Find the paid-seat threshold
Use realized seat revenue and whole attendance counts to test one class.
No signup. The interactive tool runs in your browser tab. Change the inputs, save a comparison, download the results, or print a working copy. Your entered numbers are not sent to BlueFinch.
Illustrative example inputs
Starting values demonstrate the math. These are not industry averages, a customer result, or a quote.
| Input | Example value |
|---|---|
| Available class seats | 12 |
| Paid attendance seats | 8 |
| Allocated revenue per paid seat | $25.00 |
| Other variable cost per paid seat | $1.00 |
| Loaded instructor cost for the class | $65.00 |
| Other fixed cost allocated to the class | $25.00 |
| Allocated payment rate | 3% |
| Allocated fixed payment fee per seat | $0.10 |
Example results
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Paid seats to break even | 4 |
| Class contribution after entered costs | $95.20 |
| Break-even occupancy | 33.33% |
Calculation detail
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Allocated revenue from paid seats | $200.00 |
| Allocated payment fee per seat | $0.85 |
| Contribution per paid seat | $23.15 |
| Fixed class costs | $90.00 |
| Contribution at full capacity | $187.80 |
| Seats beyond capacity needed to break even | 0 |
Model assumptions
- One average allocated revenue and variable cost per paid attendance.
- Instructor cost is flat for the class. Attendance bonuses or percentage compensation require a new cost scenario.
- Payment fees are allocated from the original sale, not charged again at redemption.
- Capacity limits attendance but does not predict sales. Every default is fictional.
Read alongside these results
- Use actual allocated revenue per paid attendance, not the advertised drop-in price for a member or package visit. A redeemed visit is not another card transaction.
- Percentage and fixed payment costs are allocated per paid seat. Enter zero when the seat value already excludes those fees.
- The instructor cost is a flat cost for this class, including an owner teaching the class. Tiered attendance bonuses need a revised cost scenario.
- The class result excludes any studio overhead not allocated in other class costs. Capacity does not predict paid attendance.
Download this worked example (CSV). The interactive version also exports your own inputs and results.
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The short version
- Use collected or allocated revenue per paid attendance, not the drop-in menu price.
- Treat flat instructor pay as a class cost even if the owner teaches.
- Compare whole-seat break-even with actual reformer or class capacity.
Eight people attended. Some used class packs, others used memberships, and one paid the drop-in price. Multiplying all eight seats by the drop-in rate gives the studio revenue it did not collect.
This calculator uses your average allocated revenue per paid attendance, flat instructor cost, and class capacity. The sample is fictional. The result helps compare a class with its entered costs. It does not forecast attendance or the entire studio's profit.
Use with this guide
Wellness processing fee calculator
Review monthly payment costs separately from one class's operating result.
Use the revenue attached to attendance
For a ten-visit pack sold for $220, a simple equal allocation assigns $22 to each visit before other adjustments. A membership with variable attendance needs a documented allocation basis, applied consistently when comparing classes. Do not assign the full membership sale to every attended class.
Square's package workflow separates the package purchase from later redemptions. Carry the original sale and payment-fee allocation through your records. A redemption is not another payment transaction. If the seat value already excludes processing cost, use zero in both fee fields.
Sources for this section: Square: package purchases and service redemptions
Cover the instructor before calling a class profitable
Keep the instructor's flat class compensation separate from per-seat expenses. Include preparation or closing work and applicable employment costs in your chosen loaded amount. An owner teaching the class still supplies valuable labor, so a zero instructor cost would overstate the economic result.
Mindbody's scheduling guidance points owners to attendance and capacity reports for evaluating classes and staffing. Pair those reports with your actual paid-seat value. A busy class sold mainly through discounts might contribute less than a smaller class with a different pricing mix.
Sources for this section: Mindbody: class capacity, attendance, and staffing reports
Example: four paid seats cover $90 of class costs
The fictional class has 12 seats and eight paid attendees, each allocated $25 of revenue. Per-seat payment costs are $0.85, from 3% plus an allocated $0.10. Another $1 of variable cost leaves $23.15 contribution per paid seat. The $65 instructor cost and $25 other class allocation total $90.
Following the SBA's fixed-cost divided by unit-contribution method, $90 divided by $23.15 requires four whole paid seats. At eight paid seats, the class contributes $95.20 after the entered costs. Break-even uses one-third of the 12-seat capacity. Any studio expenses missing from the inputs still need to be covered.
| Fictional class | Amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue from eight paid seats | $200.00 |
| Allocated payment costs | $6.80 |
| Other variable attendee costs | $8.00 |
| Instructor and other fixed class costs | $90.00 |
| Class contribution after entered costs | $95.20 |
Sources for this section: U.S. Small Business Administration: break-even calculation
Review the weak class without guessing at the fix
Compare the same day and time across several weeks using actual pricing mix and paid attendance. Change one assumption at a time. Test a lower allocated seat value, the next instructor pay tier, or a smaller usable reformer count. If the break-even seat count exceeds capacity, a full class still fails to cover the modeled costs.
The calculator withholds the class result when paid seats exceed capacity. Complimentary attendees also consume capacity, so reserve their spots before assessing the paid-seat opportunity. If free attendees create material variable costs, include those costs in the class allocation. Check how a schedule change affects member access, retention, and nearby classes before making a decision based only on one class result.
Questions business owners ask
Should I use the drop-in price for a class-pack visit?
Use the actual allocated pack revenue, not a price the member did not pay. Apply one documented allocation method consistently across the classes you compare.
Why does a full class sometimes fail to break even?
The available seats might not generate enough contribution to cover instructor pay and other entered class costs. The calculator shows when required paid attendance exceeds capacity.
How do I include payment fees on a prepaid pack?
Allocate the original payment cost across the visits under your chosen method. Do not add a new transaction fee each time a prepaid visit is redeemed.
Primary sources
BlueFinch reviewed these sources on September 7, 2026. Payment rules and state requirements change.
- Square: package purchases and service redemptions
- Mindbody: class capacity, attendance, and staffing reports
- U.S. Small Business Administration: break-even calculation
This page provides general business information, not legal, tax, or accounting advice.