6 Best Tanning Salon Software

Square doesn’t have all of the tanning salon-specific features you’ll find with other software on this list. However, it does offer plenty of features that smaller, independently-owned tanning salons will find useful, including payment processing, appointments, and inventory management.

The software is also completely free, although many salon owners may find it beneficial to sign up for Square’s paid (but affordable) add-ons. The ability to use free software makes it ideal for smaller salons on a budget, as well as larger businesses that are looking for an affordable intro to tanning software.

If you need more advanced features, paid add-ons are available. This includes Square Loyalty starting at $45/month, email marketing for $15/month, and physical gift cards starting at $0.80 each. Square Payroll and upgrades for your Square online store are also available to purchase. Check out our guide to Square pricing for more details.

Square offers the basic features you need to run your tanning salon. Additional features are also available as add-ons. Features worth noting that could benefit your tanning salons include:

• POS with contactless payments
• Booking with Square Appointments
• Basic inventory management with daily stock alerts
• User permissions
• Integrated employee time clock and time cards
• Free online store
• Gift cards (add-on)
• Loyalty program (add-on)
• Reports

You can get started with Square with a free magstripe card reader. You can also purchase additional card readers and equipment, including a contactless and chip reader for $49, the Square Terminal for $299, and the dual-display Square Register for $799.

When you sign up for Square, you will also be signing up for Square’s integrated payment processing. Square has rates of 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions, 2.9% + $0.30 for online transactions, and 3.5% + $0.15 for keyed-in transactions.

Square offers month-to-month contracts, and you can cancel at any time. There is an option to lease equipment, but we generally advise against doing that and recommend purchasing your equipment outright.

We like that Vagaro makes it easy to get your tanning salon ready to accept online appointments. The software makes it just as easy for current and potential clients to find your business and book an appointment.

Vagaro is ideal for salons that have multiple service providers including massage therapists, nail technicians, acupuncturists, and makeup artists, and offers numerous other great features like inventory management, recurring billing, and customer waitlists to simplify running your business.

Pricing ranges from $25 to $85/month depending on the number of bookable calendars you need for your tanning salon.

Add-ons are available starting at $10/month. Available add-ons include text message marketing, forms, a check-in app for clients, a website builder, branded apps, and an online store.

Vagaro is loaded with over 100 features, and add-ons are also available to help you customize the software to fit the needs of your tanning salon, spa, yoga studio, or other business. Standout features include:

• POS with integrated payment processing
• Customizable scheduling for multiple service providers
• Online booking
• Customer profiles
• Invoicing
• List your business for free in the Vagaro Marketplace
• Inventory management
• Set up packages and discounts
• Automated email and text message reminders and confirmations
• Drag-and-drop rescheduling
• Recurring appointments
• Recurring memberships with autopay
• Customer waitlist
• Online store
• Website builder add-on
• 1,000 free email marketing messages per month
• Mobile apps for Android and iOS
• Gift cards
• Payroll integration with Gusto, QuickBooks, and Xero
• Reports

You can receive a free contactless card reader if you sign up for Vagaro Merchant Services. You can also purchase other equipment including swivel stands, docks, and the dual-screen Vagaro Pay Desk. Contact Vagaro for pricing.

You can accept payments from your customers by signing up for Vagaro Merchant Services. Rates are 2.75% per swipe or 3.5% + $0.15 for keyed-in transactions. Larger merchants with over $4,000 in sales per month can pay $10/month and receive rates of 2.2% + $0.19 per swipe or 3% + $0.19 for keyed-in transactions.

There are no long-term contract requirements with Vagaro. Additionally, Vagaro does not charge cancellation fees, signup fees, PCI-compliance fees, setup fees, or contract fees.

SalonTouch Studio is truly a customized solution for tanning salons, as well as businesses that offer multiple services, including spray tanning, salon services, cryotherapy, and massages.

In addition to numerous features designed for tanning salons, this Windows-based system also boasts custom user permissions and over 500 configurations and settings to fit the needs of businesses of any size, including franchises.

SalonTouch Studio offers numerous configurations customized for your business, so, unfortunately, pricing is not disclosed online. Contact SalonTouch Studio to learn more about software pricing.

SalonTouch Studio has a number of great features tailored specifically to tanning salons. Notable features include:

• EMV-compliant POS
• EFT processing
• Barcode system for selling products or services
• Kiosk option for self check-ins
• Easy appointment booking and rescheduling
• Automated emails and text messages
• Timer settings for UV tanning
• Automated discounts
• Inventory management
• Low stock alerts
• Customizable activity screen that shows you occupied rooms, status of employees, and rooms that need cleaned or maintained
• Employee management features including scheduling, time cards, tasks, and goals
• Vendor tracking
• Multiple commission structures
• Gift cards
• Marketing tools
• 250+ reports

SalonTouch Studio features a list of compatible hardware on its website, including Star Micronics receipt printers, HP all-in-ones, and Digital Personal biometrics devices. Get in touch with a sales professional for more information on pricing. Some third-party hardware may also be compatible with SalonTouch Studio software.

SalonTouch Studio offers two payment processing options. Worldpay is available for customers in the US, while Bluefin is an option that’s available to users in the US and Canada.

Because SalonTouch Studio offers a customized solution for each business, you will need to inquire about contract requirements before signing up.

Mangomint is great for salons with multiple service providers (i.e., spray tan technicians, masseuses, and stylists). Its lowest-priced plan supports up to 10 service providers, while its most expensive plan supports unlimited users. The software has advanced features, integrations, and add-ons, as well as no set-up fees, free data import, and month-to-month pricing plans.

Mangomint has three pricing plans that range from $165/month to $375/month. The more expensive plans support additional service providers and offer advanced features. Add-ons are also available starting at $25/month. This includes integrated forms and integrations with Mailchimp, WaiverForever, Shopify, and Webhooks. Additional locations can be added starting at $95/month.

Mangomint comes loaded with the features you need to efficiently operate your tanning salon. Highlights include:

• POS
• Inventory tracking
• Recurring memberships
• Automated billing
• Gift cards
• Client database
• Access past appointments and purchase history with client timelines
• Automated appointment confirmations and reminders
• Easily create service packages and discounted bundles
• Create membership perks and benefits
• Reports
• Online booking
• Mobile apps for iOS and Android
• Integrated payment processing
• Text booking links to clients with Express Booking
• Route payments directly to other service providers
• Simplify online appointments with Mangomint’s booking widget
• Flexible staff scheduling
• Detailed user permissions

Mangomint offers a front desk display that uses an iPad and card reader, or you can purchase a Bluetooth card reader that can be used with your iPhone. Hardware pricing starts at $99. Contact Mangomint for more details.

To accept payments, you can sign up for the Mangomint Pay integrated payment processing solution. In-person rates are 2.4% + $0.15 for in-person transactions and 2.8% + $0.20 for virtual transactions. Volume discounts are available for salons that process over $50,000 per month.

Mangomint offers monthly plans, so there are no long-term contracts. You can cancel your subscription at any time.

Lightspeed Retail’s inventory management features make it a great option for tanning salons that carry lots of inventory. If retail sales make up a large portion of your profits, you’ll want software that can easily track inventory, manage purchase orders, and offers other advanced inventory features — all things you can find with Lightspeed Retail.

Each plan includes one terminal, with additional terminals adding $59/terminal/month to your bill.

Lightspeed Retail boasts a number of great features making it a suitable software solution for tanning salons. Lightspeed Retail stands out for its advanced inventory, but the software offers even more, including:

• POS to accept all payment types, including contactless payments
• Online appointment booking
• Automated appointment confirmations and reminders
• Advanced inventory management with custom tags, purchase order management, item variations, and multistore capabilities
• Easy returns and exchanges
• Gift cards and gift certificates
• Lightspeed Loyalty program to reward customers
• Built-in marketing and SEO tools
• Basic employee management, including a time clock and customizable roles
• Reports

Lightspeed sells a wide assortment of hardware, including iPad and desktop kits and individual components, such as card readers, barcode scanners, and mobile terminals. Contact Lightspeed for more information about hardware options and pricing.

Note: Lightspeed Retail now requires all new and existing qualified merchants using Lightspeed Retail in the US and Canada to sign up for Lightspeed Payments, Lightspeed’s payment processor. If you currently use a card reader from a third-party payment processor, you can’t use it anymore. Since you can’t use any existing payment terminals (card readers) with Lightspeed Payments, Lightspeed is currently running a free terminal replacement promotion for eligible merchants that includes two free Lightspeed POS terminals (card readers) per qualified merchant.

Eligible merchants include business owners that process a minimum of $100/day in credit card payments, as measured by a monthly average. Apple products are not included in this promotion, so you’ll still need to source an iPad to take sales.

Lightspeed Retail includes integrated payment processing. Rates for Lightspeed Payments are 2.6% + $0.10 for tapped, inserted, or swiped transactions, 2.6%  + $0.30 for manually entered transactions, and 2.9% + $0.30 for online transactions.

Note: Lightspeed will buy out payment processing contracts, paying off merchants’ early cancellation fees if you process a minimum of $25,000 in card sales and then submit documentation of your previous payment processing contract that states your early termination fee within six months of meeting this minimum processing amount.

It’s important to note that the “paying off” comes in the form of discounted payment processing fees, not a chunk of cash that goes toward your termination fees when you decide to switch to Lightspeed Payments.

If you are a current Lightspeed user and don’t apply for Lightspeed Payments within 30 days of receiving a notification email, you’ll be charged a fee between $200 and $1,120 per month until you do sign up for Lightspeed Payments.

You can sign up for Lightspeed Retail on a month-to-month or annual basis. To get the lowest monthly pricing, you will need to sign up for an annual plan. However, you will be charged an early termination fee if you decide to cancel your plan early, so consider signing up for a monthly plan until you’re completely sure that Lightspeed is the POS system for you.

If you’re on the monthly plan, you will need to contact Lightspeed within 30 days of your next payment term to avoid being charged for an additional month.

If you purchase hardware from Lightspeed, you must confirm that you have received it within five business days. Otherwise, your hardware will not be covered under Lightspeed’s hardware warranty (14 days for Apple products and 30 days for non-Apple products).

If your tanning salon offers memberships and packages, you’ll find everything you need with Tan-Link. This software eliminates the need for paper contracts and waivers by making everything digital.

Tan-Link makes creating packages easy, setting up membership options, and enabling package sharing. You can also easily set up EFT billing, and Tan-Link’s billing system will use re-billing and text notifications to resolve billing issues for you.

Tan-Link has three pricing plans that range from $129 to $199/month per location. Add-ons include a kiosk mode for 24-hour salons and custom security options. An enterprise add-on with custom migration, special reports, and other features is available to add to your plan starting at $250/month per location.

Tan-Link has a nice set of features designed specifically for tanning salons. Features worth noting include:

• POS system
• Appointments
• Curbside check-in
• Connects to T-Max timers
• Real-time tanning bed status
• Digital contracts and waivers
• Loyalty program
• Employee management
• Inventory management with product-specific settings and detailed reporting
• Custom-branded gift cards and gift certificates
• Online store to sell memberships, lotions, gift cards, and other products and services
• Recurring EFT and membership billing
• Automated text messaging
• Email and text message marketing
• Remote access from Tan-Link’s web-based system

Tan-Link offers plenty of flexibility when it comes to hardware. The company recommends you use an iPad, a card reader, and a USB serial adapter. If desired, other components can be added to your system, including a desktop computer, 2D barcode scanner, and iPad stand.

Tan-Link does offer integrated payment processing. Unfortunately, the company does not disclose information about rates on its website. Contact Tan-Link for pricing and to learn more.

Tan-Link’s software is available on a month-to-month basis. There are no contracts or cancellation fees.