Class packs for year-end: How to boost your December revenue

In December, many studios get quieter. Christmas parties, gift shopping, trips to see family. The mats stay empty more often. The rent stays the same.

At the same time, your regulars are already thinking about January. About moving more, about time for themselves, about good intentions. This is where a year-end offer comes in: You sell a class pack in December. Your customers save money. And you start the new year with full classes.

Why a year-end offer pays off

Money in a quiet month. Anyone who buys a pack in December pays now. That balances out the slower weeks.

A fixed plan for January. A paid-for pack is motivating. Someone who has already bought ten classes in advance is more likely to come back.

More certainty. You see early on how many people want to train in January.

A clear reason. “Only until New Year’s Eve” gives your customers a reason to decide now instead of someday.

Who the offer is for

Your most important target group is your regulars. They know you and know they’ll use the pack.

Occasional visitors are interesting too. People who drop by every two or three weeks. A pack can be the nudge they need to come more regularly.

And think of former customers who haven’t been in for a while. The turn of the year is a good moment for a fresh start.

For people who have never been to your studio, a separate beginner offer in January usually works better.

Putting together the right pack

How many classes?

A 5-class pack is a low hurdle. The price is manageable, and the decision is easy. A 10-class pack offers more savings and keeps people coming longer. Offer two options at most. More tends to confuse.

How much should customers save?

The savings should be noticeable without devaluing your prices. An example: A single class costs 18 euros. Ten classes therefore cost 180 euros. The year-end 10-class pack costs 160 euros. Your customers save 20 euros, and you keep a fair price per class.

You’ll find out how to structure your prices in general in our article on yoga studio pricing.

How long should it be valid?

The pack should be valid long enough to actually be used. Someone who comes once a week needs at least two and a half months for ten classes. Add holidays, colds and busy work weeks. So plan generously.

There are legal reasons for generous validity periods too. According to the German consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale), purchased vouchers in Germany generally expire after three years. Courts have ruled that validity periods that are too short are invalid. Whether and how this applies to class packs depends on the individual case.

Note: This section is not legal advice. It gives a general overview and refers to the legal situation in Germany. Different rules may apply in Austria, Switzerland or other countries. If you’re unsure which validity period is appropriate for your packs, get professional advice.

Only on sale until New Year’s Eve

Separate two time periods. The sales period is short, for example from 1 to 31 December. The validity of the pack is long and starts on the day of purchase. That creates a reason to buy without pressuring your customers to use up the pack quickly.

And what about gift vouchers?

In December, many customers ask about a gift for their partner, parents or friends. A studio voucher is a lovely idea for that. Many studios issue these vouchers themselves, for example as a printed card at the front desk.

If you do this, keep a few points in mind. The voucher should state the value or service, your studio as the issuer and a number. Keep a simple list of which vouchers have been sold and redeemed. And decide how redemption works.

There’s also a tax aspect. Since 2019, German VAT law distinguishes between single-purpose and multi-purpose vouchers. With a single-purpose voucher, the place of service and the VAT rate are already fixed at the time of sale. In that case, VAT is due when the voucher is sold. With a multi-purpose voucher, it’s only due on redemption. If you use the German small business scheme (Kleinunternehmerregelung), you don’t charge VAT. You’ll find more in our article on invoices and VAT.

Note: This is not tax advice. How your vouchers are classified for tax purposes depends on your offer. Ideally, clarify this with your tax advisor before you start selling.

How to promote your offer

A simple timeline is enough.

1. Early November: Set the price, validity and text.
2. End of November: Announce the offer.
3. In December: Remind people once a week.
4. Last week of December: One final reminder that the offer is ending soon.

Often, the most effective channel is you. Talk to your customers personally after class. Put up a poster with a QR code at the front desk. Share the offer on Instagram. And place a clearly visible link on your website. Our article on adding a booking button.

Newsletters are another good option. But only write to people who have agreed to receive marketing emails.

Common mistakes

Too much discount

A big discount sells well. But it teaches your customers to wait for the next offer. And it lowers your revenue per class for months.

The wrong validity period

If it’s too short, customers feel pressured. And you risk trouble. If it’s unlimited, you lose track of open classes.

No end date for the offer

An offer without an end isn’t a reason to act. Without a deadline, many people put off the decision until they forget about it.

Too many options

Three pack sizes, two validity periods, a bonus for regulars. People who have to compare that much often end up buying nothing.

Class packs in Slotlify

In Slotlify, you can create class packs from the Standard plan upwards.

Creating a pack

You set the name, image, number of classes, price and description. You enter the validity in days from purchase. If you leave the field empty, the pack is valid indefinitely. Then you assign the services the pack applies to. Your customers can use it to book appointments and regular classes for these services. Courses are excluded. Categories help customers find the pack quickly in your shop. If you have several locations, the pack is valid at all of them.

Limiting the offer

After New Year’s Eve, simply deactivate the pack. Then nobody can buy it anymore. Packs already sold remain valid.

Keeping track

In the overview of sold packs, you see every pack with the customer, remaining balance, expiry date and status. You can filter by expiry date. That way, you see whose pack is about to expire and can remind them personally.

If a class is cancelled, you can give the class back by correcting the balance. You note the reason, so everything stays traceable. You can’t credit more than the pack’s original value. For extra classes, you issue a second pack.

Automatic invoices

When a customer buys a pack, Slotlify automatically creates an invoice. If you use the small business scheme and have set this in your settings, no VAT appears on the invoice.

Checklist for your year-end offer

• Have you decided on one or two pack sizes?
• Are the savings noticeable but moderate?
• Is the validity period generous?
• Does the sale end on New Year’s Eve?
• Are you announcing the offer in the studio, online and in person?
• Have you planned a reminder for the last week of December?

Create one single pack this week. With a price, a validity period and a short text. You can take care of the rest step by step until the end of November.