Punchpass has created a number of tools to help you temporarily close (and then reopen) your studio when required. Please note that not all of the methods outlined in this article will apply to all Punchpass users, some are dependent on your plan and specific account settings.
Let's get started...
Temporarily closing your studio
Extended and pausing existing passes and memberships
If you want to make sure your students aren't financially disadvantaged by your temporary shutdown you can extend their active passes and/or pause their active memberships.
Click here to find out how to pause all current memberships (so students won't be charged until you reopen).
Note: If you don't know how long you'll be closed we recommend extending your passes beyond your "worst case scenario" date so they won't expire during your closure - you can always adjust the expiration dates again when you reopen.
Cancelling reservations for the period you're closed
You can delete upcoming reservations in bulk using the Pending/ Upcoming Reservations Report.
Note: Prior to deleting the reservations, we recommend sending out an email to make sure everyone knows when your studio will be closed as customers will NOT automatically be notified.
How to bulk delete future reservations
Navigate to Reports > Pending/ Upcoming Reservations Report.
To cancel future reservations, set a date range (most likely the period of your studio closure), then select all of the reservations in that range using the double-check mark.
With the customers selected, you might wish to send out an email to these customers to let them know their reservations have been canceled.
Then with the selected customers identified, click the Actions menu and select the option to delete the reservations.
Deleting or canceling the classes on your schedule
We recommend deleting (or canceling) your classes from your schedule one day at a time (at this stage there is no way to cancel all classes within a specified date range). Note that classes with existing reservations can't be deleted, only canceled.
First, navigate to the Schedule view from the home page of your Punchpass account - then you'll click on the three-dot icon on the right side of each calendar day to access these options:
Deleting your classes will completely remove them from the schedule for that day and leave the class section blank:
Canceling all of your classes will show the class names with a strikethrough and a "cancelled" note added in red:
Both actions will prevent students from making class reservations.
Another method for adjusting your schedule would be to change the end date for your recurring classes as outlined here.
However, this method will make it much more work to reopen - you'll need to rebuild your whole schedule and for that reason, we recommend the day-by-day approach.
Keeping your students informed
We recommend adding a calendar notice letting students know that your studio is closed, you can read more about how to do that here.
You may also want to change some of the messaging on your public schedule and pass purchase pages, this article will let you know more about those options.
Modifying your Punchpass subscription
Punchpass offers a Data Hold option for $10US/month which will suspend your account, but keep all of your information intact so you can easily reopen when you're ready.
While your account is on Data Hold you'll still be able to:
Update the message that shows at the top of your schedule,
Email all your customers (in bulk) and your public Punchpass schedule page will remain active reflecting the changes you've made to your classes during the closure and showing your custom messaging at the top.
Download your customer list,
Your other data will remain intact in the interim as well.
But on Data Hold you won't be able to:
Login and manage your account like you can with an active plan.
Students will also be completely unable to use their side of the system during the hold.
For these reasons, you may like to come off of the hold a few days before classes restart so students can get their bookings in, etc.
Just reach out to the team if you'd like to move your account to Data Hold, we're happy to help.
Reopening your studio after a break
If you shut down your studio using the recommendations above then the reopening process should be straightforward.
If you moved to Data Hold during your closure then just send us a message and we'll reactivate your account (it can take up to 48 hours).
Your active passes should have accurate expiration dates to account for the period you were closed but you can adjust them again if you need to (using the same process outlined above).
You will need to restart all of your paused memberships individually at this stage. To do that you'll visit your Memberships report, click on the "Paused" tab, and then click on each student's membership to see the option to restart it. Here's some additional information about how a membership is adjusted when it's paused.
It's a good idea to revise the wording that you're showing on your public schedule and pass purchase pages, here's how to do that.
You may also like to add a calendar notice to welcome students back and make it really clear that you've reopened.