Massage is one of the few gifts that solves a real problem for the person receiving it. It is also easy to get slightly wrong. Here is the short version.
Choose an amount, not a service
It is tempting to pick the exact treatment you think they want. Resist it. Bodies vary and so do days, and the person receiving it will get more out of choosing on the day. A certificate for an amount lets them pick the service and the length, and put the value toward something longer if they feel like it.
How much is right
Enough to cover a full session comfortably is the mark most people aim for. Anything from a standard hour up to a longer signature session works, and if they choose something more expensive they simply pay the difference. A certificate that covers most of a session still lands well.
Delivered, or handed over
Two ways to do this. Have it emailed straight to them, with your note attached, which is ideal when you are not in the same place. Or have it sent to you so you can print it and put it in a card. Neither is better, they just suit different occasions.
The detail people forget
Timing. A certificate that arrives on the morning of a birthday lands very differently to one that arrives three days early because you were worried about the post. If you are buying ahead, particularly for the holidays, choose the delivery date rather than sending it the moment you buy it.
What they should know
That it comes to them. A lot of people receiving a massage gift assume they need to drive somewhere and book around a spa's schedule. Being told the table, linens and oils arrive at their door, anywhere in metro Atlanta, is usually the part that makes them actually use it.
Give a Tranquilux gift certificate, valid five years, delivered however suits you.