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Are you on the hunt for the best software for your tanning salon? Keep reading to find out which of our six options best fit your needs.
Erica has been writing about small business finance and technology since 2008. She joined Merchant Maverick in 2018 and specializes in researching and reviewing business software, financial products, and other topics to help small businesses manage and grow their operations. Her expertise has been cited in MSN, Reader's Digest, Vox, U.S. News & World Report, and Real Simple. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, a graduate of Limestone University, and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.
WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY
Erica SeppalaErica has been writing about small business finance and technology since 2008. She joined Merchant Maverick in 2018 and specializes in researching and reviewing business software, financial products, and other topics to help small businesses manage and grow their operations. Her expertise has been cited in MSN, Reader's Digest, Vox, U.S. News & World Report, and Real Simple. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, a graduate of Limestone University, and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.
Editor & Senior Staff Writer
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Matt has been helping small businesses make decisions since 2017. He has written reviews and articles across many different channels but specializes in the point of sale, payroll, and small business insurance categories and has been quoted in articles for Fox Business, Forbes, and other publications. Prior to joining Merchant Maverick, Matt was a journalist and editor for 14 years for a pair of weekly newspapers. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and currently resides in Gladstone, Oregon.
REVIEWED BY
Matt ShermanMatt has been helping small businesses make decisions since 2017. He has written reviews and articles across many different channels but specializes in the point of sale, payroll, and small business insurance categories and has been quoted in articles for Fox Business, Forbes, and other publications. Prior to joining Merchant Maverick, Matt was a journalist and editor for 14 years for a pair of weekly newspapers. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and currently resides in Gladstone, Oregon.
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Our content reflects the editorial opinions of our experts. While our site makes money through referral partnerships, we only partner with companies that meet our standards for quality, as outlined in our independent rating and scoring system.
Owning or managing a tanning salon can be hectic, but fortunately, tanning salon software (including industry-specific small business point of sale systems and appointment and booking software,) can help you operate your business more efficiently. Whether you own a small independent tanning salon or you’re involved in a larger tanning salon franchise, there’s a software solution that’s right for your business.
Keep reading to learn more about software for tanning salons and why your business needs it.
The best tanning salon software should include payment processing, appointment scheduling, inventory management, customer loyalty, and other features. Start your search with these options.
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Pros
Intuitive UI
Easy to use
Multi-store capability
Cons
Limited customizability
Limited payment gateway integrations
Why Square Is Best For Small Tanning Salons
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. Check out our guide to Square pricing for more details.
Square POS Extra Costs
Price
Square Loyalty
$45/month
Square gift cards
Starting at $0.81 per card
Square Invoices
$0-$20/month
Square Payroll
$35/month + $6/month per employee
Square Online Store
$0-$79/month
Email marketing
$15/month
Square Features For Tanning Salons
Square POS Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Add-on
Customer Loyalty
Add-on
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
With Square for Restaurants
Delivery Management
Add on
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging
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 salon 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
Square Hardware
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, the Square Terminal, and the dual-display Square Register.
Payment Processing
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.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
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.
Choose Square If...
You own a small tanning business and need a POS with basic features
You’re a new business owner and want a free and functional POS before investing in a niche system
Why Vagaro Is Best For Booking Tanning Salon Appointments
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.
If you need simple appointment-based software and have a small number of employees
Pricing is based on the number of bookable calendars you need for your tanning salon.
Add-ons are also available for an additional cost. Available add-ons include text message marketing, forms, a check-in app for clients, a website builder, branded apps, and an online store.
Vagaro Tanning Salon Features
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
Vagaro Hardware
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.
Payment Processing
You can accept payments from your customers by signing up for Vagaro Merchant Services. Rates are different for smaller merchants (less than $4,000/month in sales) than larger merchants. Rates are 2.75% for small merchants and 2.2% + $0.19 per transaction for larger merchantsper swipe or 3.5% + $0.15 per transaction for small merchants and 3.0% + $0.19 per transaction for larger merchants for keyed-in transactions.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
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.
Choose Vagaro If...
Your tanning salon gets many online appointments
Your business has multiple service providers (i.e., for spray tanning or massages)
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 Pricing
SalonTouch Studio offers numerous configurations customized for your business, so, unfortunately, pricing is not disclosed online. Contact SalonTouch Studio for a custom quote.
SalonTouch Studio Tanning Salon Features
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 Hardware
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 pricing.
Some third-party hardware may also be compatible with SalonTouch Studio software.
Payment Processing
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.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
Because SalonTouch Studio offers a customized solution for each business, you will need to inquire about contract requirements before signing up.
Choose SalonTouch Studio If...
You want a POS system customized for the needs of your tanning salon
You want software with niche features like timers for UV tanning
Why Mangomint Is Best For Salons With Multiple Service Providers
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.
You want support for unlimited service providers, advanced features, integrations, and custom APIs
In addition to your monthly subscription, add-ons are also available for an additional cost.
Mangomint Extra Costs
Price
Additional Locations
$95 – $175/month
Forms & Charting
$50/month (+$25/month per additional location)
Two-Way Texting
$75/month (+$25/month per additional location)
Payroll
$50/month + $8/month per employee
Shopify Integration
$50/month
Mangomint Tanning Salon Features
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 Hardware
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. Contact Mangomint for more details and pricing.
Payment Processing
To accept payments, you can sign up for the Mangomint Pay integrated payment processing solution. In-person rates are 2.45% + 15¢ for in-person transactions and 2.90% + 20¢ for virtual transactions.
Volume discounts are available for salons that process over $50,000 per month.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
Mangomint offers monthly plans, so there are no long-term contracts. You can cancel your subscription at any time.
Choose Mangomint If...
Your salon has multiple service providers
You want strong features like memberships, tanning rewards programs, and automated billing
Why Lightspeed Retail Is Best For Tanning Salon Inventory Management
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 offer other advanced inventory features -- all things you can find with Lightspeed Retail.
For single/multi-location retail businesses looking for a strong loyalty program and advanced business reporting
Each plan includes one terminal, with additional terminals available for an extra monthly fee.
Lightspeed Retail Tanning Salon Features
Lightspeed Retail Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Core plan and up
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty
Core plan and up
Marketing Tools
Core plan and up
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging
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 Retail Hardware
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.
Payment Processing
Lightspeed Retail includes integrated payment processing. Rates for Lightspeed Payments are 2.6% + $0.10 for tapped, inserted, or swiped transactions, 2.9% + $0.30 for manually entered transactions, and 2.9% + $0.30 for online transactions.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
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).
Choose Lightspeed Retail If...
You need strong inventory management for selling lotions, goggles, and accessories
You want a POS loaded with features like online appointment booking, gift cards, and loyalty programs
Why Tan-Link Is Best For Tanning Salon Memberships
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.
You want advanced features like remote access, theft prevention, and self check-ins
Tan-Link has three pricing plans, with each offering more advanced features.
Additional costs to consider include a mandatory one-time setup fee and premium support for an additional monthly fee.
Tan-Link Extra Costs
Price
Setup Fee
$250
Premium Support
$15/month
Tan-Link Tanning Salon Features
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 Hardware
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.
Payment Processing
Tan-Link has integrated payment processing. Unfortunately, the company does not disclose information about rates on its website. Contact Tan-Link for pricing and to learn more.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
Tan-Link’s software is available on a month-to-month basis. There are no contracts or cancellation fees.
Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing POS providers since 2012. Our writers have tested over 100 different point of sale systems, evaluating pricing, features, ease of use, customer service, and user reviewers. Read more about how we rate POS providers.
Weighted Rating Breakdown
Pricing 40%
Features 30%
Ease Of Use 15%
Customer Service 10%
User Reviews 5%
When comparing different POS software systems, we consider many data points, including relative pricing, the depth of niche features offered, the price of hardware, and any associated payment processing fees. Our lists of the best providers include only apps we’ve deemed worthwhile from multiple vantage points. The POS vendors we pick share qualities such as widespread availability, accessibility, user-friendliness, and reasonable pricing. We also look carefully at niche features, such as check-splitting, inventory management, eCommerce, loyalty programs, gift cards, and more.
We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the providers included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.
80+
Vendors evaluated
65+
Attributes assessed per vendor
20+
Features weighed
30+
Combined years of experience
Why We Don't Recommend These Tanning Salon Software Options
TanTrack
On paper, TanTrack seems like a solid choice in tanning salon software. It boasts over 5,000 clients, offers hundreds of reports, and has a number of useful features. Unfortunately, the software has very few user reviews — and some of the reviews it does have point out issues with the software, including bugs and glitches, hidden charges, subpar tech support, and unreliable connections.
Helios Salon Software
Another popular option that may pop up in your search for the best tanning software is Helios Salon Software, which offers features like packages and memberships, marketing tools, gift cards, and payment processing. Unfortunately, there are numerous negative user reviews about the software, with most complaints surrounding rude customer service reps and bugs that cause the software to crash.
What To Look For In Tanning Salon Software
The right tanning salon software can help your business be more organized. With tanning salon software, you’ll be able to avoid mistakes (such as overbooking appointments and forgetting to collect membership payments), while also boosting customer satisfaction.
Before you invest in new software, here are a few key features to look for in tanning salon software:
Point Of Sale
Your tanning salon software should offer point of sale (POS) functionality. This allows you to take customer payments for tanning services, retail products, and other purchases. A good POS system lets you easily accept cash, credit cards, debit cards, and even mobile and contactless payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Inventory Management
Many tanning salons sell retail products such as tanning lotions, bronzers, moisturizers, and UV tanning goggles. An inventory management system allows you to easily keep track of inventory, while the best systems offer features like low stock alerts and automatic reorder points.
Scheduling & Appointments
Your tanning software should make it easy for you, your employees, and your customers to make, reschedule, and cancel appointments. Having this system in place keeps your salon organized without overbooking service providers or tanning rooms. Automated appointment confirmations and reminders through email or text messaging are also good features to look for.
Customer Loyalty Program
Reward your most loyal customers by setting up a customer loyalty program, such as earning points to redeem toward products or services or getting a free product or service after a certain number of visits. Find software that allows you to easily create and customize a loyalty program, as well as track and redeem customer points.
Gift Cards
Earn extra revenue by selling gift cards or gift certificates for your products or services. There are plenty of software options that allow you to easily create, reload, and redeem physical gift cards, while you can also set up an online store for purchasing digital gift cards.
Employee Management
Your tanning salon software should at least have basic employee management features. Features to look for include employee scheduling, integrated time clocks and time cards, and multiple user permissions.
Packages & Discounts
Many tanning salons offer discounted packages for multiple tanning sessions, as well as discounts for holidays, new customers, and referrals. Look for software that makes it easy to set up packages and apply coupons and discounts.
Memberships & Recurring Billing
If your salon has monthly memberships (i.e., unlimited tanning for $50/month), you’ll want software that simplifies signing up customers and tracking memberships. Some of the best tanning salon software on the market also offers recurring billing and may even resolve billing issues for you, so you can spend more time growing your business instead of chasing down monthly payments.
Which Tan Salon Software Is Right For Your Business?
When choosing tanning salon software for your business, there are a few things to remember. Your monthly budget, the size of your business (and whether you have one or multiple locations), the services provided in your tanning salon, and the features you need are all factors to keep in mind when selecting your software. Before committing to one program, make sure to take advantage of any free plans, free trials, or software demos to help you make your decision.
If you didn’t find what you were looking for here, check out our other great Merchant Maverick resources. Whether you need POS software for your spa or salon or want more choices when it comes to retail POS systems, we’ve got you covered.
Erica has been writing about small business finance and technology since 2008. She joined Merchant Maverick in 2018 and specializes in researching and reviewing business software, financial products, and other topics to help small businesses manage and grow their operations. Her expertise has been cited in MSN, Reader's Digest, Vox, U.S. News & World Report, and Real Simple. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, a graduate of Limestone University, and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.
View Erica Seppala's professional experience on LinkedIn.
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The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation.
Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.
We Recommend Square POS For Your Business 🏆User-friendly & feature-rich point of sale system with affordable pricing.Square POS is an intuitive and simple point of sale platform. It offers customizable tools and a variety of add-ons to fit your business needs and reach your goals.Get StartedNo credit card required
