What Makes a Good Tanning Salon POS System?

tanning salon pos system

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If you’re a tanning salon owner, you’ll know how important it is to keep track of your sales. Monitoring which products, sessions and courses are selling well is essential to running a profitable business.

A tanning salon POS system should do more than just process payments. It should help you serve clients quickly and professionally, monitor your daily sales and provide valuable insights into your business. The best tanning salon POS software can even link to your client database and help you comply with UV safety guidelines.

In this guide, we’ll explain how tanning salon POS software works, and which important features you should look out for.

What Is a Tanning Salon POS System?

A point of sale (POS) system is a combination of software and hardware that allows a business to process customer transactions. For tanning salons, this means the sale of sunbed sessions and retail products.

Most modern tanning salon POS systems comprise:

  • A cash drawer and/or card reader for taking payments
  • POS software to track takings and generate sales reports
  • A device with a screen that runs the software and acts as a POS terminal

You can buy dedicated POS terminals – however, these can be expensive and difficult to use. Instead, many salon owners opt for POS software which is compatible with a device they already own, such as an iPad or PC.

What to Look for in Tanning Salon POS Software


If you run a tanning salon, it’s important to choose POS software designed specifically for sunbed shops, such as ActiveSalon. Otherwise, you may miss out on valuable features that will help you run your business smoothly and professionally.

Here are some key components to look out for when choosing the best salon POS system for you.

Client Database Integration

Good tanning salon POS systems come with, or integrate with, a digital client database. This means you can:

  • Select which client is making the purchase/booking
  • View their remaining credits (if they have previously purchased a tanning course) – these will be automatically deducted at their next session
  • Keep track of clients’ signed disclaimers, purchase history and which sunbeds and products they have used
  • See who your best customers are at a glance
  • Send out automated appointment reminders, helping to prevent missed bookings

Some systems also allow you to set up referral rewards for clients who refer friends to your salon – ideal for encouraging customer loyalty.

Tanning Safety Policies

The best sunbed shop POS software comes with built-in safety policies to help you comply with tanning industry guidelines.

For example, ActiveSalon will not permit the sale of a sunbed session or course unless a client is selected from the database. The system will then check the user’s date of birth to ensure they are over 18.

It will also review the client’s skin type and session history, and issue a warning if the session would exceed maximum sunbed usage guidelines. The customer will then be prompted to sign a disclaimer, meaning you won’t be held liable if they choose to proceed.

Multi-Device Compatibility

Many tanning salon software programs are designed to work with all kinds of salon POS: iPad, PC, Mac and Android tablet, for example. Multi-device compatibility gives you the freedom to use whatever technology you’re most comfortable with.

If you use multiple devices, or want to check your sales reports at home or on-the-go, choose cloud-based POS software such as ActiveSalon. This means you’ll be able to access the system anytime, anywhere.

Customisable Pricing and Payment Methods

If you offer more than one type of tanning – for example, lie-down sunbeds and stand-up booths – choose software that features customisable pricing systems. This means you’ll be able to charge different rates for each type of session.

The best salon POS software also allows for quick, easy price modifications at the point of sale. That way, you won’t keep customers waiting while you apply discounts.

You should also look for a tanning salon POS system that allows both cash and card payments. With ActiveSalon, you can even split transactions if a client wishes to use multiple payment methods.

Automatic Reporting

Full reporting is another key feature to look for in a tanning salon POS system. This will allow you to track your sales and monitor your best- and worst-selling products. ActiveSalon automatically generates both end-of-shift and end-of-day reports, including:

  • Total sales made and voided
  • A full breakdown of the number of each session, course and product sold
  • Number of clients that visited and new clients enrolled
  • Each client’s average spend
  • Number of appointments booked, processed and missed
  • Credits sold and used

It also features a staff analysis section, allowing you to see the total sales made by each employee per shift.

How Much Does Tanning Salon POS Software Cost?

Good salon POS software is a worthwhile investment, saving you both money and time. It can help you analyse your sales trends, keep track of your clients and maximise your profits.

The price of POS software can vary, so shop around to find the best deals. Ideally, choose software that works on a device that you already own, so you won’t have to purchase a dedicated POS terminal. It’s also worth checking tanning salon POS system reviews on sites such as TrustPilot.

With ActiveSalon, you can enjoy an incredible range of salon management features – including a lightning-fast POS system – for less than the price of a cup of coffee per day.

Start Your Free ActiveSalon Trial Today

ActiveSalon is the UK’s leading software designed specifically for tanning salons. Along with POS tools, it features a secure client database, built-in safety policies, email marketing and more. It even integrates with T-max manager, allowing you to control your sunbeds remotely.

Being cloud-based, ActiveSalon is compatible with any device, from PCs to smartphones. View your upcoming bookings, check daily reports and more – anytime, anywhere.

Sign up for a no-obligation trial today and enjoy the UK’s top tanning salon POS software free for 3 months. We’ll set up the system for you and provide one-to-one training, with free remote support available whenever you need it. For more information, call us on 0161 507 1598 or email support@activesalon.com

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Ready to take your tanning salon to the next level? Call us at 0161 507 1598, contact us, or try our free trial by clicking the button below…

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