives all of it.
Avoid these before you book
Ranked by frequency rather than how much they cost. All of them are solved at the booking stage.
- 1Buying lotion at the counter without checking the pricecosts $25–$90
The single largest surprise on a first visit.
- 2Assuming the membership covers every bedcosts $10–$40
Higher-level beds are normally an upgrade on top of the plan.
- 3Joining before checking the freeze policycosts $60–$300
A plan you cannot pause bills through the off-season.
- 4Not asking about the enrolment or annual feecosts $15–$60
Charged on top of the monthly rate at most chains.
If you want the policy detail behind these: Prepare For Spray Tan and Spray Tan Aftercare.
Seven questions that prevent a surprise bill
You do not need to negotiate. You need the price to be stated before the service starts. These questions do that without any awkwardness.
- "Can you email or text me the quote before my appointment?"
- "Do you take a deposit, and does it come off the final balance?"
- "What is the precise price for spray tan (booth) at my hair length and density?"
- "What add-ons do you normally recommend for this service, and what does each cost?"
- "Are taxes added at checkout, and do you have a card-payment surcharge?"
- "Is a shampoo, blow-dry or finish included in that price, or billed separately?"
- "If this runs longer than booked, does the price change?"
Finally: get the quote on paper. A text or email costs the salon nothing and removes any argument at checkout.
Menu price versus final bill
Work it forwards once and you will never be caught out again. A $35 service does not cost $35.
| Line | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base service | $35 | The line you see on the menu |
| One typical add-on | $8 | Accepted at the chair without a stated price |
| Subtotal | $43 | Before tax and gratuity |
| Sales tax at 7.2% | $3.10 | Varies by state and city; services are taxable in some states only |
| Gratuity at 20% | $8.60 | Calculated on the service, not on tax |
| Realistic total | $54.70 | 56% above the menu price |
Illustrative. The 7.2% tax figure varies by state - several states do not tax personal services at all.
The rule of thumb: add roughly 56% to any menu price for spray tan (booth) to get your realistic out-the-door number.
Swap in your own base price and try it with your own figures.
The real annual cost of keeping this up
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.
| Provider level | Per visit | Visits/yr | Service spend | Gratuity | Annual total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget provider | $25 | 12 | $300 | $60 | $360 |
| National median | $45 | 12 | $540 | $108 | $648 |
| Premium provider | $75 | 12 | $900 | $180 | $1,080 |
Gratuity is included at 20% because it is not optional in practice. Remove it if you prefer to budget separately.
The lever most of us reach for - switching salons - is generally the weakest one. Moving from the $45 median to the $25 budget end saves $288 a year, but so does just stretching the interval by a quarter.
Membership break-even: the only maths that matters
Ignore the marketing and do one division. If the plan costs more than your sensible monthly visit count × $45, it loses money. The table shows the crossover for common plan prices.
| Monthly plan | Per-visit rate | Break-even | Annual visits needed | Annual cost | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $63 / month | $45 | 1.4 visits | 17 visits | $756 | Worthwhile above 1.4/month |
| $99 / month | $45 | 2.2 visits | 26 visits | $1,188 | Worth it above 2.2/month |
| $144 / month | $45 | 3.2 visits | 38 visits | $1,728 | Worthwhile above 3.2/month |
Break-even = monthly fee / per-visit price. At $45 a visit the maths is simple enough to do at the counter.
Use the quoted rate rather than the market one and check the maths on your quoted rate.
Worth comparing before you commit
The helpful comparison is like-for-like: same service scope, same provider tier, same market. These pages set the comparisons up that way.
What people want to know before booking
Spray Tan vs Automated Spray Tan: what should I expect to pay?
Plan on $10–$65. Across the 12 amounts documented here the median line is $20, the cheapest is $10 and the dearest is $599. The wider spread covers add-ons, plans and policy charges rather than the core service alone.
How much is tancard setup fee?
Documented at $10 for tancard setup fee. No monthly fee. Figures of this kind are verified periodically and can change without warning.
Hybrid TanCard session: what is the published amount?
Hybrid TanCard session is documented at $12. TanCard rate. That is below the $45 national median for spray tan (booth).
How much is sunless first-month offer?
The published figure for sunless first-month offer is $19.99. New member online offer. A fixed $19.99 at one location does not make it a national rate.
Is there a price for entropy tancard session?
$20. TanCard rate. Expect roughly $25 once tax and gratuity are added, where gratuity applies.
What will I actually pay at checkout?
Expect about $47 on a $38 booking. Tax and gratuity alone add close to $9, and that is with no upgrades.
What does spray tan (booth) cost per year?
At every 10-14 days in season - about 12 visits a year - the annual figure is approximately $648 including gratuity at the $45 national median. Dropping to 9 visits saves around $162.
Why does the same service carry different prices at different locations?
Mostly geography. The same service name maps to around $31 in a rural market and $79 in the most costly metros, a 2.5x spread. Provider tier and appointment length move it further.
Is there a fee on top of the monthly price?
Frequently. Enrolment and annual fees of $15–$60 are charged on a separate line from the monthly rate at many chains. Ask for the twelve-month total, not the monthly figure.
Can I pause my membership?
Freeze rules vary and are the single most important clause if you tan seasonally. A plan you cannot pause bills through the off-season regardless of use.
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.
- Official offers page
- Official Iowa prices and memberships
- Brentwood official spray-tan pricing
- Brick NJ Mystic Tan service
- Official membership store
- Official pricing and specials
- Official spray-tan preparation and aftercare
- Official spray-tan preparation
- Official spray-tan preparation
- Official brand and services page
- Official locations and service model
- Sunless tanners and bronzers
Spotted something out of date? Send a correction and we will re-check the source.
People also ask
Frequently asked questions
Spray Tan vs Automated Spray Tan: what should I expect to pay?
Plan on $10–$65. Across the 12 amounts documented here the median line is $20, the cheapest is $10 and the dearest is $599. The wider spread covers add-ons, plans and policy charges rather than the core service alone.
How much is tancard setup fee?
Documented at $10 for tancard setup fee. No monthly fee. Figures of this kind are verified periodically and can change without warning.
Hybrid TanCard session: what is the published amount?
Hybrid TanCard session is documented at $12. TanCard rate. That is below the $45 national median for spray tan (booth).
How much is sunless first-month offer?
The published figure for sunless first-month offer is $19.99. New member online offer. A fixed $19.99 at one location does not make it a national rate.
Is there a price for entropy tancard session?
$20. TanCard rate. Expect roughly $25 once tax and gratuity are added, where gratuity applies.
What will I actually pay at checkout?
Expect about $47 on a $38 booking. Tax and gratuity alone add close to $9, and that is with no upgrades.
What does spray tan (booth) cost per year?
At every 10-14 days in season - about 12 visits per year - the annual figure is around $648 including gratuity at the $45 national median. Dropping to 9 visits saves around $162.
Why does the same service carry different prices at different locations?
Mostly geography. The same service name maps to roughly $31 in a rural market and $79 in the most costly metros, a 2.5x spread. Provider tier and appointment length move it further.
Is there a fee on top of the monthly price?
Often. Enrolment and annual fees of $15–$60 are charged separately from the monthly rate at many chains. Ask for the twelve-month total, not the monthly figure.
Can I pause my membership?
Freeze rules vary and are the single most important clause if you tan seasonally. A plan you cannot pause bills through the off-season regardless of use.
Last reviewed . Prices change without notice — report a correction.