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Class packs vs memberships: how to price a pilates studio
A practical comparison of every common pricing model, with the expiry, cancellation and freeze rules that make each one work, and a method to set prices from your own numbers.
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Key takeaways
- Class packs suit studios with irregular attendance and bring cash upfront; memberships suit regulars and make revenue predictable. Most pilates studios run both, with packs as the entry point and memberships as the goal.
- Set pack expiry from expected usage: a window that fits the attendance a client would need to finish the pack, plus a buffer. Expiry that is too short drives complaints; too long leaves credits outstanding for months.
- Late-cancel rules work differently by model. A pack credit can be forfeited, while unlimited memberships need a fee or a booking restriction because there is no credit to lose.
- Price from cost per class hour and target occupancy, then ladder the models so the per-class price falls as commitment rises: drop-in highest, packs lower, memberships lowest at expected use.
- Move frequent pack buyers to memberships by showing them their own per-class cost and offering the switch when a pack is about to run out.
Class packs vs memberships: which is better for a pilates studio?
Choosing between class packs vs memberships for pilates studios depends on how often your clients come. Class packs, such as 5, 10 or 20 classes with an expiry window, suit clients who attend irregularly and bring cash in upfront. Memberships, billed monthly, suit clients who come every week and give you predictable recurring revenue. Most studios offer both: packs lower the barrier for new clients, and memberships keep regulars.
Reformer studios feel this decision more than most. Capacity is fixed by the number of machines, so the pricing model decides how evenly those spots fill across the week and how much revenue you can count on before the month starts. The right mix is the one that matches your clients’ real attendance pattern, which you can read from your booking history after the first few months.
What pricing models can a pilates studio offer?
A pilates price list is usually built from a small set of models. Each one answers a different client question, from “can I try one class?” to “what does it cost to come three times a week?”.
- Drop-in: one class, paid at booking, at your highest per-class price.
- Class packs: 5, 10 or 20 classes with an expiry window, cheaper per class as the pack grows.
- Capped membership: a monthly plan with a set number of classes, such as 8 or 12.
- Unlimited membership: a monthly plan with no class limit, usually with a daily booking cap.
- Intro offer: a first-time-only class or small pack that gets a new client through the door.
- Private and duet sessions: sold singly or in packs, priced per instructor hour.
- Family or shared packs: one balance used by a parent and child or two sisters, under rules you set.
Freezes sit on top of these models. A freeze pauses a membership or pack for travel, illness or a long holiday, and moves its end date by the frozen period. Set a maximum number of freezes and days per year, and decide whether a freeze needs a reason or a fee.
Intro offers need rules of their own. Limit them to clients who have never bought before, give them a short expiry such as two or three weeks so the first visits happen close together, and cap them at one per person. The offer only pays off if the next step is clear, so plan the follow-up message and the pack or membership you will propose after the last intro class.
How do class packs and memberships compare on cash flow and retention?
| Model | Cash flow | Retention | Admin load | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drop-in | Per class, unpredictable | Low, no commitment | Low | Visitors and occasional clients |
| Class pack | Upfront, in lumps | Medium, ends when the pack runs out | Medium: balances, expiry, extensions | Irregular schedules, new clients |
| Capped membership | Monthly, predictable | High, renews by default | Medium: monthly limits, rollovers | Clients who come one to three times a week |
| Unlimited membership | Monthly, predictable | Highest among regulars | Higher: booking caps, no-show control | Very frequent clients, larger rooms |
| Intro offer | Small, one time | Depends on the follow-up | Low with eligibility rules | Converting first-time visitors |
| Private or duet pack | Upfront, high per hour | High, tied to one instructor | Medium: instructor calendars | Beginners, rehab and goal-led clients |
Packs give you cash early, but it arrives unevenly and depends on clients choosing to rebuy. Memberships give you a base you can plan staffing around. An unlimited plan can crowd peak classes with your most frequent members, so studios with small reformer rooms often prefer capped plans and keep unlimited for larger rooms or off-peak access.
Unused credits are a liability
Under IFRS 15, revenue is recognised as the service is delivered, so money from a sold pack generally sits as an obligation until the classes are attended or the credits expire. Ask your accountant how to treat expired credits, and make sure your system reports outstanding balances.
How should expiry and late-cancel rules work with class packs?
Set each expiry window from the attendance you expect. A client who buys a 10-class pack and comes twice a week needs five weeks to use it, so a window of around two months gives room for a missed week. Larger packs need proportionally longer windows. Print the expiry date on the receipt and show it in the client’s app, and send a reminder before credits expire.
Late cancellations hit reformer studios hard, because a spot cancelled an hour before class rarely resells. For packs, the usual rule is that a cancellation inside the window forfeits the credit. For capped memberships, the late-cancelled class counts against the monthly limit. Unlimited members have no credit to lose, so studios charge a late-cancel fee or pause booking privileges after repeated no-shows.
- Publish one cancellation window for all group classes and a longer one for private sessions.
- Run a waitlist so a cancelled spot is offered to the next client automatically.
- Allow freezes for travel and illness with a yearly limit, so clients do not lose credits they could not use.
- Decide in advance how you handle schedule changes in Ramadan and the summer, such as extending expiry for every active pack.
How to price pilates classes from your own numbers
Competitor price lists show what clients are used to paying. They say nothing about your margins. Build prices from the bottom up, using your own costs and capacity. The method below works for any city and any currency.
- Add up monthly fixed costs: rent, utilities, reception staff, software, insurance and equipment servicing.
- Divide them by the class hours you will run that month to get the fixed cost per class hour.
- Add the instructor’s pay for one class and payment processing fees.
- Divide by the spots you expect to fill at a realistic occupancy, not a full room.
- Add your target margin to get the break-even price per attended class, then set the drop-in above it.
From there, ladder the menu. Each larger pack lowers the per-class price a step, and a membership should cost less per class than the pack a regular would otherwise buy, at the attendance you expect from members. Check the ladder against your capacity: if every member used their full allowance at peak times, would the room overflow? Private sessions are priced per instructor hour, since one client uses the room and the instructor’s full attention.
How to price private sessions, duets and family packs
A duet splits one instructor hour between two clients, so each pays less than a private session while your revenue for that hour stays above a group class spot. Sell private and duet sessions in packs of 5 or 10 to secure commitment, and tie each pack to the instructor’s calendar so clients book real availability.
Family and shared packs bring in households and friends who train together. Write the rules down: who can draw on the balance, whether both people can book the same class, and what happens to the balance if one person stops coming. Keep each person’s attendance on their own record so waivers, health notes and history stay accurate.
Match instructor pay to the model
A flat rate per group class keeps costs predictable, while a base rate plus a per-client amount rewards instructors who fill their classes. For private and duet sessions, a share of the session price is common. Whichever you choose, log who taught each session so payroll is calculated from a shared record.
How to move pack buyers to memberships
Your best membership prospects are clients who already buy packs back to back. They have shown the habit; the membership simply prices it better. Look in your booking history for clients who bought two or more packs in a row and attend at least weekly, and approach them first.
- Show each client their own cost per class on packs next to the membership price at their attendance.
- Time the offer for when a pack is nearly used up, through a WhatsApp message with a payment link.
- Let clients finish the credits they hold, or move the remaining value into their wallet toward the first month.
- Offer a founding or loyalty rate for a fixed period with clear terms, and say when it ends.
- Keep packs on the menu, so clients who travel often still have a way to stay.
Review the mix every quarter. Track how many intro clients buy a pack, how many pack buyers rebuy, how many move to a membership and how many members cancel or freeze. If packs expire unused often, the windows may be too short or the schedule may not fit your clients, and both are easier to fix than a price.
How AskFlow handles this
AskFlow lets a studio sell class packs with a set number of sessions and a validity window, packs limited to first-time clients, private sessions on instructor calendars, and memberships with member-only pricing. Attendance draws down balances automatically, clients see what they have left in your branded app, freezes extend validity by the frozen period within the limits you set, and full classes take a waitlist that offers freed spots onward.
Cancellation windows, no-show rules and credit validity are configurable per venue, and each refund can go back to the original payment method or become venue credit. Renewal and expiry reminders go out on WhatsApp with a payment link, and AskFlow does not charge saved cards automatically. Every paid pack and membership gets an e-invoice through your accounting system.
Common questions
Should a new pilates studio start with class packs or memberships?
Most new studios start with an intro offer, drop-ins and two or three class packs, because new clients want to try before they commit. Add a capped monthly membership once you can see which clients attend every week. Founding memberships at launch can work too, if the terms say clearly how long the launch rate lasts.
How long should a pilates class pack be valid?
Base the window on how long the pack takes to use at normal attendance, then add a buffer. A 10-class pack used twice a week takes five weeks, so about two months is reasonable. Larger packs need longer windows. Show the expiry date at purchase, remind clients before credits expire, and allow freezes for travel or illness.
Are unlimited memberships a good idea for reformer studios?
They can be, with limits. Reformer capacity is fixed by the number of machines, so unlimited members can crowd peak classes. Studios that offer unlimited plans usually add a daily booking cap, a late-cancel fee and no-show rules. Many small reformer studios prefer capped plans, such as 8 or 12 classes a month, which keep peak hours open.
How do I price pilates classes without copying competitors?
Add up monthly fixed costs and divide by the class hours you run to get a fixed cost per class hour. Add instructor pay and payment fees for one class, divide by the spots you expect to fill at realistic occupancy, then add your margin. That gives a floor per attended class. Set drop-ins above it and step packs and memberships down from there.
What happens to a pack credit when a client cancels late?
Most studios treat a cancellation inside the published window as a used class, so the credit is forfeited. Cancellations made earlier return the credit to the balance. Publish the window clearly, apply it the same way for everyone, and run a waitlist so a late-cancelled spot can still be filled by the next client in line.
Should pilates memberships allow freezes?
Yes, within limits. A freeze pauses a membership or pack during travel or illness and pushes the end date out by the frozen period, which keeps clients from cancelling outright. Set a maximum number of freezes and days per year, decide whether a reason or fee is required, and publish the policy with your price list.
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