Dance studio software glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms that come up when you run a dance studio online, from class packs and waitlists to merchant of record and recurring tuition.
Booking software has its own vocabulary, and most of it shows up exactly when a studio owner is trying to make a decision. This glossary defines the terms that matter for running a dance studio online, with notes on how each one works in Floorwork where it is relevant.
- Apex domain
- The root form of a studio's web address, such as exampledance.com, without a www or other subdomain prefix. With Floorwork the studio's site and all of booking live on the apex domain, so students never leave the studio's own address.
- Application fee
- The small platform fee collected on each transaction processed through a connected payment account. In Floorwork the studio is paid directly and the platform takes an application fee on top of the Stripe processing cost, rather than holding the studio's funds.
- Booking widget vs inline booking
- A booking widget is a third-party embed dropped onto a page, usually with its own branding and login. Inline booking is booking rendered as native page content on the studio's own site, with no visible handoff. Floorwork uses inline booking so the schedule, checkout, and account all read as one studio brand.
- Class pack
- A bundle of class credits a student buys up front, such as a 10-class pack, then redeems one credit per booking. Packs reward commitment with a lower per-class price and give the studio cash ahead of attendance.
- Door check-in
- The act of marking a student as present when they arrive, typically by scanning a QR ticket at the studio entrance. It confirms attendance, validates the booking, and creates an accurate record for capacity and payout reporting.
- Direct charges
- A Stripe Connect payment model where the charge is created on the studio's own connected account rather than the platform's. The studio is the merchant of record, so the studio name appears on the cardholder's statement and the studio owns the customer relationship.
- Drop-in
- A single class booked and paid for on its own, with no package or ongoing commitment. Drop-ins suit new or occasional students and are the simplest way to try a class before buying a pack or enrolling.
- Guardian and dependent accounts
- A linked account structure where a parent or guardian manages bookings and payments for one or more children. The guardian holds the login and card, while each dependent has their own enrollment, schedule, and attendance history under that account.
- Instructor payout split
- A rule that divides class or course revenue between the studio and the teacher, by percentage or flat rate per class. Tracking the split alongside attendance lets a studio pay instructors accurately without rebuilding the math by hand each pay period.
- Makeup class
- A replacement session offered to a student who missed a class they had booked or were enrolled in. Clear makeup policies and easy rebooking reduce refund requests and keep enrolled students attending.
- Merchant of record
- The legal seller responsible for a transaction, including the charge, the receipt, and the line on the buyer's card statement. With Floorwork the studio is the merchant of record, so payments and tax reporting belong to the studio, not the platform.
- Multi-location
- Support for a studio business that operates more than one physical location under one account, with separate schedules and rooms per site but shared students and reporting. In Floorwork each additional location is an extra $49 per month on top of the base plan.
- Prepaid credits
- A balance of class credits a student has bought in advance and can spend on future bookings. Credits work like a stored-value wallet: the student pays once, then redeems credits as they book, and the studio sees the revenue up front.
- QR ticket
- A unique scannable code issued for a booking, class, or event admission. Staff scan the code at the door to verify the holder, mark attendance, and prevent duplicate or transferred entries.
- Recital ticketing
- Selling seats to a studio's showcase or recital, often with assigned or general-admission tiers and QR tickets for entry. Handling it on the studio's own site keeps ticket revenue and the audience's contact details with the studio instead of a third-party box office.
- Recurring tuition
- A subscription-style charge that bills a family automatically on a set schedule, usually monthly, for an ongoing enrollment such as a season of weekly classes. It replaces chasing manual payments and smooths a studio's cash flow across the year.
- Segmented email
- Marketing or transactional email sent to a defined subset of students rather than the whole list, for example only beginners, only competition-team parents, or only lapsed students. Segments make messages more relevant and reduce unsubscribes.
- Stripe Connect
- Stripe's product for platforms that route payments to many independent businesses. Floorwork uses Stripe Connect Standard accounts so each studio gets its own Stripe account, owns its funds and payouts, and is the merchant of record on every charge.
- Student CRM
- A record of every student and family the studio works with: contact details, enrollment history, bookings, payments, and notes in one place. A studio CRM turns scattered spreadsheets into a single source of truth for retention and outreach.
- Waitlist
- An ordered queue of students who want a spot in a class that is already full. When a seat opens through a cancellation, the next student on the waitlist is offered the place, so popular classes stay full without manual juggling.