Make-up class policy template for yoga and pilates studios

A make-up class policy is a short written rule that says who can replace a missed class, how much notice they must give, how long the make-up stays valid and where it can be used. The best policies fit on one screen, are shown before a member pays and are applied the same way to everyone. Below is a template you can copy.

Why does a studio need a make-up class policy?

Without a written policy, every missed class becomes a negotiation. One teacher says yes, another says no, and members learn that asking the right person matters more than the rule. That is unfair to members and tiring for staff.

A clear policy does three things:

1. It protects your capacity. A reformer or a mat spot is a seat you can only sell once. Rules about notice give you time to offer that seat to someone on the waitlist.
2. It protects your revenue. Make-ups that never expire turn into a growing debt of classes you owe but cannot schedule.
3. It protects goodwill. Members accept limits much more easily when the limits were visible from the start.

Make-ups matter most for studios that sell fixed weekly slots, for example “Tuesday and Thursday at 7:00”. In that model a missed class is not simply lost, so members expect a way to recover it. Studios that sell class packs usually solve the same problem with a cancellation window instead: cancel in time and the credit comes back. If that is your model, our cancellation policy template may fit better.

What should a make-up class policy include?

Every policy needs answers to the same questions. Use this checklist before you write a word:

Question	Typical choices	Our suggestion
Who qualifies?	Members on fixed slots only, all members, memberships only	Members on fixed weekly slots
How much notice?	2, 4, 12 or 24 hours before class	The same window as your cancellation policy
How long is the make-up valid?	7 days, 30 days, end of billing period	30 days or end of the billing period
Which classes can it be used for?	Any class, same class type, same level	Same class type, any class with a free seat
How many per month?	1, 2, unlimited	2 per month for a twice-weekly member
What about studio cancellations?	Make-up or credit, always	Always a make-up or credit, no limits
What about no-shows?	No make-up, make-up with a fee	No make-up
Can make-ups be transferred?	Yes, no	No

Two details trip studios up:

• Free seats only. A make-up should never push a member into a full class or above the number of reformers you own. Say so in the policy.
• Studio-caused cancellations are different. If you cancel a class (teacher sick, closure, holiday), the member did nothing wrong. Give a make-up or the credit back, without counting it against their monthly limit.

Make-up class policy template you can copy

Replace the parts in brackets. Keep the language plain: members read this on a phone, often in a hurry.

Make-up classes at [Studio name]

1. Who can book a make-up. Members with a fixed weekly time can book a make-up when they miss a class and tell us in advance.
2. Notice. Cancel at least [12] hours before your class through [your booking page or app]. Cancellations after that, and missed classes without notice, do not earn a make-up.
3. Validity. A make-up must be booked and attended within [30 days] of the missed class. After that it expires.
4. Where you can use it. Any [same type] class with a free spot. Make-ups never go into a full class.
5. Limit. Up to [2] make-ups per calendar month.
6. When we cancel. If we cancel or move a class, you always get a make-up or your credit back, and it does not count toward your limit.
7. Personal only. Make-ups cannot be transferred to another person or exchanged for money.
8. Exceptions. For medical reasons or other serious situations, write to us at [studio e-mail]. We look at each case.

Questions? Write to [studio e-mail].

Put the policy where members see it before they pay: on the pricing page, in the sign-up terms and in the confirmation e-mail.

How long should a make-up credit be valid?

There is no legal standard, so this is a business choice. Think about it in numbers.

Say you teach 4 reformer classes of 8 people per evening, with members on twice-weekly fixed slots. If 10% of bookings are cancelled with enough notice, that is about 3 make-ups created every evening, or roughly 60 to 70 a month across weekday evenings. If make-ups never expire and only half are used each month, you carry an extra 30 or so owed classes into every new month, and the pile keeps growing.

A 30-day validity keeps the pile small and still gives members four weekends and plenty of weekday slots to choose from. Tying validity to the end of the billing period is even simpler to explain: “make it up before your next payment”.

Whatever you pick, apply expiry automatically. Expiring credits by hand is where most studios start making exceptions.

Make-up policy vs cancellation policy: what is the difference?

They solve the same problem from two sides:

• A cancellation policy answers “if I cancel, do I get my credit back?” It fits class packs and credit-based memberships.
• A make-up policy answers “if I miss my fixed slot, can I come another time?” It fits fixed weekly schedules, which are common in pilates.

Many studios need both. Use the same notice window in each, so members only have to remember one number.

How do you run make-ups without a spreadsheet?

A paper notebook or a spreadsheet works for the first few months, then it breaks: someone forgets to cross out a used make-up, or a make-up from February gets used in June.

What you want from software is:

• the notice window enforced at the moment the member cancels,
• the replacement credit created automatically with its own expiry date,
• make-ups allowed only into classes with free spots,
• a monthly limit counted for you,
• a report of make-ups used and expired.

In elastudio today, members cancel online and see before confirming whether their credit comes back, based on your cancellation window. Staff can add a credit with a written reason, every unused credit expires automatically on its date, and the freed seat goes straight to the waitlist. A dedicated make-up engine, with fixed weekly spots, make-up credits and monthly limits built in, is coming soon.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Different rules for different teachers. One policy, applied by the system, not by mood.
• Make-ups that never expire. They become a debt you cannot schedule.
• No limit per month. One member making up four classes in a week can block others from booking.
• Hiding the policy. If members only learn about it when they ask for a make-up, it feels like a penalty.
• Treating studio cancellations like member cancellations. When you cancel, the member should never lose out.

Try it with your studio

If you want cancellations, credits and expiry handled for you while the full make-up engine arrives, see what is included on the features page and compare plans on pricing. elastudio takes no cut of your sales on any plan, including Free. Questions are welcome at support@elastudio.app.