Pilates Gift Cards: Turn Christmas Into New Members

Come December, someone at your front desk will ask: “Can I buy a gift card for my sister?” In many studios, a little card gets printed, the amount goes into a spreadsheet – and that's it. Yet this is one of the cheapest ways to win new members: someone who likes your studio is paying for a person they know to come to you. This guide shows you how to set up gift cards and taster packs so Christmas becomes a member engine for January and February – including the legal and tax points studio owners in Germany should know.

Why Christmas and New Year are your strongest acquisition window

Two effects collide in December and January. First, gift cards are the most popular Christmas present in Germany. In EY's 2025 holiday survey, 48 percent of respondents said they planned to give vouchers or cash – by far the top spot. Second, shortly afterwards many people resolve to do more for their bodies. In a representative Forsa survey for the German health insurer DAK on resolutions for 2026, 57 percent of respondents named “moving more” as a goal; among 14- to 29-year-olds it was 67 percent.

For your studio, that means: in December your members buy the first step for someone else, and in January the recipients are looking for a reason to actually start. Connect the two and new people don't find you through an ad but through a personal recommendation – exactly the effect we described in our article on referral marketing for Pilates studios. A gift card is a referral someone actually pays for.

Not all gift cards are equal: three formats that work

The classic €50 value voucher is convenient, but it doesn't tell the recipient what to do. Someone who has never been on a reformer doesn't know which class to book – so the voucher sits in a drawer. Formats that spell out a clear first step work better.

1. The taster pack for beginners

Three classes in four weeks – for example, a reformer intro plus two group classes. The advantage over a single trial class: the person experiences a small rhythm and feels how their body responds after three sessions. Suggest a start window like “ideally start in January or February” – as a recommendation, not a hard expiry date. You'll see why below.

2. The 10-class pass for experienced movers

For people who already know Pilates – say, the friend who used to train at another studio or is looking for a new one after moving. Here a complete product beats a partial amount: a full 10-class pass is a gift nobody has to “top up” first.

3. The private session voucher

A one-to-one reformer session feels like an experience and is, for many, the gentlest way in, because nobody is watching. For older recipients, people coming back from an injury or anyone with back issues, it's often the more convincing format – and the instructor can recommend the right group class on the spot.

Rule of thumb: offer three options at most. More choice just slows the decision at the front desk, and in December a fast purchase is everything.

How to sell gift cards without being pushy

Most gift cards don't sell because they're loudly advertised, but because they're visible when someone is already thinking about a present. Three touchpoints are enough.

At the front desk and in the studio

A small display at reception and one sentence from the instructor at the end of class – “If you're still looking for a gift: we have taster packs” – do the job. What matters is that buying takes less than a minute. If someone has to fill in a form first, the impulse is gone.

On Instagram

Don't show the voucher – show the experience: the evening mood in the studio, a beginner's first roll-down on the reformer, the beautifully wrapped card. Stories with a clear pointer to the link in your bio work well in December, because your followers see them daily at that time of year. If you don't have time for that, the social media autopilot handles the regular posting. At Formé Studio we saw what an active Instagram community can do: more than 250 community members in two weeks, over 1,500 interactions and a reach of 849 per story.

Through your members

Your members are your best salespeople, because they give out of conviction. A short message in early December – “Still looking for a gift? Bring someone into your studio” – isn't a discount offer, it's an invitation. In Germany, promotional emails and messenger messages fall under the Act Against Unfair Competition (§ 7 UWG), so only write via channels you have consent for.

The part that matters: turning redemption into membership

A sold gift card is revenue. A redeemed gift card is an opportunity. But a member is only the person who stays after the voucher runs out. This is exactly where many studios lose the thread: the recipient comes once, enjoys it – and never hears from the studio again. Four steps prevent that.

Step 1: Make the gift card digital

Issue every gift card as a digital card that lands in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet as well. With a digital loyalty card in the wallet, the recipient always has their taster pack on their phone, you can see when they redeem it, and you can reach them later with a push notification – without them installing an app. The paper card can still go under the tree; the digital card is what does the work afterwards.

Step 2: Remind them to redeem

Many gift cards simply go unused – not out of disinterest, but because life gets in the way. A friendly reminder in mid-January (“Your taster pack is waiting – here are this week's beginner classes”) brings the person into the studio while the New Year's resolution is still fresh. Schedule dedicated beginner classes for gift card newcomers so nobody ends up alone in an advanced class.

Step 3: Make a concrete offer after the last taster class

The last class of the pack is the moment of decision. Take two minutes after class for a quick chat: How did it feel? Which class fits their routine? Then make a clear offer – for example, joining without a sign-up fee if they start within seven days. We show you how to set up this follow-up step by step in our guide on how to convert a trial class into a membership.

Step 4: Reward the gift-givers too

The person who bought the gift card is your best ambassador. When their gift turns into a membership, say thank you – with an extra stamp on their loyalty card or a free class. That turns a one-off Christmas purchase into behaviour that repeats all year.

Legal and tax basics (for studios in Germany)

The following applies to German law, in short and without constituting legal advice – if in doubt, talk to your tax advisor or a lawyer. Studios in other countries should check their local rules.

Validity: In Germany, paid vouchers are generally valid for three years, counted from the end of the year in which they were issued (§§ 195, 199 of the German Civil Code, BGB). Shorter periods are only allowed in exceptional cases and need an objective reason. The Higher Regional Court of Munich, for instance, ruled a one-year limit on Amazon gift cards invalid (case no. 29 U 3193/07). The Hamburg consumer advice centre considers a shorter period possible for service vouchers in individual cases, for example when the cost of the service is expected to rise. So communicate start windows as recommendations, not expiry dates.

Free promotional vouchers: Vouchers you give away – such as a free taster class as a thank-you to gift-givers – can be time-limited freely, according to the Hamburg consumer advice centre, because nobody paid for them. Here a clear deadline actually makes sense.

Cash-out and transfer: There is generally no right to have a voucher's value paid out in cash. Conversely, anyone who presents the voucher may redeem it – even if a name is written on it.

VAT: If the service covered and the applicable VAT rate are fixed at the time of sale – e.g. “3 reformer classes at Studio X” – it's a single-purpose voucher under § 3(14) of the German VAT Act (UStG), and VAT is due at the point of sale, not at redemption. A value voucher that can also be redeemed for products with a different VAT rate is usually a multi-purpose voucher (§ 3(15) UStG), taxed only at redemption. Clarify the classification with your tax advisor before the season starts.

Your timeline from October to February

October: Define formats, calculate prices, set up the digital gift card, shoot photos and clips for Instagram, clarify the tax question.

Mid-November: Make gift cards visible in the studio, post the first stories, brief the team on what to say at reception.

1–23 December: Peak sales season. Two to three stories a week, a short mention at the end of every class, one message to your members. For last-minute shoppers: offer the digital gift card for instant delivery.

January: Reminders for unredeemed gift cards, dedicated beginner classes for gift card newcomers, a personal welcome at their first class.

February: Follow up after the last taster class, reward gift-givers and review three numbers: gift cards sold, redemption rate and the share of recipients who became members. The third number is the only one that really counts.

Bottom line: it's not the sale that counts, it's February

For a Pilates studio, gift cards aren't a seasonal side business – they're a way in that your members sell for you. What matters isn't how many you sell in December, but how many recipients are still on the mat or the reformer in February. Make the gift card digital, remind people to redeem it and follow up after the last taster class – and Christmas becomes your strongest month for new members.

Want gift cards, loyalty card and reminders in one system your members keep right in their phone wallet? Book a free demo – we'll show you what it looks like for your Pilates studio.