Sun Tan City vs South Beach Tanning Company

What the brand actually publishes

These 7 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 come about, so they are kept apart here.

Franchisees price within a corporate range rather than to a fixed card. Treat these as documented examples.

What the same service costs across the U.S. market

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.

Compiled national figures for context only. No brand on this page has published these numbers, and none of them is a bookable rate.

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.

The variables that move the number

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.

• Lotion purchase+$25–$90

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

• 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 say on the phone

Read these out. They take about ninety seconds and they are the difference between a quote and a surprise. The last one matters most — a written quote settles any dispute at checkout.

1. "Do you take a deposit, and does it come off the final balance?"
2. "Are taxes added at checkout, and do you have a card-payment surcharge?"
3. "Is there a first-visit offer or a package rate I should know about?"
4. "Is a shampoo, blow-dry or finish included in that price, or billed separately?"
5. "Is removal of my existing product included, or is it a separate charge?"
6. "What is the precise price for uv bed - level 1 at my hair length and density?"
7. "What add-ons do you normally recommend for this service, and what does each cost?"

And when you pay: read the itemised receipt line by line. Unexpected charges are almost 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.

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

Plan for the total, not the base. The $29 gap between the two is the part people forget when comparing two salons.

Swap in your own base price and work this out for your exact service.

What uv bed - level 1 costs you over annually

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

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

Break-even points for monthly plans

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.

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

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

How much to tip on this service

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.

• Holiday tipping is a separate convention from per-visit tipping and is usually a one-off larger amount.
• Cash reaches the provider fastest and is still preferred in most independent salons.
• Card tips may be pooled or delayed to the next pay run. Ask if you want it to reach one person directly.
• On a package or prepaid series, tip each visit on the value of that visit rather than once on the whole package.

Avoid these before you book

These recur constantly in pricing disputes. All of them are fixed by a single question before the service starts.

1. 1Forgetting tax and gratuitycosts $20–$30

   Together they add approximately a quarter to the menu price.

2. 2Comparing headline prices across different scopescosts $20–$70

   Two "haircut" prices can include entirely different work.

3. 3Not asking what is required versus optionalcosts $20–$70

   Some finishes are effectively mandatory but quoted on a separate line.

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

Your other options, and when each wins

Price is not normally the deciding factor. Line up the inclusions first — what is actually included — then compare the number.

What people want to know before booking

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 specials page
2. Official shared VIP membership
3. Louisville Highlands official salon page
4. Official VIP membership terms
5. Official U.S. brand website
6. Official spray-tan preparation and aftercare
7. Official spray-tan preparation
8. Official spray-tan preparation
9. Official offers page
10. Brick NJ official services
11. Brick NJ Mystic Tan service
12. Official brand and services page

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