Group Booking & Class Scheduling

OctopusPro’s Group Booking feature allows businesses to transform any service into a multi-customer appointment, such as classes, workshops, or shared sessions. This functionality enables a single booking to accommodate multiple participants, up to a defined capacity, streamlining scheduling and maximizing resource utilization.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

• Enable group or shared bookings for your services.
• Configure booking settings, including capacity and reservation modes.
• Understand and apply different pricing models: per-person and per-session.
• Manage payment distribution among participants.
• Implement best practices for offering group services.

Whether you’re offering fitness classes, corporate training sessions, or leisure tours, this guide will assist you in setting up and managing group bookings effectively.

Enabling Group Bookings

To activate group bookings for a specific service:

1. Navigate to: Settings → Services → [Select Service]
2. Toggle On: Allow Group or Shared Bookings
3. Set Capacity: Define the maximum number of participants (e.g., 10) each time you schedule a booking.

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Booking Configuration Options

1. Listing Type:

• Public: The booking is visible on your Customer Portal, allowing any customer to join until capacity is reached.
• Private (Invite-Only): The booking is hidden from the public and accessible only via a unique link shared with specific customers.

2. Seat Reservation Mode:

• Single-Seat Reservation: Each participant registers individually, suitable for scenarios requiring personal information or waivers.
• Multi-Seat Reservation: A single customer can reserve multiple seats in one transaction, ideal for group organizers.

Group Booking Pricing Modes

OctopusPro supports two default pricing logics for any service that has Allow Group or Shared Bookings switched on. Staff can override the default on a one-off booking, but setting the right mode at service-level keeps day-to-day scheduling fast and error-free.

1. Per-Person (Attendee-Based) Pricing

Each seat has the same price; total revenue scales with head-count.

What happens	Ideal for	Real-world examples
System multiplies the seat price by the number of confirmed attendees and can issue an invoice to each person.	Public classes, ticketed events, open tours—any scenario where every guest pays separately.	• Yoga studio charges $20 pp; 12 sign-ups = $240 total. • Sight-seeing boat sells $70 pp tickets online.

Why choose it?

• Predictable cash-flow: you know your margin per seat.
• Familiar to customers—mirrors most ticketing checkouts.
• Works with wait-lists and automatic seat counts used by platforms like Acuity and Eventbrite.

2. Per-Session (Flat-Rate) Pricing

One fixed fee covers the entire booking—no matter how many people attend.

What happens	Ideal for	Real-world examples
The booking is priced once (e.g. $300); capacity just limits head-count.	Private hire, couple’s treatments, corporate off-sites, small-group coaching.	• Private cooking class is $200 total whether 2 or 8 chefs attend. • Therapist bills $150 for a couple’s session—one invoice, two clients.

Why choose it?

• Customers see a single headline price—great for private groups.
• Easier quoting when head-count fluctuates.
• Mirrors how tour charters or private training packages are sold.

3. Session Payment Distribution (Applicable for Flat-Rate only)

When Per-Session is active, staff pick how the total gets paid:

Session Payment Distribution (Single-Payer vs Split-Evenly) only appears when Per Session is selected. Staff choose whether one person pays or the fee is divided equally.

Mode	System behaviour	Example use-case
Unified Payment (Single-Payer)	One invoice for the full fee; one cardholder pays.	Company manager books a $600 on-site workshop and pays in one transaction.
Split Evenly (Multi-Payer)	Fee is divided equally; each participant receives an invoice link.	Four friends charter a boat for $400 → system bills $100 each.

Tip – If the organiser changes their mind, staff can flip between Single-Payer and Split-Evenly at any time before taking payment.

Quick-Glance Decision Grid

Question	Choose Per-Person if →	Choose Per-Session if →
“Will head-count change price?”	Yes. Extra guests pay extra seats.	No. Price stays flat.
“Do attendees usually pay themselves?”	Yes (ticketed class).	No—one host often pays.
“Do we market it like a ticket?”	Yes (public Zumba).	No (private charter).

By choosing the right Group Booking Pricing Mode and (when needed) the matching Session Payment Distribution option, you deliver a billing experience that customers already understand—cutting admin time and reducing payment disputes.

Real-World Examples

Industry	Public (Per-Seat) Example	Private (Flat-Rate or Split) Example
Fitness / Dance	A fitness studio offers drop-in yoga classes at $20 per person.	A bridal party books a private salsa lesson; the instructor charges a single fee for the entire group.
Corporate Training	An open-enrollment Excel workshop is available at $99 per participant.	An HR department books an on-site team-building seminar for 15 staff members at a flat rate of $1,200, billed as a single invoice.
Leisure / Tours	A daily city walking tour allows visitors to purchase individual seats.	A family hires a private museum guide for a flat tour price, which can be split among family members.
Cooking & Culinary	A public sushi-making class is offered at $60 per person, with tickets sold online.	A company organizes a virtual team-building cooking session for 20 staff members at a set price of $700, with the invoice split evenly among participants.
Arts & Crafts	A Saturday pottery workshop is available at $45 per person, with each participant paying separately.	A birthday paint-and-sip party is booked for a total of $350; the host may choose to split the cost among friends at $35 each.
Wellness / Spa	An open mindfulness drop-in session is offered at $25 per person, with each attendee paying individually.	A group of six friends reserves a 3-hour spa session for $660 and opts to split the bill at $110 each.
Healthcare / Therapy	A weekly open support group charges $30 per person, with individual attendees paying separately.	A corporate resilience session for 10 employees is billed at a flat rate of $450 to the employer, with no individual invoices.
Language & Education	A public conversational Spanish class is available at $25 per student, with self-registration.	Three friends book a private IELTS crash course for $300; the tutor opts to split the cost into $100 invoices for each participant.
Escape Rooms	Hourly escape room tickets are sold at $22 per person.	A group books the entire escape room for a flat rate of $280 and chooses to split the cost evenly at $28 per person.
Paintball / Adventure	A public paintball skirmish day is offered at $9 per person, plus additional costs for equipment.	A company retreat hires the paintball field for a flat rate of $1,000, with the organizer handling the payment.
Fishing Charters	Shared sea-fishing trips are advertised at approximately $50 per person, with groups mixing on the same boat.	A skipper offers a half-day charter for up to six anglers at a flat rate of $500; payment can be made by one guest or split among the group.
Bridal Hair & Makeup	Group makeup lessons are sold at $450 per person for a 2-hour masterclass in a studio setting.	A mobile stylist quotes $900 to style an entire bridal party; the bride can pay the total or split the cost among the bridesmaids.
Wine-Tasting Events	Wine tasting events offer tickets at $15 per person, with open booking until capacity is reached.	A private corporate tasting is hosted at a flat price, with the option to split the cost evenly among executives at $40 each.
Pottery-Painting Studios	Open studio slots are available with a studio fee plus the cost of items painted, with walk-ins welcome.	An adult birthday party hires the studio area for 10 guests at a bundled price of $350, with the option to send $35 bills to each friend.
Surf Schools & Wave Pools	Group surf lessons are offered at $45 per person, with discounts for larger groups.	A private wave pool session is booked for a flat fee, with the organizer paying the total and optionally recovering costs from participants.
Indoor Golf Simulators	Bay hire is sold per hour, per player, at rates ranging from $10 to $20 per person.	A corporate “sim-golf” night is organized with the venue charging a flat rate of $200 for exclusive use, with the finance department handling internal cost distribution.
LAN Gaming / Esports	Tickets for a 4-day BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) tournament are sold at approximately $50 per person.	An all-night gaming session is booked for 15 players at a flat rate of $360; the organizer can choose to split the cost at $24 per person.
Mobile Gaming Bus	Additional seats on a gaming bus are advertised at $25 per person when capacity exceeds 15 participants.	A standard party package is offered at a flat rate of $360 for up to 15 gamers; the host can pay the total or divide the invoices among participants.
Recording Studios	Open “vocal-booth taster” sessions are available at rates between $30 and $100 per person, with shared technician time.	An evening “band lock-out” session is quoted at $600 for 6 hours; payment can be split among band members.
VR Arcades	60-minute arcade passes are sold at $33 per person, with bookings available on a public calendar.	A group package offers the option to hire the arena privately for a flat rate of $500, with the choice between unified or split payment among participants.
Archery	“Beginner Archery Courses” are offered at $175 per person for up to 10 archers.	A mobile archery range is booked for a birthday party at a flat hire fee, with the host choosing to pay the total or split the cost among guests.
Cocktail / Mixology Classes	Online cocktail masterclasses are available at $50 per person, with ingredient boxes shipped to each attendee.	A private Zoom mixology party is booked at $200 per group; the organizer can pay the total or opt to split the cost evenly among friends.
Horseback Riding	Group riding lessons are offered at $28 per person for a 30-minute session.	A one-hour private hack lesson is available at a flat rate of $58; the instructor can choose to keep it single-payer or divide the fee between two riders.
Drone-Flying Workshops	Introductory drone-flying courses are sold per seat, with pricing varying by location.	A corporate drone team-building session is organized with the facilitator charging a flat package rate, with the option to split invoices among delegates if requested.
Sailing / Boating Lessons	Shared “Learn-to-Sail” classes are offered with seat prices for each student.	A private two-student sailing lesson is available at a flat rate, with additional per-head charges as applicable.
Glass-Blowing Studios	Hot-glass taster sessions are offered at $120 per person, with a minimum of 4 seats.	Exclusive studio hire is available for corporate teams at a flat price, with the option for HR to pay the total or split the cost evenly among employees.
Paddleboard / Kayak Tours	Public 2-hour stand-up paddleboard tours are available at $40 per person.	A private hen-party paddle session is booked for a minimum of 8 paddlers at $35 per person, with the organizer choosing to pay the total or split the cost among participants.
Co-working & Meeting Rooms	Meeting rooms are available for booking per person, per hour, with pay-as-you-go options.	Half-day boardroom hires are offered at a flat rate, with the booker having the option to split the cost across departments.
Archery Parties / Gender-Reveal Events	Public “have-a-go” archery sessions are priced per archer, with venues offering walk-in availability.	Full-venue archery parties for corporate or family events are hired at a single fee, with the option to allocate the cost equally among attendees via split-invoice.
Kids Camps & Parties	Summer day camp offered at $60 per child per day	Private birthday party booked at $500 total for up to 15 kids
Boat & Yacht Charters	Public sightseeing cruise, $30 per seat	Private yacht rental, full-day flat fee of $1,500, optionally split among guests
Beauty & Makeup	Public makeup workshop, $40 per attendee	Bridal makeup session booked privately for $400, split between bridal party members
Virtual Experiences	Public online trivia night, tickets at $10 per participant	Private virtual escape-room event for a corporate team at $300 flat rate, invoice split among attendees
Transport / Shuttle	Airport shuttle bus service priced at $20 per passenger	Private minibus hire for corporate event transportation at a $300 flat fee
Pet Training & Care	Puppy obedience group classes at $35 per dog	Private dog-training session booked for family pets at a $150 flat rate
Photography Sessions	Seasonal family mini-photo sessions offered publicly at $75 per family	Private photo shoot at a flat rate of $400 for a family reunion
Personal Fitness Training	Outdoor boot camp session, open enrollment at $25 per participant	Private home fitness training session at $100 flat for a small group
Personal Chefs & Catering	Public cooking demo and tasting, tickets at $50 per guest	Private dinner party catering for 10 guests at $800 total, optionally split among diners
Yoga & Meditation Retreats	Weekend yoga retreat priced at $150 per attendee	Private meditation retreat for a corporate group, booked at $2,000 flat rate, single or split invoices
Martial Arts & Self-Defense	Public self-defense classes offered at $30 per person	Private martial arts seminar booked at $500 flat, optionally split by attendees
Music & Instrument Lessons	Group guitar lessons open to the public at $25 per student	Private family piano lesson booked for a total of $120 per session
Dance Studios & Schools	Public hip-hop dance classes, tickets sold at $20 each	Private choreography session for a wedding party at a flat rate of $400
Golf & Driving Ranges	Public golf clinics priced per attendee at $50	Private golf coaching booked at $250 per group, split or single invoice option
Rock Climbing & Adventure	Open climbing sessions at a gym priced at $25 per climber	Private climbing wall hire for team-building at a flat rate of $300
Farm Visits & Animal Encounters	Public farm experience tickets priced at $15 per visitor	Private birthday party at a farm with animal encounters booked at $400 flat rate
Horse Carriage Rides	City sightseeing carriage rides, seats booked at $20 per rider	Private romantic carriage ride booked at $150 flat for couples
Car & Bike Rentals (Groups)	Bicycle rental tours priced per seat at $25	Private group bicycle tour rental booked at $300 flat rate, split among participants
Swimming Lessons & Aquatics	Public swimming lessons available at $30 per participant	Private swimming lesson for a small group booked at a flat $150 per session
Sports Coaching & Clinics	Public soccer training clinics at $40 per player	Private baseball coaching session booked at $300 flat rate for a team
Cinema & Film Screenings	Open-air cinema tickets sold at $12 per viewer	Private cinema hire for special event at $500 flat rate, split among attendees
Team-Building Activities	Public paint-and-sip classes, seats at $35 per attendee	Private team-building art session booked for $400 flat, optionally split among staff
Educational Tours & Field Trips	Museum educational tours priced at $10 per student	Private educational tour booked for a class group at a flat rate of $300
Wellness Retreats	Public wellness workshops priced at $50 per participant	Private corporate wellness day booked for $1,000 flat rate, split among company departments
Community Classes & Workshops	Public gardening workshops priced at $25 per attendee	Private gardening session booked for community groups at a flat rate of $200
Holiday & Seasonal Events	Public holiday craft fair entry at $5 per visitor	Private holiday party booked for a community group at a flat rate of $500
Wedding Services & Celebrations	Wedding-planning workshops available at $100 per person	Private wedding rehearsal coordination booked at $300 flat rate
Bike & Scooter Tours	Public city scooter tour, tickets at $30 per participant	Private guided scooter tour for a family, booked at $200 flat rate
Historical & Cultural Tours	Public historical walking tour offered at $20 per participant	Private cultural tour booked for international delegates at a flat rate of $500