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Best Gym Membership Management Software

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The GoCardless content team comprises a group of subject-matter experts in multiple fields from across GoCardless. The authors and reviewers work in the sales, marketing, legal, and finance departments. All have in-depth knowledge and experience in various aspects of payment scheme technology and the operating rules applicable to each. The team holds expertise in the well-established payment schemes such as UK Direct Debit, the European SEPA scheme, and the US ACH scheme, as well as in schemes operating in Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. See full bio

Last editedDec 20212 min read

From the smallest yoga studios to larger full-service gyms, the ability to manage membership is key to success. Today’s software for gym membership management helps you keep track of an array of tasks, including class scheduling, marketing and planning events, and processing recurring payments. Here’s what to look for when choosing the best gym membership management software.

Why do you need software for gym membership management?

Compared to manually recording and tracking member records, membership management software automates these processes and keeps member lists in a central, secure location. In addition to member records management, this type of software also helps with marketing, promotions, billing, and scheduling classes.

Benefits to automating these processes with management software include:

Time savings compared to manual admin
Reduction in human error
Keeping client data more secure with encryption
Enhanced marketing opportunities using client details and user data
Better experience for members with a user-friendly interface
Online booking for classes to prevent scheduling conflicts

Payments are also made easier with the right software. For example, GoCardless allows businesses to take recurring payments automatically on their due date. It’s already used by well-known international fitness providers like Les Mills and Equation Training. In fact, the founder of Equation reports saving 2-3 hours per week on manual payment chasing alone. With tools like Success+, gyms can better manage recurring payments with intelligent retry technology to prevent payment failures.

Features to look for in software for gym membership management

In addition to recurring payment processing, what other features should you look for when comparing software for gym membership management?

Scheduling feature to let members and staff book, reschedule, and cancel appointments online
Membership management allowing users to edit and store records from an organized database
Management of loyalty programs, discounts, and gift cards
Payment processing for single classes with several payment methods
Financial reporting including monthly sales and revenue figures
Data analysis of member trends, gym attendance and inventory
Health management features for members including diet charts

The five best gym membership management software

There’s a wealth of membership management software out there, but the following are top of the list when it comes to gym memberships.

1. Glofox

Glofox offers a user-friendly experience with a central dashboard for managing member data and scheduling. It also offers full support for users, making it easy to integrate with your existing software systems and apps.

2. Gymflow

There’s a strong focus on customer engagement and retention with Gymflow, which uses advanced data analysis to see what customers are positively responding to. Like others on this list, Gymflow also is useful for general admin and booking.

3. Exercise.com

Another good all-in-one solution for gym owners is exercise.com. It’s ideal for gyms that host a high volume of classes. You’ll be able to automate scheduling while allowing clients to log in and choose their classes. The platform supports both in-person and virtual fitness sessions.

4. Mindbody

Mindbody integrates with social media apps like Facebook for easier appointment booking. This cloud-based software solution is ideal for small or medium gyms as well as personal trainers. Mindbody offers a selection of targeted marketing tools for better client outreach.

5. Zen Planner

If your gym offers personal training, Zen Planner is a good fit. It breaks down membership into individual profiles for more effective customer targeting. Your trainers and fitness instructors can design personalized routines based on the member’s profile for better results. Additional features include time tracking, embedded calendars, an online logbook, and scheduling capabilities.

How to find the best fit for your gym

It’s best to take all these features into account as you start comparing your gym membership management software options. While some businesses benefit more from the ability to customize training routines online, others deal with a high volume of classes and will need a comprehensive user management system for scheduling.

Be sure to look at integrations as well. For maximum convenience, you want software that integrates with existing payroll and accounting systems for easier payment management.

We can help

GoCardless helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of admin your team needs to deal with when chasing invoices. Find out how GoCardless can help you with ad hoc payments or recurring payments.