For: Tanning salons
SunLync review 2026: pricing, setup and the catches
Disclosure: Our #1 pick is MeetScarlet, and we are affiliated with them. We also cover competing tools and where they shine. We may earn commissions from links on this page. Details
The short answer: SunLync is tanning salon software backed by JK America, with bed and timer control, lamp tracking and deep EFT membership billing, from one salon to many. The catches: it’s installed Windows software on a database you host or pay to host, online booking needs an extra licence and network setup, and its only published price is “Starting at $150 for a single location”, with no terms. Our #1 pick, MeetScarlet, includes a branded app, and its terms say “Scarlet is live”, but it doesn’t control beds, and its appointments help says “no live card payment has been run yet”. Checked November 5, 2026.
Key takeaways
- SunLync is tanning salon software backed by JK America, the tanning equipment maker, with bed and timer control, lamp maintenance tracking and deep EFT membership billing.
- It's installed Windows software. It needs Windows 11 and a MySQL database you host yourself or pay a third party to host, and it won't run on a Mac, Chromebook or iPad.
- The only price on its site is "Starting at $150 for a single location", with no billing period, no plan names and nothing on what's included (checked November 5, 2026).
- Online booking needs a separate API licence, your SunLync API reachable from outside your salon's network, and a static IP or dynamic DNS. The licence price isn't published.
- No terms of service, contract length or cancellation rules are published, and SunLync doesn't sell card readers or set up merchant accounts.
- Third-party evidence is thin: we found 2 reviews on G2 and 3 ratings for its owner app, which was last updated in 2018 (checked November 5, 2026).
What SunLync is (and isn’t)
SunLync’s homepage says “World-Class Software, built for tanning salons, evolved for spa, wellness, and fitness”, and that it’s “proudly backed by JK America — a global leader in tanning and wellness equipment”. Its about page says it’s “trusted by single location owners and nationwide chains alike”, with “almost three decades of experience” (a vendor claim). The current version is SunLync Pro, version 10. So it’s relevant to our tanning salon readers.
It’s installed software, not a website you log into. Its help centre says “SunLync requires a Windows operating system to install and run the software”, and “Sunlync is not compatible with Chromebooks or Macbooks”. It runs on a MySQL database on a server.
Its homepage names spa, wellness and fitness too, and its support page mentions “Support for spa service models”. Beyond tanning, the tools we found are mainly for wellness equipment, such as non-UV units, and we found no class timetable for fitness studios. So we list it for tanning salons only.
What it isn’t: software for barbershops, hair or nail salons, massage or padel clubs. None are named on its pages.
How we reviewed SunLync
- We read SunLync’s homepage, features, support and about pages on November 5, 2026. Its /pricing/ page returns a “not found” error.
- We read JK America’s homepage, which links to SunLync under “Products”.
- We read SunLync’s public help centre on system requirements, hosting, networks, setup, online booking, payments, card readers, bed timers, memberships and the Offline Utility.
- We looked for terms of service, a licence agreement and a cancellation policy, and found none published.
- We looked up third-party ratings on G2, the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot, labelled as other people’s opinions. Capterra and SourceForge blocked our requests.
- We haven’t used SunLync hands-on and didn’t book a demo, so we couldn’t count booking steps or time a setup. This review is documentation-based.
Our method explains how we put pages together.
SunLync pricing (checked November 5, 2026)
SunLync has no pricing page and no plan list. The only price on its site is one homepage line: “Starting at $150 for a single location, we have a scalable pricing model that evolves as your business grows.”
| Item | What SunLync publishes |
|---|---|
| Entry price | “Starting at $150 for a single location”; no billing period, plan name or list of what’s included |
| Support tiers | Named in the help centre (Gold, Platinum, Diamond); no prices |
| Online booking licence | “CustomerLync API licensing is required”; no price |
| Setup and training | A six-phase project with training sessions; no cost or length given |
| Database hosting | Not offered by SunLync; a third-party host is recommended, with no price |
| Owner app (SunLync Mobile Manager) | $24.99 on the US App Store; needs a “paid subscription of SunLync API” |
| Upgrades and other plans | “please email: sales@sunlync.com” |
| Card processing | Set by your own merchant account (see below) |
| For comparison: MeetScarlet (our #1 pick) | $349/month plus $999 one-time setup, or $3,490 a year with setup free, for one location with 5 staff logins and a branded iPhone, Android and web app. Scarlet Pro (20 logins and, per its terms, up to 3 locations) is $499/month plus $999 setup, or $4,990 a year |
Sources: SunLync’s homepage, support page, online booking article, implementation article, hosting article and the App Store listing, checked November 5, 2026.
With one unexplained figure, we can’t work out a cost for any team size. Ask for a written quote that covers the software, support, the online-booking licence, setup, hosting and how often you pay. Compare what other booking apps cost.
Hardware and payments you arrange yourself:
| Item | What SunLync’s help centre says |
|---|---|
| Computers | Windows 11 PCs; it “cannot be installed directly on an iPad” |
| Database | A MySQL server you run, or a third-party host; “SunLync does not provide database hosting services” |
| Network | A static public IP is recommended at the server and “at all salon locations whenever possible” |
| Card processing | Your own merchant account with SlimCD or Cayan / Global Payments; “SunLync does not set up merchant accounts” |
| Saving cards | “SlimCD transaction fee applies” (amount not given), and “A Visa Misuse Fee of $0.10 may apply in some cases” |
| Card readers, signature pads, fingerprint readers | Not sold by SunLync; card readers come from SlimCD’s list and signature pads from ePadLink |
| Bed timers | T-Max hardware questions go to Applied Digital, not SunLync |
| For comparison: MeetScarlet (our #1 pick) | Card payments in its app are Stripe’s fees plus 1%, through your own Stripe account, and turn on once Stripe finishes checking that account. Its appointments help still says “no live card payment has been run yet”, so check with MeetScarlet before counting on card sales in the app (checked November 5, 2026). We found no card reader or in-person card rate on its pages |
Sources: SunLync’s help articles on system requirements, iPads, static IPs, processors, processor setup, tokenization fees, card readers, signature pads, fingerprint readers and T-Max, checked November 5, 2026.
Contracts, cancelling and your data
We found no terms of service, licence agreement or cancellation policy on sunlync.com. Its /terms/ and /terms-of-service/ pages return “not found” errors. Contracts do exist: the support form asks for a “Sunlync Contract Number”. So contract length, renewal, notice, refunds and price changes aren’t public.
On data, its homepage says “you maintain full ownership of your data”, and its features page lists “Financial Exports” for accounting and payroll. The database runs on your own server or a host you choose, but how you’d get a full customer and membership export out to another system isn’t documented on the pages we read.
The help centre also says “SunLync Support is not responsible for configuring or troubleshooting a client’s … Local network setup”. Budget for your own IT help.
Beds, memberships and reports
SunLync’s features page lists “Equipment Control / Timer Integration”, “Equipment & Lamp Maintenance” and “Regulations for UV & Non-UV / Wellness Equipment”. Its help centre covers spray-tan pricing and lets you keep chosen beds out of online booking. An “Offline Utility” keeps the salon “moving, even without internet” by running on each front-desk computer and syncing later.
Memberships are its strongest area. Its help centre documents EFT draw, submit, cancel and freeze days with member notice periods, prorated dues after a freeze, shared memberships and packages, rejection fees, a SlimCD or GPI account updater, and SEPA and IBAN for Europe. Gift certificates show up in sales reports, and tips are covered too.
Reports cover revenue by service, product or location, membership metrics and staff performance, with permissions set by security templates. Several locations can share “one centralized database”, and its homepage says “Whether you operate a single location or 500”. Inventory tracks reorder points, and lamp hours are tracked too.
Marketing tools include loyalty programs, referral rewards, “Friends Tan Free” and promotions. Email and text campaigns run through outside services such as “Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Twilio, Slick Text”, whose costs SunLync doesn’t state.
Online booking and clients
Online booking runs through AppointmentLync, which can book equipment sessions or services with a set employee. Its setup article covers minimum notice, how far ahead clients can book, confirmation and cancellation emails, and a reminder “Sent 24 hours before scheduled appointment”. The page takes your logo and a theme, and can show a member’s EFT balance.
It needs three things: “CustomerLync API licensing”, the SunLync API reachable from outside your network, and “A static local and external IP or dynamic DNS”. We found no waitlist or recurring appointments.
We found no ready-made SunLync client app. Its features page says clients can book and manage memberships “through a web portal or mobile app powered by Sunlync’s open Webservices API”, meaning “custom-built portals or apps”. The only SunLync app we found, SunLync Mobile Manager, is for owners and staff.
Switching to SunLync
Setup is a staged project: a kick-off call, hardware checks and installation, “Training Sessions 1-6”, “If Applicable, Conversions, Split & Merges”, then a preliminary and a final go-live (implementation article). Its cost and length aren’t stated, and we found no import guide for named competitor systems. Training sessions can be booked from the support page.
What SunLync does well
- Built for tanning: bed and timer control, lamp maintenance, UV and non-UV equipment rules, spray-tan pricing and per-bed control over online booking.
- Deep EFT membership tools: draw, freeze and cancel days, prorated dues, shared memberships, rejection fees and an account updater.
- Many locations on one database: “Whether you operate a single location or 500”, per its homepage.
- Works through internet outages with the Offline Utility.
- Phone support, at 866-SUNLYNC (866-786-5962), plus email, a support form and bookable sessions (support page).
- Backed by an equipment maker, with a help centre being updated as recently as November 2026.
Where SunLync falls short
- Windows only, with a server to run. It needs Windows 11 and a MySQL database you host or pay to host (hosting article).
- Almost no published prices or terms. One “Starting at $150” line, and no terms of service (homepage).
- Online booking is an extra, with an unpriced licence, outside access to your server and a static IP or dynamic DNS.
- No ready-made client app, and the owner app costs $24.99 and was last updated in 2018.
- You source the hardware and payments, from card readers to your merchant account.
- Support hours are stated three ways. The support page gives weekday hours to 9 PM EST, plus weekend hours, for “Full Suite or Platinum Support”. It gives “8:00 am to 6:00 pm EST” for Gold, and “Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM CST” for phone support. Its about page says “8am–5pm CST”. We found no status page.
- Parts of the site look unfinished. Two feature descriptions sit under the wrong headings, and its support page lists a “FAQ & Knowledge Base (Coming Soon)” while a working help centre exists.
SunLync reviews and complaints
Third-party opinion, not our own research: on November 5, 2026, “SunLync Select” on G2 averaged 3.8 out of 5 from 2 reviews, on an unclaimed profile; “Select” may be an older product name. SunLync Mobile Manager, its owner app, averaged 2.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings on the US App Store. We found no SunLync app on Google Play and no Trustpilot page. Capterra and SourceForge blocked our requests. We left out a Google review shown on JK America’s homepage because a SunLync staff member wrote it. The evidence is thin: we found very few third-party reviews of SunLync on the sites we could read. For comparison, we found no third-party ratings for our #1 pick, MeetScarlet (checked November 5, 2026).
SunLync or our pick, MeetScarlet?
| SunLync | MeetScarlet | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | “Starting at $150 for a single location”; billing period and inclusions not stated | $349/month plus $999 setup, or $3,490/year with setup free, for one location. Its terms page offers founding studios on monthly billing $299 a month “instead of $349 for the first 24 months of its subscription”, with the $999 setup fee included; it plans 10 places (checked November 5, 2026) |
| Staff | Not published | 5 staff logins, counting the owner; 20 on Scarlet Pro ($499/month plus $999 setup, or $4,990/year with setup free) |
| How it runs | Installed on Windows 11 PCs, with a MySQL database you host or pay to host | iPhone, Android and web apps; its team sets it up |
| Beds | Bed and timer control, lamp maintenance tracking and UV rules | Its tanning page lists booking “a bed or a booth by the slot”, with “Bed levels tied to memberships”; its comparison page says “Scarlet does not control beds” |
| Memberships and packages | Deep EFT billing with freezes, notice periods, rejection fees and an account updater | Its tanning page lists “Unlimited tanning plans, minute packs and gift cards”, sold by card through Stripe (see card payments) |
| Retail | Inventory with reorder points | Its comparison page says “No retail products or stock tracking” |
| App under your own name | None published; client portals or apps are custom-built on its API (“Custom Branding” is listed with no description) | Included: iPhone, Android and web, published under your own Apple ($99 a year) and Google Play ($25 once) developer accounts |
| Online booking | AppointmentLync, with an unpriced licence and network setup | Clients book beds in its app, per its tanning page |
| Reminders | Email confirmations and a 24-hour reminder from AppointmentLync; its features page lists “Text & Email Notifications”, with texting through outside services such as Twilio or Slick Text | Text reminders (coming soon) on Scarlet Pro only. Its Jane comparison page says email reminders are “built but not sending yet”, and its appointments help says “Email sending isn’t switched on yet” (checked November 5, 2026) |
| Card payments | Your own merchant account with SlimCD or Cayan / Global Payments | Stripe’s fees plus 1% to MeetScarlet, through your own Stripe account; card payments turn on once Stripe has checked that account, but its appointments help still says “no live card payment has been run yet”, so check with MeetScarlet before counting on card sales in the app. We found no card reader or in-person card rate on its pages |
| Switching | A staged setup with optional “Conversions, Split & Merges”; no named importers | “Scarlet imports clients, not booking or payment history”, with “no direct importer” for other apps |
| Locations | Many locations on one database | Scarlet is “For one location”; its terms say Scarlet Pro “includes up to 3 locations”. Its class page says “Each Scarlet studio has one schedule” |
| Support | Phone, email and bookable sessions; hours differ by tier and page | Email (“A person reads every message”) and Instagram, with “Priority support” on Scarlet Pro. Its terms say “We aim to reply within one business day” and “there are no service credits”; we found no published hours or status page |
| Availability and terms | Now, with a demo; no terms of service published | Its terms page says “Scarlet is live, and founding studios can join now” and “There is no free trial.” Cancelling “takes effect at the end of the period you’ve paid for”, and “We don’t refund part-used months”. Store apps take “about 4 to 6 weeks”, mostly for Apple’s enrollment; the web app is live sooner |
| Third-party reviews | 2 reviews on G2 and 3 owner-app ratings (see above) | No third-party ratings found (checked November 5, 2026) |
Sources: MeetScarlet’s pricing and FAQ, tanning page, its own Tan-Link comparison, terms, payments help, appointments help, white-label page, switching page, Jane comparison and support help, checked November 5, 2026.
Choose MeetScarlet, our pick, if you want an app under your own salon’s name, with the bed booking and minute packs its tanning page lists, and no server or Windows PCs to look after. Its store apps take about 4 to 6 weeks. It suits you if you can manage without email reminders, which are “built but not sending yet”, while text reminders on Scarlet Pro are “coming soon”. Choose SunLync if you need bed and timer control, lamp tracking, retail stock, deep EFT billing, several locations on one database, or card payments working today (MeetScarlet’s appointments help says “no live card payment has been run yet”).
Who should pick SunLync, and who shouldn’t
| If you are… | SunLync? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A tanning salon that wants beds and timers run from the front desk | Worth a demo | Equipment control, timer integration and lamp maintenance are built in |
| A salon with many EFT members | Worth a demo | Draw, freeze and cancel days, notice periods, rejection fees and an account updater |
| A chain with several locations | Worth a look | One database for many sites |
| A salon on Macs or iPads only | Look elsewhere | It runs on Windows only |
| Wanting a price list and terms before a sales call | Look elsewhere | One unexplained price and no terms; see our Tan-Link review, which publishes its plans |
| Wanting online booking and a client app ready to switch on | Look elsewhere | Online booking needs a licence and network setup, and we found no ready-made SunLync client app |
| A spa | Ask first | Its homepage names spa and its support page lists “Support for spa service models”, but the tools we found are mainly for tanning and wellness equipment; see our spa picks |
| A barbershop, hair or nail salon, massage practice or padel club | Look elsewhere | None are named on its pages; see our best booking software shortlist |
| Wanting an app under your own name on iPhone, Android and web | See our pick, MeetScarlet | MeetScarlet includes a branded app for $349 a month plus $999 setup, or $3,490 a year, but it doesn’t control beds. Its store apps take “about 4 to 6 weeks” (the web app is live sooner), and its appointments help says “no live card payment has been run yet” |
The verdict
SunLync suits established tanning salons, single sites or chains, that want bed and timer control, lamp tracking and deep EFT membership billing, and are happy to run Windows PCs and a database server. The catches are a price you can’t read before a sales call, no published terms, extra licensing and network setup for online booking, and no client app. Get a written quote and contract before you commit. Comparing tanning software? See our Tan-Link review or our tanning salons guide. If SunLync works for you, see SunLync. It offered a demo, with no free trial found, when we checked on November 5, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does SunLync cost?
- Its homepage says "Starting at $150 for a single location", without saying whether that's per month, per year or one-off, or what it includes (checked November 5, 2026). Support tiers, the online-booking licence, setup and hosting have no published prices, so ask for a written quote.
- Does SunLync run on a Mac or iPad?
- No. Its help centre says it "requires a Windows operating system" and "is not compatible with Chromebooks or Macbooks", and it "cannot be installed directly on an iPad".
- Is SunLync cloud software?
- Not in the usual sense. Its site says "Host it locally or in the cloud", but its help centre says "SunLync does not provide database hosting services" and recommends a third-party host, so you run the database yourself or pay someone else to.
- Can SunLync control tanning beds?
- Yes, its features page lists equipment control and timer integration, plus lamp maintenance tracking. Its help centre says T-Max hardware questions go to Applied Digital, not to SunLync.
- Does SunLync have online booking?
- Yes, through AppointmentLync, which needs "CustomerLync API licensing" and your SunLync server reachable from outside your network. We found no price for the licence.
- Does SunLync have a client app?
- We found no ready-made one. Its features page says clients can use "custom-built portals or apps" through its API, and the only SunLync app we found is an owner app, SunLync Mobile Manager, at $24.99 and last updated in 2018.
- Can you cancel SunLync?
- Its site doesn't say. We found no terms of service, contract length or cancellation policy, though its support form asks for a "Sunlync Contract Number", so get the terms in writing before you sign.
Sources
- SunLync homepage (the "Starting at $150" line), checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync features, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync support (phone, hours and tiers), checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync about page, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync pricing page (returns 404), checked November 5, 2026
- JK America homepage (links to SunLync), checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: system requirements (updated March 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: can SunLync run on an iPad? (updated September 30, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: database hosting, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: static IP addresses, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: network responsibilities, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: implementation workflow (updated March 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: AppointmentLync online booking setup (updated March 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: upgrading your account, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: compatible payment processors, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: payment processor setup, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: card tokenization fees, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: card readers, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: T-Max managers and Applied Digital, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: EFT draw days, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: account updater, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: Offline Utility, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: ePad signature pads, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: fingerprint readers, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: restricting appointments to specific equipment, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: spray tan equipment pricing, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: Spray Tan Upgrade Fee, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: prorated charges when unfreezing a membership, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: shared memberships, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: rejection fees, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: SunLync 10.0.0 PRO release notes, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: sales analysis report, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync help: tip setup, checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync Mobile Manager on the US App Store (third-party ratings), checked November 5, 2026
- SunLync Select on G2 (third-party reviews), checked November 5, 2026
- Trustpilot: sunlync.com (no page found), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet pricing and FAQ, checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet for tanning salons (updated November 1, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet's own Scarlet vs Tan-Link page (updated November 1, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet terms of service (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet payments help (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet help: appointments, deposits and no-show fees (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet white-label booking app page (updated November 1, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet switching page, checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet vs Jane comparison (by the Scarlet team, updated November 1, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet help: if something looks wrong (support), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet memberships guide (updated November 3, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet help: invite your team (logins count the owner), checked November 5, 2026
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