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SHAH ALAM – Fitness studio SopiLates said it has yet to receive its August payout from third-party booking platform ClassPass, which it said has attributed the delay to a payment processing issue.
A SopiLates co-founder said ClassPass had informed the studio that the issue was affecting some of its partner studios in Malaysia.
“According to their latest update, the root cause has been identified, and they are working with their payment provider, Tipalti, to reprocess the affected payments,” the co-founder said.
“They expect the reprocessing to take place today and have said they are actively monitoring the situation. We appreciate finally receiving an explanation, although we are still waiting for the payment to reach us.”
Third-party booking platforms allow customers to book fitness classes using credits or tokens, while studios receive payment through the platforms for classes conducted.
The co-founder said the delay had caused concern as the studio had already conducted the classes and incurred the associated costs.
“We have already delivered the classes and covered the associated costs, so waiting without a confirmed payment date has been stressful. It is not only about the delayed funds – it also affects the trust and sense of security we have as a partner studio.”
The studio said businesses could reduce their reliance on a single third-party booking platform by strengthening direct booking channels, encouraging customers to purchase packages directly, monitoring outstanding payouts and maintaining an emergency cash reserve where possible.
“However, this is easier said than done for small studios, as many of us depend on such platforms for exposure and customer acquisition,” it said.
SopiLates also called on booking platforms to communicate promptly when payment issues arise, explain what happened and provide a realistic timeline for resolving them.
“A dedicated support channel for urgent payout matters would also be helpful. More importantly, platforms should have a contingency process to ensure studios are paid on time even when their payment provider experiences technical issues,” it said.
The issue highlights the challenges faced by smaller fitness studios that rely on third-party booking platforms to attract customers while waiting for payments for classes conducted.