Class packs vs memberships: how to price a small pilates or yoga studio

Short answer: most small studios do best with three price points that lead into each other: a drop-in rate that is deliberately the most expensive per class, class packs for people who come irregularly, and a monthly membership with the lowest price per class for people who come every week. Packs bring in cash upfront; memberships make monthly income predictable. The trick is pricing them so that moving from one to the next feels like the obvious step.

What each option does for your studio

Before setting numbers, be clear about the job each option does.

Drop-in. A single class, paid at booking. It exists for visitors and people trying you out. Price it highest per class, so anyone who comes more than once has a reason to buy something bigger.

Class pack. A set number of classes paid upfront and used within a set period. Packs suit members with unpredictable weeks: shift workers, parents, people who travel. You get the money upfront, and the pack counts down with every class.

Membership. A monthly payment that renews automatically, either for unlimited classes or a fixed number per month. Memberships suit people who have built a habit. They give you a base of income you can plan around, which matters when rent is due on the first whether classes are full or not.

Start with your cost per class

Price from your own numbers first. What the studio across town charges is a useful check afterward.

Add up a month of fixed costs: rent, instructor pay, insurance, software, equipment, utilities. Divide by the number of classes you run a month. That is your cost per class. Then divide again by a realistic number of people per class (not the maximum) to get your cost per attendee.

Example: a small reformer studio with 8 machines runs 60 classes a month. Monthly costs are $9,000, so each class costs $150 to run. If classes average 6 people, the cost per attendee is $25.

Every price you set needs to stay above that $25 per class attended, including your most frequent member on the cheapest option.

Build a price ladder

With the cost per attendee known, set the ladder. Here is the example studio again. Your numbers will differ.

Look at what the ladder does. Each step down costs more in total but less per class. A member who comes weekly on packs sees that the 4-a-month membership saves them money, so the natural move is to sign up.

Where private sessions and workshops fit

Many pilates and yoga studios also sell privates, duets and the occasional workshop. Keep those outside the ladder.

• Private sessions are priced from the instructor's time, not the group rate. A private reformer session takes an hour of an instructor and a whole room, so it should cost several times a group class.
• Workshops and series (a six-week beginner series, a weekend retreat) are sold as their own product, paid upfront. Letting members pay for them with pack credits sounds generous but quietly lowers what you earn per hour.
• Packs of privates work like class packs: a small saving for paying upfront, with a clear expiration date.

Keeping them separate also keeps your ladder readable. Someone looking at your price list should see in a few seconds which option suits a person who comes once a week.

Unlimited or a fixed number of classes?

Unlimited memberships are popular with members and risky for small studios.

In a big gym, a few people who come every day don't affect anyone. In an 8-machine reformer studio, three members on unlimited who book every popular evening slot can leave newer members on the waitlist week after week.

If you want an unlimited option, price it so your most frequent realistic member still pays above your cost per attendee. In the example, a member coming 12 times a month needs to pay at least $300 for the studio to break even on them. Many small studios skip unlimited entirely and offer 4 and 8 classes a month instead.

Expiration dates and fair terms

Expiration keeps packs moving, but it can also feel like a trick if it is hidden or very short.

• Show the expiration date before purchase and in the member's account.
• Send a reminder when a pack is close to running out or expiring.
• Consider letting members extend a pack once, for illness or injury. It costs you little and earns a lot of goodwill.

Some states treat prepaid products like gift cards and limit how they can expire, so check your state's rules before you set expiration dates.

For memberships, make the terms just as clear: how often it renews, the notice period and how to cancel. Many states, including California and New York, have automatic renewal laws that require clear terms, the member's consent and an easy way to cancel. A local attorney can review your membership terms for the state you operate in.

Intro offers: getting new people through the door

A first-timer rarely buys a membership on day one. A short intro offer bridges the gap:

• Three classes in two weeks for a set price, or a reduced first class.
• First-timers only, one per person.
• A clear next step. By the last class of the intro offer, the member should know which pack or membership fits them.

The intro offer is not where you make money. It is where you find the people who will come for years.

Reviewing your prices after three months

Once the ladder is live, give it a full quarter and then look at a few numbers:

• How many members are on each option. If almost everyone is on drop-ins, the step to a pack is too big. If nobody buys the 10-class pack, it may be priced too close to the membership.
• Average attendance per class. If it is well above the number you used, your cost per attendee is lower than planned and you have room for a better intro offer. If it is lower, the margin on your cheapest option may be gone.
• How many packs expire unused. A handful is normal. A lot means the validity is too short or members are drifting away, and a check-in message to people who haven't been in for a while may help more than a discount.

Small changes, announced a month ahead, are easier on members than a full reshuffle every season.

Mistakes that cost small studios money

• Packs priced below memberships per class. Then nobody signs up for a membership, and your income stays unpredictable.
• Too many options. Five pack sizes, three memberships and a student rate create confusion. Four or five price points is plenty.
• No plan for failed payments. Most are expired cards. Without an automatic message, the member keeps booking and you only notice weeks later.
• No waitlist. If a full class has no waitlist, cancellations turn into empty spots.

Running packs and memberships with Avana

Avana Studio was built for small studios that sell exactly this mix.

• Class packs that count down on their own, with an expiration date members can see, and a message when a pack is nearly used up.
• Memberships that renew automatically every month, paid straight into your own account. If a payment fails, the member gets a message to fix it.
• Members book and pay themselves through your studio page, your Instagram bio or the app.
• A waitlist on every full class. When someone cancels, the spot goes to the next person waiting, without you sending a message.
• Reformer studios can let members pick their own machine on a layout of the room.
• A message to members who haven't been in for a while, inviting them back.
• No commission on your class revenue.

You can set up your schedule, packs and memberships during the free trial, and we can move your existing members and their remaining credits over for you. The features overview shows the studio tools, and the pricing page lists the Studio plans.