Elements was my first experience of a massage therapist charging for services in advance of the appointment and as a condition of scheduling. I was told that Elements would not schedule an appointment without a credit card on file, and that it would be charged if I failed to appear. This is an uncommon practice even among doctors and lawyers. Conversely, (as indicated in other reviews) there is no guarantee that the massage will begin on time or be satisfactory. The policy strikes me as a typical "big business" template that is likely as hard on the therapists staffing the facility as it is on customers. I'll opt to use local "non-corporate" massage talent rather than the pecuniary franchise or corporate model offered by Elements.