Do You Earn Rewards at Salons and Spas?
How personal-care services code
A salon, spa, or barbershop rings up under a beauty-and-barber or health-spa merchant category code, which is not one of the standard bonus buckets like dining, groceries, or travel. That means nearly every card earns only its base rate on these services. See how the categories are defined in what is a bonus category.
The best card for salon spending
Since there is no salon bonus to capture, the card that earns the most is a solid flat-rate card that pays the same rate on every purchase. Our best cash back cards guide covers those all-purpose earners, which quietly beat a category card on spending like this.
Tips, products, and gift cards
A tip charged to the card earns at the same rate as the service, since it posts under the same merchant. Retail products sold at the salon usually code the same way too. Buying a salon gift card can occasionally shift the category, and gift cards carry their own considerations, which we cover in buying gift cards for rewards.
Frequently asked questions
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