Friday the 13th Tattoo Deals Drive Ink Sales Surge
Square data shows tattoo shops sold 170% to 191% more tattoo-related items on the first two Friday the 13ths of 2026 than on an average Friday.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Couponing
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Would you get a discounted tattoo on a day like Friday the 13th?
Tattoo shops using Square's payment system saw tattoo item sales jump 170% to 191% on the first two Friday the 13ths of 2026 compared with a typical Friday. The discount tradition has grown as shops offer small ready-made designs at reduced prices.
Why it matters
For U.S. consumers, Friday the 13th offers a low-cost way to get a first or small tattoo, with flash designs starting at $13. The surge also shows how a niche promotion can drive significant spending across the country's tattoo market.
Square's transaction data shows tattoo item sales rose 170% to 191% over an average Friday in 2026, compared with about 77% to 86% in 2018. Typical tattoo items at participating shops cost around $140, while flash designs run roughly $13 to $70, and the data does not show how many customers bought discounted versus full-price work.
The players
Oliver Peck
Oliver Peck is a Dallas tattoo artist who helped popularize cheap Friday the 13th tattoos in the 1990s and earned a Guinness World Record in 2008.
Square
Square is a payment processing company whose transaction data tracked tattoo item sales at participating shops across the United States.
The details
Shops offer menus of small, ready-made designs called flash tattoos at discounted prices on Friday the 13th to attract new customers. The tradition was popularized in the 1990s by Dallas tattoo artist Oliver Peck, who offered cheap number-13 tattoos, and in 2008 he tattooed 415 people in 24 hours for a Guinness World Record.
Timeline
- 1990s: Oliver Peck helps popularize cheap Friday the 13th tattoos.
- 2008: Peck tattoos 415 people in 24 hours to earn a Guinness World Record.
- 2018: Friday the 13th tattoo item sales rise about 77% to 86%.
- First two Friday the 13ths of 2026: Tattoo item sales rise 170% to 191% above an average Friday.
- Friday, November 13, 2026: Shops prepare for another round of discounted ink.
Seasonal Patterns
The 2026 surge extends the Friday the 13th discount tradition that Dallas artist Oliver Peck helped popularize in the 1990s, when his cheap number-13 tattoos became a recurring promotion. Square's data now shows the effect across 15 Friday the 13ths since 2018, with sales rising from about 77% to 86% in 2018 to 170% to 191% in 2026.
Customers looking for a small or first tattoo can often get a flash design for as little as $13 on a Friday the 13th, though prices rise to about $70 for many designs. Shoppers should expect long lines and check shop policies, since some custom work may not be included in the discount.
The takeaway
Friday the 13th discounts can be a budget-friendly way to try tattooing, but planning ahead for popular shops and checking which designs are included in the deal helps avoid surprises.
What happens next
Friday, November 13, 2026 is the next Friday the 13th, when shops are expected to offer another round of discounted tattoos.
Further reading
For more on deal-hunting across categories, explore our Couponing coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by VICE.
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Would you get a discounted tattoo on a day like Friday the 13th?
