Wellhub and TotalPass for studios: are they worth it?

Wellhub (formerly Gympass) and TotalPass are corporate wellness platforms. Companies pay for the benefit, employees choose a partner gym or studio, and the studio is paid for each valid check-in. They can fill empty spots and bring new people through the door, but the payout per visit is usually below your own class price. They pay off when you have spare capacity and a plan to convert visitors.

What are Wellhub and TotalPass?

Both are employee benefit platforms that are especially big in Brazil. An employer offers the plan, the employee pays a monthly amount (often subsidised) and gets access to a network of gyms, studios and apps.

The networks are large. Wellhub’s partner page says it is approved by more than 45,000 partners in Brazil (Wellhub for partners, checked October 2026). TotalPass is reported in more than 32,000 gyms across 1,900+ cities, according to a BTG Pactual analysis cited by Euqueroinvestir (checked October 2026).

For studios in Canada and the US, the closest equivalents are ClassPass and corporate wellness programs. The same economics apply: you are paid per visit by a third party, not by the member.

How do studios get paid?

The key point: you are paid per check-in, not per member.

• Wellhub says gyms and studios are paid for each access, or check-in, by its users. Payment arrives by bank deposit monthly, on the 15th or the next business day, for the previous month. Wellhub notes that payment structures vary by partner type, location and services (Wellhub for partners, checked October 2026). In August 2026 it also announced a weekly payout option for eligible partners, with a 1.49% fee, as an advance on check-ins already earned (Wellhub press release, checked October 2026).
• TotalPass says partners are paid for valid check-ins after a first trial check-in, with the amount related to the gym’s own monthly fee, and that becoming a partner costs nothing (TotalPass for gyms and studios, checked October 2026).

Neither company publishes a fixed rate per visit. The rate comes from your contract, so ask your account manager for it in writing before you sign.

What are the pros?

• New people, without ad spend. Employees who would never have found your studio see you in the app.
• Filling spots that would be empty. A mid-morning class at 40% capacity earns more with platform visitors than without them.
• No joining fee. Both platforms say partnership is free.
• A trial funnel. Every platform visitor is a potential member, if you have a way to invite them.

What are the cons?

• Lower revenue per visit. The payout per check-in is often below what your own members pay per class. Every platform visitor in a spot one of your members wanted is a loss.
• Members may switch to the cheaper route. If your own member realises their employer plan covers your studio, you may lose a full monthly fee and gain a smaller payout.
• Less control over pricing. Rates and rules are set in the contract and can change.
• Admin. Validating check-ins, tracking visits and reconciling payouts take staff time.

These concerns are real. In February 2026, Correio reported neighbourhood gyms ending their partnerships, saying payouts no longer covered costs; one owner said a proposed change with discounts tied to check-in volume could cut what he received by up to 15% (checked October 2026). Wellhub told the paper it respects each gym’s business decision.

How do you decide if it is worth it for your studio?

Run a simple comparison for one month. Write down:

1. Your price per class for your own members. A monthly membership of R$400 for 8 classes is R$50 per class.
2. The payout per check-in in the contract offered to you.
3. Your average occupancy by time slot. Which classes are full, which are half empty?

Then apply three rules:

Situation	What it suggests
Your classes are often full	Platforms will mostly replace your own members. Probably not worth it, or only in a few slots.
You have many half-empty off-peak classes	Platform visitors fill seats that earn nothing today. Often worth it, limited to those slots.
You just opened	Platforms can bring the first faces through the door. Worth testing for a few months, with limits.
Payout per visit is far below your class price	Only use platforms in slots you cannot fill on your own.

How do you protect your margin if you join?

• Limit spots. For example, 2 platform spots per class, or platform access only in off-peak hours.
• Keep your best slots for members. Early morning and evening reformer classes are where your members pay full price.
• Have a conversion offer. A first-month discount or a free private assessment for platform visitors who sign up directly. See turning trial classes into memberships.
• Track the numbers monthly. Visits, payout, and how many visitors became members. If conversions are near zero after three months and you are filling spots your members wanted, reconsider.
• Read the contract carefully. Look for exclusivity, notice periods and how rate changes are communicated.

How do you turn platform visitors into your own members?

A platform visitor already chose your studio once. The goal is to make the second and third visit feel like the start of a routine, then offer a direct plan.

1. Greet them like a new member. Learn their name, ask about goals or injuries, and introduce them to the teacher.
2. Collect their contact with consent. Ask if they would like to hear about classes and offers, and record that choice. Without consent, do not add them to marketing lists.
3. Make a specific offer after a few visits. For example, the first month of your membership at a discount, valid for 7 days.
4. Point to what the platform cannot give. A fixed weekly spot in a busy class, private sessions, workshops, or a teacher who follows their progress.
5. Make signing up easy. A link to your own booking page where they can buy the plan and book their first class in one step.

Track how many visitors take the offer. That number, more than the payout per visit, tells you whether the platform is working for you.

Where does elastudio fit in?

A direct Wellhub, TotalPass and ClassPass integration is coming soon in elastudio. It is planned to publish chosen classes and spots to the platforms and bring bookings and check-ins back automatically.

Today, staff can book platform visitors into classes as walk-ins, so the roster, capacity and room calendar stay correct, and your own members keep booking under your studio’s brand. For the members you convert, elastudio handles passes, memberships and payment by card or Pix with no cut of your sales on any plan.

Decide with your own numbers

Platforms are a tool, not a strategy. Use them to fill seats that would be empty, and turn the best visitors into your own members. Compare plans on pricing and see what is live today on the features page. Questions: support@elastudio.app.