How to Use Creative Pricing Strategies to Grow Your Coworking Space

Your members consider many factors when deciding where to work — and price is usually one of them.

While there are several strategies for pricing your products and plans, today we’re focusing on how to use specific pricing (ie. offering weekend rates or member-exclusive pricing) to help grow your coworking space revenue.

In this article, we’ll share nine creative ways to price resources in your coworking space, from desks to podcast studios, to help you drive more revenue. All of these pricing strategies are possible with Optix coworking software, making it easier than ever to drive more revenue for your space.

How does price impact the success of a coworking space?

Coworking spaces serve so many different kinds of people that it is often in your best interest to have a wide range of services at a wide variety of price points to effectively capitalize on demand. 

According to the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), it is detrimental to your business to price your services too low or too high. In other words, having the incorrect pricing model or structure will hinder growth.

That’s where creative pricing strategies come into play – they help you drive more revenue by offering different prices on different days, for different kinds of members, or at different times.

How to use creative pricing strategies to grow your coworking space

Getting creative with your pricing means recognizing patterns in your space, and adjusting your price accordingly. Here’s a step by step process of how to do just that.

1. Define your strategic objectives

Define what you want to accomplish with your pricing strategy and how you will measure its success (key performance indicators or KPIs). We typically see four common goals with pricing from our coworking space operators. Different pricing strategies will target different goals, so getting clear about your objectives is a good idea.

Goals for creative pricing strategies and associated KPIs

2. Review the data you have available to you

If you’re using any kind of coworking software platform, then you have at least some data around your members — what days are most popular, when they’re checking in, etc. In Optix, you can export this data using the Data Exporter tool and analyze it to identify patterns in how your members utilize your space.

3. Complete a competitor analysis of price

Once you understand your data and where there are opportunities in your business, take a moment to look at how other coworking spaces in your area approach price. If weekend pricing is implemented across four out of five coworking spaces in your area, then you may want to do the same.

4. Design your pricing strategy

Map out your pricing strategy based on the opportunities you’ve identified, ensuring they are aligned with general market needs. We’ll go into a few examples in the next section. Remember: your pricing strategy should align with your key objectives and KPIs.

5. Create automation to support your pricing

Once implemented in your software, you can utilize automation in your coworking space to help drive more engagement with your offers. For example, you could implement a Rewards pricing that kicks in after someone’s tenth booking, then create an automation that sends an automated email to members after their tenth booking letting them know about the exclusive pricing offer.

What are some examples of creative pricing for my coworking or flex space business?

If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to price your resources, look no further. We’ll walk you through nine examples of how to use creative pricing to grow your business.

1. Offer reduced “Weekend Rates” for your desks and meeting rooms

Weekend pricing plan: Price your hot desks at 50% off on Saturday and Sunday

According to DeskMag, the most popular time for coworking spaces is during typical working hours — Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. If you operate a 24/7 coworking space or an unmanned, autonomous space, it may be worth exploring ways to increase demand outside of those peak hours. That’s where weekend pricing comes in.

Weekend pricing allows you to generate more revenue (and demand) during off-peak times. Try offering lower rates for on-demand resources like desks or meeting rooms over the weekend to boost utilization.

2. Set lower prices for bookings on slower days

Monday fun day: Price your hot desks at 30% off on Mondays

Are your Mondays and Fridays slower than you’d like? You’re not alone. These two days consistently rank as the quietest in coworking spaces.

If you’re looking to increase traffic on slower days, whether that’s Monday, Friday, or even the occasional Thursday, consider offering lower pricing on those specific days. Not sure which days are the slowest for your space? Use the data and reporting available in your coworking software to help guide your decision.

Optix, for example, provides a check-in heat map that shows when users are most likely to check in. This can help you identify trends and adjust your pricing strategy accordingly.

3. Offer VIP members exclusive pricing

VIP pricing: VIP members get meeting room bookings at 75% off

We typically see two types of VIP members in coworking spaces:

• Members who have purchased a specific tiered membership plan (ie. “VIP Member Plan”) where they pay a higher monthly fee in exchange for a range of benefits
• Long-term members who have been loyal to the community for several years

How you define a “VIP member” is entirely up to you. What matters is the opportunity to reward these members and strengthen loyalty by offering lower prices on high-value resources. For example, VIP members might receive 50% off meeting room bookings or get free access to phone booths. This strategy is all about retention and giving members a little something extra to make them feel special.

4. Implement peak and off-peak pricing

Early morning special: Price your phone booths at 50% off before 9 am

If you’ve ever taken an Uber during rush hour, you’ve probably noticed the price was higher than it was just a few hours earlier. That’s because Uber charges more during peak times…and you can apply the same principle in your coworking space.

You can adjust your resource pricing based on demand: increase prices during peak hours or lower them during off-peak hours, depending on your goals.

• If your goal is to boost space utilization, consider lowering prices during off-peak times (like early mornings or late evenings)
• If you’re frequently at capacity, especially with high-demand resources like meeting rooms, raising prices during peak hours can help manage demand more effectively

5. Create member-only pricing for all resources

Member-only pricing: Price your resources at roughly 10-15% less for members

If you’re looking to convert more day-pass users into long-term members, member-only pricing can be a powerful incentive. By offering members a 10–50% discount on resources compared to non-members, you can position your memberships as offering real, tangible value, even saying they’ll “pay for themselves.”

You can also set this in Optix using the “Overage Discount” via Plans.

6. Offer a discounted price if a booking is a longer than a set number of hours

Half-day meeting room: Price your meeting rooms at $50/hr or $25/hr for 5 or more hours

If you’re looking to encourage longer bookings for specific resources, consider offering a discounted rate for bookings that exceed a set duration. This is especially useful for resources like meeting rooms that you’d prefer to be booked in larger time blocks (such as half-day sessions) rather than short, hourly bookings. 

For example, you could set the standard rate at $50/hour, but offer a reduced rate of $25/hour if someone books for five or more hours.

7. Offer frequent member pricing to power users

Frequent member: Price your meeting rooms lower for members who have made ten or more meeting room bookings in the last month

Another way to encourage loyalty and boost member retention is by offering frequent member pricing to power users, or those who regularly book resources in your space. You could unlock this pricing after a member makes a certain number of bookings in a month (ie. five or 10), either for a specific resource or across any resources.

8. Lock-in new members at a founding member price 

Founding member: Pay only $20/day for hot desks for life

Just starting your coworking space and want to get people in the door quickly? Consider a founding members pricing strategy, where early members are grandfathered into a discounted rate for life.

This strategy is popular across many industries to generate early buzz and momentum. It’s especially valuable in coworking, as it helps build a core community right from the start. And time and again, we’ve seen that community is one of the top reasons people choose (and stay with) a coworking space.

Tip: Use Account Types in Optix to help you manage pricing for different types of members.

9. Price resources lower for those who have never made a booking

Engage new users: Offer $10/day hot desk for people who have never made a booking

Do you have virtual mail members who have never come into the space? Are you driving new users to your coworking app as a way to generate leads? If so, then you may want to consider implementing a promotion that prices resources lower for those who have never made a booking.

When they visit your app or website, only those who have never made a booking before will see the promotional pricing.

How will you get creative with your pricing?

Creative pricing is one of the most effective and often overlooked ways to drive revenue, boost retention, and build community in your coworking space. 

Whether it’s offering discounted weekend or off-peak rates to increase utilization, rewarding loyal or VIP members with exclusive pricing, or using tiered pricing to convert day-pass users into long-term members, there are countless ways to make your pricing work harder for your business. 

With the right strategy, your pricing can help you attract new members, encourage longer bookings, and create a space people genuinely want to be part of. And the best part? 

Every strategy we’ve shared is possible in Optix.