ClassPass’ SmartRate tool is designed to help fitness partners maximize revenue from every class by using real-time demand signals to adjust credit values and help fill spots that might otherwise go unfilled. The SmartRate Insights page is a dedicated place in the Partner Dashboard where ClassPass partners can see how SmartRate works, understand earnings trends, and find answers to common questions.
We spoke with Sarika, Head of Business Analytics, about how partners can use SmartRate Insights to better understand their performance and take action.
Q: Before we get into the new SmartRate Insights page, what is SmartRate?
Sarika: SmartRate is ClassPass’s revenue optimization tool. It’s designed to help partners generate revenue from spots that might otherwise go unfilled.
SmartRate uses demand signals for each class, such as class popularity, class time, and proximity to the start time, to help determine the credit value that’s expected to drive the strongest overall revenue outcome.
One important thing to know is that every qualifying reservation pays at least the partner’s floor rate. That floor is set confidentially with ClassPass as a percentage of the partner’s direct pricing. SmartRate can increase payouts above that floor when demand signals support it, but qualifying reservations won’t pay below it.
Q: SmartRate is optimizing in the background every day. How does it decide what a class earns?
Sarika: SmartRate looks at demand signals to estimate how a class is likely to perform. Then it sets the credit amount at the level expected to earn the most overall revenue for that class.
That’s an important distinction. SmartRate is optimizing for total class revenue, not just the payout rate for a single reservation.
Sometimes, several bookings at a lower credit amount can generate more total revenue than one booking at a higher credit amount. SmartRate is designed to find the balance that helps maximize total earnings for each class.
It also looks at patterns over time. A class with fewer bookings today may still show a higher credit amount if similar classes typically fill closer to the start time. SmartRate doesn’t only react to what’s happening in the moment. It also uses historical demand patterns to help predict how a class is likely to perform.
Q: What is the SmartRate Insights page in the Partner Dashboard and why did ClassPass build it?
Sarika: Partners have told us they want more transparency around SmartRate. Payouts can vary from class to class, and partners want to better understand why that happens and how SmartRate supports their revenue.
The SmartRate Insights page brings that information together in one place within the Partner Dashboard. It includes three main sections:
- An explanation of how SmartRate works: Partners can see a simple step-by-step breakdown of how floor rates, demand signals, and real-time credit adjustments work together.
- A personalized earnings heat map: Partners can review earnings patterns by day, time, and class type.
- An expandable FAQ section: Partners can find answers to common questions about SmartRate, reservations, payouts, class popularity, user behavior, and more.
Our goal is to give partners practical clarity. SmartRate Insights helps explain what’s happening, answer common questions, and show how SmartRate can support revenue growth.
Q: Walk us through the SmartRate earnings heat map. What does it show and how should partners read it?
Sarika: The heat map shows total earnings and average payout rate across every hour of every day of the week. Partners can also filter by class type, which makes it easier to understand performance across different parts of their schedule.
The goal isn’t to show a perfect upward trend. It’s to help partners understand when SmartRate is generating the most value for their specific venue and schedule.
For example, a partner might see stronger earnings during weekday evenings, weekend mornings, or a specific class type. That can help them spot demand patterns and better understand how different parts of their schedule are performing. Higher total earnings during a period don’t necessarily mean a higher average payout, since SmartRate is designed to maximize revenue during each period by balancing demand with the average payout rate.
The heat map includes qualifying reservations only, meaning reservations such as trial, campaign, corporate, late-cancelled, or missed reservations are excluded.
Q: Beyond understanding earnings, how can the SmartRate page help partners take action?
Sarika: SmartRate Insights is meant to help partners do more than look back at performance. It can also help them decide what to do next.
If a partner sees that certain time slots are performing especially well, they can check whether they have enough availability on ClassPass to meet that demand. If classes are filling up or demand is strong, opening more spots through the opportunities feature can help capture more bookings.
For quieter windows where SmartRate signals may be weaker, campaigns can help drive interest. Over time, those booking patterns can give SmartRate stronger demand signals to learn from.
So the page helps turn data into action. It gives partners a way to understand what’s already working, where there may be room to grow, and which dashboard tools, such as opportunities or campaigns, can help support that growth.
Q: How does SmartRate help partners capture the full value of their most popular classes?
Sarika: When demand signals are strong, SmartRate can adjust credit values upward. That helps partners capture more value when classes are more likely to perform well.
That said, popularity alone doesn't guarantee a higher payout. Results will vary depending on the signals SmartRate has available at that point in time.
Booking patterns can shift over time, and SmartRate responds as they change. If payouts are consistently at the floor, partners can use dashboard tools such as campaigns to help drive more interest and build stronger booking patterns.
Q: Two things partners often ask about: does releasing more spots hurt their rate? And does a user’s past behavior affect what they see?
Sarika: Releasing more spots doesn’t decrease payouts. In fact, more availability can support stronger interest over time by giving members more chances to book.
SmartRate also doesn’t factor in a user’s personal data or behavior when setting credits. Individual user behavior, such as booking frequency or reservation ratings, has no impact on the credit level that the user sees for future classes.
SmartRate is focused on aggregated demand signals for the class, not personal member behavior.
Q: What is the first thing a partner should do with the SmartRate Insights page?
Sarika: Start by visiting the page on the partner dashboard and exploring the heat map for your own business. The data is specific to your business, so it can help you understand when SmartRate is generating the most value across your actual schedule.
Then, spend time with the FAQ section. It answers many of the questions partners commonly have about SmartRate, reservations, and payouts.
Most importantly, think of SmartRate Insights as a resource you can return to. It’s not just a one-time read. As your schedule, demand patterns, and business goals evolve, the page can help you understand what’s changing and how SmartRate is supporting your growth.
SmartRate Insights is part of ClassPass’s ongoing commitment to giving partners more visibility, more useful information, and more tools to grow their revenue with confidence.
Explore SmartRate Insights in your Partner Dashboard
The SmartRate Insights page is currently available to integrated fitness partners with SmartRate turned on. It gives eligible fitness partners a clearer way to understand SmartRate, review personalized earnings trends, and identify opportunities to drive more bookings.
Log in to your Partner Dashboard to explore your SmartRate Insights page and see what your earnings data can tell you.
