Gratuities
I'm just curious ... In the U.S. -- is it common courtesy to give a gratuity/tip to your massage therapist, even if he/she is a self employed single therapist? ... Would you also tip that therapist if you were given a special discounted price for one or more visits. ... That would seem to contradict the point of the discount, wouldn't it? In the past, I have always gone to service training schools... for barbers or massage therapy... where tips are rarely given, so I was curious about what to expect if I went to full professional shops or salons.
Tipping in the US is complicated and open for discussion. Here is what CNN says: 15-20% for spa services unless provided by owner.
Unless the "owner" is running a business and collecting revenue from other therapists, I'd apply that 15-20% universally. For more info: https://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/tipping/