# Massage therapist etiquette question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180 "2017-01-15T01:04:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/1 "2017-01-15T01:04:28Z")
I won a free half-hour massage at a community event, and am scheduled to use this on Monday. 🆒 Do I need to tip the masseuse? Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/2 "2017-01-15T01:08:35Z")
I tip. In general, I’m not the guy looking for any and every excuse to tip. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/3 "2017-01-15T01:21:31Z")
I was leaning towards doing so; this massage is worth about $30. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/4 "2017-01-15T01:39:33Z")
Yes tip massage therapists, and especially tip them when you’re getting a service that was a gift or a prize. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/5 "2017-01-15T01:50:05Z")
Right, always tip based on whatever the actual cost of the service is; not based on what if anything you owe after using a gift certificate. Personally I go with 20%, the same as in restaurants or hair salons. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/6 "2017-01-15T02:08:11Z")
20% seems right, though $30 for a half hour is a pretty good price. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/7 "2017-01-15T02:13:47Z")
adding to the chorus: yes, tip and base it on the retail price. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/8 "2017-01-15T02:23:39Z")
$30 bucks is pretty good. I tip (disclaimer: Ms. P is a massage therapist). Personally, I’d probably tip $10. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/9 "2017-01-15T02:37:59Z")
I tip 10% at a place that explicitly doesn’t require tipping. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/10 "2017-01-15T04:43:04Z")
IDK what their usual charge is; they do not have a website and the Facebook page doesn’t list their fees. When I scheduled, the man I spoke to asked if I wanted to upgrade to an hour’s massage for $30 more. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/11 "2017-01-15T06:57:21Z")
Go for the upgrade. Thirty minutes doesn’t work for a full body massage. Tell the person how you want the massage. Deep or soft. And what areas to concentrate on. Reward accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/12 "2017-01-15T10:53:02Z")
Yeah, tip 20%, same as downtown or anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Soulcatcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Soulcatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soulcatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/13 "2017-01-16T01:52:46Z")
Only tip if there is a happy ending. Obviously you wouldn’t want to tip if you weren’t happy with the service… Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/14 "2017-01-16T02:28:18Z")
So… 5$? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/15 "2017-01-16T23:09:17Z")
Got in my car and drove across town to the office, only to see a note taped to the door that said “Closed due to family emergency. Call (a phone number not in our area code) to reschedule.” Must have been a pretty serious emergency if she didn’t call her clients beforehand. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massage-therapist-etiquette-question/777180/16 "2017-01-16T23:39:04Z")
Here’s your chance! Tip $1 to demonstrate your displeasure! (That’s what it’s there for!) \*Actually, I don’t mean that. Not for this.