How Much to Tip at a Spa (and When You Don't Have To)

At most spas I go to, a gratuity of 20% or more is already added to the bill. That’s common, and it’s the first thing to check before you reach for your wallet. Here’s what to do in each situation.

1. The spa already added it

A 2019 survey by the International Spa Association (ISPA) found that 65% of resort and hotel spas and 20% of day spas add an automatic fee. The fees ranged from 1% to 22%, and 20% was the most common.

Two things to know:

• Read the wording on your receipt. Some of these are called gratuity and some are called a service charge. In the same survey, about a quarter of the policies that spas called “gratuity” turned out to be service-fee policies. Part of the fee goes to your therapist, but not always all of it.
• If it’s included, you’re covered. One spa business says to add more only for exceptional service. A few places go further. Canyon Ranch’s Tucson resort says on its website that it’s a no-tipping resort.

If you can’t tell, ask the front desk before you add anything.

2. It isn’t included

Most sources put the range at 15% to 20% for a massage. Emily Post lists 15% to 20%. The head of ABMP, a massage therapy association, says a massage tip starts at 15%, and one writer says 20% is the norm, just like a restaurant. I go with 20%.

Tip on the regular price, not a discounted one. SpaFinder and a spa business blog both say so.

3. Medical spas and owner-run studios

• Medical spa services like injectables and lasers: tipping isn’t customary, according to SpaFinder. ABMP’s leader says it’s generally not expected in medical or hospital settings either.
• The therapist owns the place: the sources disagree. A Washingtonian piece says tipping isn’t expected, while a spa business blog says to tip as you would any therapist. A modest tip is always welcome.

4. Cash or card

Older advice says to bring cash, because some spas couldn’t take card tips. Emily Post still says to carry some, and a 2013 Washingtonian article said many spas didn’t allow card tips. Newer sources say card tips at the front desk are common, and ISPA found that 42% of resort spas fill in tip options on the receipt. Bring a little cash anyway.

5. If the service wasn’t good

Say something, to the therapist or to the front desk. A spa business blog says adjusting the tip a bit is fine if the problem was in the therapist’s control, and that feedback is worth more than a smaller tip. Emily Post’s advice runs the other way: praise good service to a supervisor.

The quick math

The cost estimator adds up the treatment, the access fee and the gratuity, and it lets you check a box if the spa already added the tip.

Sources

• ISPA, Pulse, August 2019, page 60 (member survey on automatic fees)
• Emily Post, Tipping Etiquette 101 and The Finer Points of Tipping
• ABMP, Should You Tip? and Tip or No Tip (2009)
• SpaFinder, Insider’s Tip: Deal Days and Gratuity (2010) and Gratuity at medical spas (2011)
• Washingtonian, Why Do Spas Require Cash Tips? (2013)
• Spa Theory, How much to tip for a massage
• Canyon Ranch, All-You-Can-Spa