Isabella Rodriguez · · 
Build your range on a sound pay-per-play court price, then add credit and session packs that bring cash in before players and members play, and memberships whose benefits are capped so they never fill your peak hours. Two or three price bands across the week are enough. Selling all of it should not cost you a software subscription either: PLAI is 100% free to run your venue.
Pricing is one of the few levers a padel club controls completely, and one of the most often left on default. Many clubs open with a single hourly price, add discounts over time and end up with exceptions nobody fully understands. A clear range fills courts, brings cash in early and gives regulars a reason to stay.
The four building blocks
None is "best". Each answers a different player or member and a different moment of the week.
Start from a sound court price
- What does an hour cost you? Add rent or loan repayments, energy, staff, maintenance and software over a year, and divide by the hours your courts are realistically booked. If a court costs you 18 an hour at 60% occupancy, any price below that loses money however full you are. Cutting a software subscription lowers that number straight away.
- What do players and members pay nearby? Check venues within 20 minutes' drive, at peak and off-peak times.
- What do you offer that they do not? Indoor courts, better lighting, a bar, coaching, an easy app, open games. A better experience justifies a higher price.
Then split the week: a peak price for weekday evenings and weekends, an off-peak price for the quiet hours, perhaps a late-night price. Two or three bands are enough. Our guide to off-peak hours shows how to fill the quiet ones.
Why credit and packs work so well
The player or member pays once and books many times. Cash arrives earlier, each booking feels "already paid", and players and members book more spontaneously. Keep it healthy:
- Keep the bonus modest. 5 to 10% is plenty; a bigger bonus for a bigger amount rewards your best players and members.
- Make credit useful across the club: courts, open games, lessons, the bar.
- Set clear validity for packs (for example, ten off-peak sessions within four months) and show the balance in the app.
- Decide whether packs can be shared within a group of friends, and say so.
The trap of unlimited memberships
"Unlimited padel for 79 a month" is easy to sell and hard to deliver. With six courts and four players per court, your weekday evening capacity from 18:00 to 22:00 is about 96 player-slots per evening at 60-minute bookings. Sell 300 unlimited memberships to players and members who all want those hours and your paying customers will no longer find a court.
Tie memberships to capacity:
- include a set number of sessions per month, or unlimited only in off-peak hours;
- give members a lower price rather than free play;
- add benefits off the court: a monthly clinic, a discount at the bar, member tournaments.
Three mixes that work
| Club | What to offer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A new club | Pay-per-play at a competitive price, a launch credit offer, and open games so newcomers find partners. Add memberships once you know your occupancy | It needs players, members and cash flow |
| A busy club | Full-price peak play, off-peak packs, an off-peak membership, and a premium membership for the most loyal players and members | Full evenings: protect peak revenue |
| A multi-sport club | One membership across sports and one credit balance that works everywhere | Often the easiest way to move tennis members onto padel courts (see why tennis clubs integrate padel) |
Communicate the offer clearly
Players and members should understand your prices in ten seconds. Put them on one page, with one example per offer ("Pay 100, get 110 to spend"). Train your staff to recommend the right option: a player or member who books twice a week will save with a pack or a membership, so tell them.
Measure and adjust each quarter
Look at revenue per court hour by time band, the share of revenue paid in advance, unspent credit, membership renewals and peak availability for non-members. If members cannot find a court, your membership is too generous; if credit sits unspent for months, your bonus may attract the wrong buyers.
Build your offers with PLAI
Pay nothing. Get everything. PLAI is 100% free to run your venue: no subscription, no contract, no limits. "Pack" is PLAI's umbrella for what you sell ahead of play:
- Memberships for a set period, session packs with their number of sessions and validity, and credit with the price and the amount it carries set by you.
- Prices by day and time, through offers with their own schedule and price.
- Privileges for member prices, junior rates or off-peak discounts, by percentage or fixed amount, for the whole year or chosen periods.
- Players and members see what they hold and spend it when they book in the app; staff can settle a bill at the desk with a pack.
- Analytics show occupancy and revenue, so you see which offers carry your week.
See what venues get on PLAI Business.
FAQ
Should my padel club sell memberships or credit?
Usually both, for different players and members: credit and packs for regulars who want flexibility, memberships for your loyal core, with capped benefits.
How big should a credit bonus be?
5 to 10% is enough. Larger bonuses eat your margin.
Are unlimited padel memberships a good idea?
Rarely at peak times. Limit them to off-peak hours or a set number of sessions.
How many price bands do I need?
Two or three: peak, off-peak and perhaps late night.
Does PLAI charge for packs and memberships?
No. There is no subscription and no fee per pack or membership. Card fees on online payments are about three times lower than Stripe's standard rate in France of 1.5% + €0.25 per standard European card (source: Stripe pricing for France, read 4 November 2026).
Related reading: How to build loyalty among your padel players · Implementing online payments.
