What is CoverMATE?

CoverMATE is a mobile app designed specifically to make managing instructor cover easier, more organised and more reliable for fitness studios and fitness centres.

Instead of relying on busy WhatsApp group chats to organise cover, CoverMATE gives your business a dedicated system where instructors can post, view and accept cover requests, while owners and managers have complete visibility of outstanding cover.

The result is a simpler process, less administration and greater confidence that your classes are covered.

How does CoverMATE work?

When an instructor is unable to work a scheduled class, they simply select “+ Post Cover” within the app, enter the details of the cover required and post the request.

All relevant instructors are then notified that a cover request has been posted. Another instructor can accept the request directly through the app, at which point the shift is marked as covered and the relevant instructors are notified.

It removes the uncertainty and confusion that can occur when cover requests are managed through busy group chats

Who is CoverMATE designed for?

CoverMATE is designed for fitness studios and fitness centres that have multiple instructors and regularly need to organise class cover.

Whether you're running a small Pilates studio with five instructors or a larger fitness centre with 55, CoverMATE provides a simple and structured way to manage your cover requirements.

Do you have a FREE trial?

Absolutely! You can try CoverMATE completely free for 14 days, with no upfront cost.

The free trial gives you and your team the opportunity to experience CoverMATE first-hand and see how it can help make managing instructor cover easier, more organised and more reliable.

And for our launch foundation offer, the first 20 fitness centres will receive two months completely free instead of the standard 14-day trial.

What does CoverMATE cost?

CoverMATE is free to download and includes a 14-day free trial.

After the free trial, the cost is just $4.99 AUD per user, per month.

You only pay for the instructors registered within your studio. Whether you have five instructors or 55, you only pay for the users you have registered.

All payments are securely processed through Stripe.

Why shouldn't I just use WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a great communication tool, but it wasn't designed to manage instructor cover.

When multiple cover requests are posted into a busy group chat, messages can quickly become buried. It can then be difficult to determine which classes have been covered, which are still outstanding and who has agreed to cover a particular class.

CoverMATE was created specifically to solve this problem.

Every cover request is managed within the app, instructors are notified when cover is available, and once a request is accepted, the shift is marked as covered.

No more scrolling through endless messages trying to work out what's been covered.

How do I post a cover request?

Posting a cover request is simple.

An instructor selects “+ Post Cover”, enters the details of the shift and posts the request.

The relevant instructors are then notified that a cover request is available.

If an instructor is unable to post a shift themselves, managers or owners are able to do it on their behalf. 

How is a cover request accepted?

Cover requests can only be accepted directly through the CoverMATE app.

An instructor simply selects the available cover request and accepts it. Once accepted, the shift is marked as covered and the relevant instructors are notified.

This creates a clear record of who has accepted the class and removes the ambiguity that can occur with messages such as “I can do it” in a group chat.

What happens if no-one accepts the cover request?

CoverMATE is designed to help prevent unanswered cover requests from becoming a last-minute problem.

If a shift remains unclaimed, the owner or manager receives an urgent notification 24 hours before the class, followed by another notification 3 hours before the class.

This gives management the opportunity to take action — including cancelling the class if necessary — with as much advance notice as possible.

Once the outcome is known, the manager can record that the shift was not claimed, allowing the studio to maintain accurate records and run reports on cover activity.

Can a manager or owner allocate cover themselves?

Yes.

While instructors can accept cover requests directly through the app, owners and managers also have the ability to allocate a class to another instructor when required.

This is particularly useful if an instructor is unable to access the app or if management needs to take control of an outstanding cover request.

Can owners and managers see outstanding requests?

Yes.

Owners and managers have visibility of outstanding cover requests, allowing them to quickly identify classes that still need an instructor.

Management can also allocate a class to another instructor if required and run reports on cover requests that have been posted and accepted.

This provides valuable visibility into your studio's cover activity.

Does CoverMATE send notifications?

Yes. CoverMATE uses push notifications to keep instructors and management informed.

Notifications are sent to staff when:

• A new cover request is posted.

• A cover request has been accepted and the shift is covered.

• An unclaimed shift reaches 24 hours before the class.

• An unclaimed shift reaches 3 hours before the class.

The 24-hour and 3-hour notifications give management valuable time to take action if a class still hasn't been covered.

Does every instructor need to use CoverMATE?

Instructors who are part of the studio's cover system should be registered as users within the app.

This allows them to receive cover notifications and accept available shifts directly through CoverMATE.

Because the system works on a per-user basis, you only pay for the instructors registered within your studio.

Can I add or remove instructors?

Yes.

Studio owners and managers can manage the instructors registered within their studio.

If an instructor is unable to access the app when a cover request needs to be resolved, management can also step in and allocate the cover to another instructor.

What happens to my billing when I add or remove an instructor?

Your subscription is calculated based on the number of users registered within your studio.

Payments are processed through Stripe, which automatically calculates pro-rata adjustments when staff members are added or removed during the month.

Any applicable adjustment is then reflected on your following monthly invoice.

Is there a lock in contract period?

No.

There is no long-term contract or lock-in period. Business owners are free to cancel their CoverMATE subscription whenever they choose.

Can I cancel my subscription at any time?

Absolutely.

There is no lock-in period, so you are free to cancel your subscription whenever you choose.

What platforms is CoverMATE on?

CoverMATE is currently available on both iPhone and Android. 

(Please note: we are currently gooing through the process of having CoverMATE added to both the Google Play and Apple stores. Once added to the individual platforms, it will be searchable within the stores)

Can I use CoverMATE on a computer?

CoverMATE is a mobile-phone-based app, designed to be used by instructors and management directly from their phones.

Is my studios information secure?

We take the privacy and security of your information seriously.

For full details about how information is collected, stored and used, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

How will CoverMATE benefit my members?

The ultimate benefit of CoverMATE is a more reliable experience for your members.

When instructor cover is difficult to organise, classes can potentially be cancelled at short notice — or, in the worst-case scenario, members can arrive for a class without an instructor.

CoverMATE gives your studio a structured process for managing cover and provides management with notifications when a shift remains unclaimed.

Fewer missed cover requests can mean fewer cancelled classes, less disruption for your members and a more professional experience for everyone.

Why was CoverMATE created?

CoverMATE was created from a problem I experienced first-hand as a Pilates studio owner.

Our instructors regularly needed to find cover for their shifts, and WhatsApp was the way we managed it.

The problem was that WhatsApp quickly became messy. Multiple requests could be posted at once, messages could be missed, and it became difficult to know which classes had been covered and which still needed an instructor.

On more than one occasion, this resulted in members attending a class without an instructor.

I decided there had to be a better way. After searching the app stores and trialling many different apps, there was nothing currently available on the market.

I spent eight months developing CoverMATE, initially creating it as a web app that was used by my own staff for several months. During that time, we tested the features, generated ideas, listened to feedback and made changes based on real-world use.

CoverMATE has now evolved into the mobile app it is today and is ready to help fitness businesses solve the same problem.

What makes CoverMATE different?

CoverMATE isn't trying to replace every system your fitness business already uses.

It has one clear purpose: to make managing instructor cover easier.

From posting a cover request, notifying instructors and accepting a shift, through to management notifications, allocation and reporting, CoverMATE provides a dedicated process from start to finish.

It replaces the uncertainty of managing cover through group chats with a clear, structured system designed specifically for fitness businesses.

Is CoverMATE worth the cost?

At just $4.99 AUD per user, per month, CoverMATE is designed to be an affordable solution for fitness businesses of all sizes.

The cost of CoverMATE should be considered against the potential cost of cancelled classes, lost revenue, additional administration and disappointed members.

By helping your team manage cover more effectively and giving management advance warning when a shift remains unclaimed, CoverMATE can help reduce the risk of last-minute cancellations and keep your studio running smoothly.

What is the foundation offer?

To celebrate the launch of CoverMATE, we're offering a special foundation deal to the first 20 fitness centres that sign up.

Instead of the standard 14-day free trial, the first 20 fitness centres will receive two full months completely free.

It's an opportunity to put CoverMATE into practice within your business, introduce it to your team and experience the benefits before your normal subscription begins.

***Limited to the first 20 fitness centres***

How can I provide feedback or suggest a feature?

CoverMATE has been developed through real-world use, testing, feedback and ideas from the people who actually use it.

If you have feedback, encounter an issue or would like to suggest additional functionality, we'd love to hear from you.

Email: covermate.app@outlook.com

Your feedback will help shape the future development of CoverMATE.