To track PT sessions and trainer commissions in Dubai, record every session against the client's package the moment it happens, mark it completed, no-show or cancelled, and calculate each trainer's pay from completed sessions at the package's price before VAT. Do that and month-end is a report, not a weekend with a spreadsheet. Get any of the three wrong and you'll overpay trainers, undercount what clients still owe, or argue about both.
Below is a full month-end for a Dubai PT studio with three trainers on three different pay models, in dirhams, the five rules that keep the numbers clean, and what to look for in software. If you're still choosing a pay model, start with how PT studios pay their trainers, and if you want to stay on a spreadsheet for now, the two-tab sheet shows exactly how.
What you need to record for every session
- The client and the package it comes out of, so the balance drops by one.
- The trainer who delivered it, which isn't always the one who sold the package.
- The date and time, so a late cancel can be told apart from a cancel two days out.
- The outcome: completed, no-show or cancelled. Only completed sessions should earn commission by default.
- The package price per session before VAT. This is the number commission is worked out on.
The VAT point is the one Dubai studios most often get wrong. A 10-session package sold at AED 3,150 includes AED 150 of VAT that goes to the Federal Tax Authority, not to you. So each session is worth AED 300 to the business, not AED 315, and a 40% commission is AED 120, not AED 126. Over a year and a team of trainers, that 5% adds up to real money paid out of your margin.
A month-end, worked through
Take a studio in Dubai Marina selling 10-session packages at AED 3,150 including VAT (AED 300 a session before VAT). Three trainers, three pay models, one month.
| Trainer | Pay model | This month | Pay (AED) | Session revenue they delivered (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aisha, full-time | Salary 6,000 + 50 per completed session | 70 completed, 3 no-shows | 9,500 | 21,000 |
| Karim, full-time | 40% of the session price, per completed session | 55 completed, 2 late cancels | 6,600 | 16,500 |
| Leo, freelance | 50% of each package he sells, paid at sale | 4 packages sold, 28 sessions completed | 6,000 | 8,400 |
Session revenue = completed sessions × AED 300. Leo's pay is earned on AED 12,000 of package sales (4 × AED 3,000 before VAT), not on the sessions he delivered this month.
Three things jump out once it's laid out like this. Aisha costs 45% of what she delivers, and that share falls the busier she gets, because her salary is fixed. Karim costs exactly 40%, whatever happens. Leo is paid AED 6,000 now for 40 sessions he'll deliver over the next few months. Those sessions are money you've already spent, so they belong on your list of what clients are still owed.
None of this is visible on a spreadsheet that only counts sessions. You need the session, the package and the pay rule in one place.
Five rules that keep PT numbers clean
- Pay on completed sessions by default. A no-show can still use up the client's session under your policy, but decide separately, and in writing, whether the trainer is paid for it.
- Write down the late-cancel window (24 hours is common in Dubai) and apply it the same way for every client.
- Work commission out on the price before VAT, always.
- Give packages an expiry date, and tell clients at sale. Unused sessions are a debt you owe until they expire.
- Close the month on a fixed date and don't edit sessions before it after payroll runs. Late changes go into next month.
How often should you pay PT commission?
Monthly, with salary, is what most Dubai studios do, and it's what the Wage Protection System expects for employed trainers: salaries paid through WPS on a monthly cycle. Freelance trainers on a permit invoice you, usually monthly too. Paying commission at sale (like Leo) is common with freelancers but carries the risk above: if Leo leaves, someone else delivers those 40 sessions and you pay twice. Our trainer pay guide covers WPS and freelance permits in more detail.
What software should do for you
Here's the test: at the end of the month, can you open one report and see every session, its outcome, its price and what each trainer earned from it, with a total that matches what you're about to pay? If the answer involves exporting two lists and a VLOOKUP, your software isn't doing the job.
In ManageYourGym, clients buy PT packages and every session comes off their balance. Trainers run their day in their own trainer app and mark sessions as they happen. Each trainer's pay is set once: a monthly salary, per class or hourly, plus a per-session rate and a percentage of the packages they sell or deliver, earned either at each completed session or up front at sale, in any combination. Only completed sessions earn session pay, and discounts come off before any share is worked out. See personal training and trainer pay.
At month-end, the Trainer Sessions report lists every session with its status, price and the trainer's payout, with a per-trainer summary that adds salary and package commission. It exports to CSV, Excel or PDF for your accountant. Clients see how many sessions they've used and have left in your own member app, which is included on every plan from AED 290 a month ($79).
Frequently asked questions
Should PT commission be calculated before or after VAT?
Before. The 5% VAT in a UAE package price belongs to the Federal Tax Authority, so the business never keeps it. Paying commission on the VAT-inclusive price means paying trainers a share of tax.
Should trainers be paid for client no-shows?
It's your policy, but most studios don't pay session commission for no-shows, even when the client loses the session. Some pay a smaller flat amount so trainers aren't out of pocket for a slot they kept free. Whatever you choose, write it into the trainer's agreement.
What is a normal PT commission in Dubai?
There's no fixed norm. Freelancers usually take a bigger share of each session than salaried trainers, who get a lower share or a flat per-session rate on top of their salary. Our trainer pay guide compares the models on one trainer at 40, 60 and 80 sessions a month, so you can see what each costs before you pick.
How do I track unused PT sessions?
Every package should carry a live balance and an expiry date. The total of unused sessions, valued at the price before VAT, is what you owe clients in service. Check it monthly, especially before a trainer leaves.
Can trainers see their own commission?
They should, because it ends most month-end arguments. In ManageYourGym, trainers see their schedule and sessions in their own app, and the owner's report shows each trainer's payout session by session.
Want to run last month's numbers through it? Book a 20-minute demo and bring your package prices and trainer pay rules.