A gym can take payments in several very different ways.
A member might sign up online for a monthly membership, another might pay annually at reception, while other customers purchase individual classes, personal-training sessions, drinks, supplements or merchandise.
The payment setup may also be connected to membership software, booking systems, access control, an app or accounting software.
That means choosing a payment provider for a gym is not simply a question of finding the cheapest merchant account.
You need to understand how money moves through the entire gym and then find payment providers that can support that model.
Merchant Advice Service helps businesses understand their payment requirements before introducing them to providers that may be suitable. You can learn more about merchant accounts, explore merchant account providers, or use this guide to work through the requirements first.
What payments does a gym actually need to take?
Start with the transactions rather than the provider.
A gym or fitness business may need to accept:
- monthly membership fees;
- annual memberships;
- joining or administration fees;
- pay-as-you-go sessions;
- fitness classes;
- personal training;
- online bookings;
- deposits;
- day passes;
- food and drink;
- supplements and merchandise;
- telephone payments; and
- payments across multiple gym locations.
Not every one of those transactions needs to use the same payment method.
For example, regular memberships could be collected by Direct Debit while joining fees, classes and reception purchases are taken by debit or credit card.
Larger gym groups may also want one payment setup across several sites, central reporting and easier reconciliation, while boutique studios may place more importance on online booking and recurring billing.
Looking for a payment provider for your gym?
Tell us how you take payments, your approximate card turnover and anything your next provider needs to work with. Merchant Advice Service can use this information to help identify merchant account and payment providers that may suit your setup.
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Recurring payments are at the centre of most gym payment setups
For many gyms, the most important payments are not the transactions taken at reception. They are the membership payments collected every month.
There are two common routes.
Direct Debit
Direct Debit is widely used for regular UK membership payments.
The customer gives permission for payments to be collected from their bank account, subject to the rules of the Direct Debit scheme.
It can work well for predictable recurring membership billing and is supported by dedicated Direct Debit providers as well as a number of gym-management platforms.
If this is an important part of the requirement, you can also explore Direct Debit providers.
Recurring card payments
Memberships can also be charged to a customer's debit or credit card on a recurring basis.
This may be particularly useful where card payments are already built into the gym's website, app or membership software.
The important question is not simply whether the provider supports recurring payments.
You should establish how the recurring payment works with:
- new member sign-up;
- membership upgrades and downgrades;
- failed payments;
- cancelled memberships;
- refunds;
- payment reporting; and
- the customer's account within your membership software.
Direct Debit or recurring cards?
There is no requirement for every gym to choose one or the other.
Some fitness businesses use Direct Debit for regular memberships and cards for everything else. Others use card-based recurring billing because it is already integrated into their membership platform.
The right decision therefore depends on the wider payment and software setup rather than the payment method in isolation.
Check your gym software before choosing a payment provider
This is one of the most important checks a gym can make.
Gym-management and fitness platforms can combine functions such as:
- membership management;
- class bookings;
- customer accounts;
- access control;
- recurring billing;
- online payments;
- EPOS;
- reporting; and
- payment reconciliation.
Some platforms have their own payment arrangement. Others integrate with particular gateways or processors. Some provide more flexibility than others.
Before signing a new payment contract, establish exactly what your software allows.
Ask:
- Which payment providers does the platform support?
- Can you use an external merchant account or gateway?
- Are card machines integrated with the software?
- How are recurring membership payments handled?
- Who stores or controls existing payment credentials?
- What happens to active members if the payment provider changes?
- How are failed payments shown within the member record?
- How are refunds handled?
- Does settlement reconcile back to individual members or transactions?
A provider offering a lower headline processing rate may be of little practical use if it cannot connect to the software the gym depends on.
For a deeper explanation of this area, read our guide to integrated payments and software compatibility.
Card machines and reception payments
Even gyms built around recurring memberships normally need a way to take one-off payments.
A terminal at reception may be used for:
- new memberships;
- joining fees;
- day passes;
- personal-training sessions;
- class packs;
- drinks and refreshments;
- sportswear;
- supplements; and
- other retail purchases.
If the gym uses EPOS or membership software at reception, check whether the terminal can integrate with it.
An integrated setup can allow the amount due to move from the business software to the terminal and the payment result to return to the underlying customer or transaction record.
For a larger gym, leisure group or multi-site operator, also consider whether terminals, locations, merchant IDs and reporting can be managed across the full estate.
Online gym payments and membership sign-up
Many potential members now encounter the payment journey before they ever walk into the gym.
They may:
choose membership → create account → enter payment details → accept membership terms → pay joining fee → start recurring membership.
Others may simply book a class or pay for a trial session.
If payments are taken through your website or app, you may need a payment gateway as part of the wider payment setup.
Check whether the gateway can support the required:
- website or booking platform;
- recurring payments;
- mobile checkout;
- digital wallets;
- refunds;
- reporting;
- membership workflow; and
- merchant account or acquiring relationship.
The gateway and merchant account do not necessarily have to come from the same company, but compatibility needs to be confirmed before committing to either.
What Merchant Category Code is used for gyms?
Membership-based gyms and fitness clubs are commonly associated with MCC 7997.
Visa describes MCC 7997 as membership clubs covering sports, recreation and athletic facilities, including physical fitness and health clubs.
Your final MCC is allocated through the acquiring or payment-provider process according to the way the business operates.
This matters because the MCC forms part of the information used to identify the merchant's business activity within the payment ecosystem.
Are gym merchant accounts difficult to get?
A gym is not automatically a specialist or high-risk merchant simply because it sells memberships.
However, an acquirer will assess the individual business and payment model before approving an account.
Information that can become relevant includes:
- how long the business has been trading;
- monthly payment volume;
- average transaction value;
- monthly versus annual memberships;
- whether significant amounts are collected in advance;
- refund and cancellation terms;
- chargeback history;
- existing processing history;
- business ownership;
- websites and membership terms; and
- how recurring payments are authorised.
An established gym with existing processing statements can normally give a prospective provider much more information than a completely new fitness business.
If you already process payments, it is therefore worth having recent statements and information about your current setup available when comparing alternatives.
Changing gym payment provider?
Existing memberships, recurring payments and software integrations can make switching more complicated than simply opening a new merchant account.
Tell us what you use now and what needs to work differently. We can help you narrow down providers that may be able to support the requirement.
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How much does gym payment processing cost?
There is no meaningful single transaction rate that applies to every gym.
The cost can depend on the gym's transaction volume, card mix, payment methods, contract, provider and technology.
Depending on the setup, costs may include:
- card-processing charges;
- interchange and scheme fees;
- provider margin;
- card-machine rental;
- gateway fees;
- authorisation charges;
- monthly platform charges;
- Direct Debit collection fees;
- chargeback fees;
- integration fees; and
- software-related payment charges.
That is why comparing gym payment providers purely on a headline percentage can be misleading.
A provider offering a fractionally lower card rate could still be more expensive overall if there are additional gateway, software, terminal or monthly charges.
Equally, the cheapest provider may not be the right choice if it creates additional administration or cannot support the required membership system.
Already taking payments? Map the existing setup before switching
Switching provider is more complicated when payments are already tied into memberships and gym software.
Before moving, map everything the existing payment arrangement does.
For example:
member signs up → recurring payment created → membership activated → access granted → monthly payment collected → member record updated → settlement received → payment reconciled.
Then consider what would need to change under the new provider.
This is particularly important where hundreds or thousands of active members already have payment arrangements in place.
Ask your existing software and prospective payment providers how the migration will work before cancelling anything.
You should also review:
- existing payment contracts;
- notice periods;
- terminal agreements;
- gateway agreements;
- membership billing;
- Direct Debit arrangements;
- stored payment credentials;
- settlement;
- refunds;
- reporting; and
- reconciliation.
What should a gym compare between payment providers?
A useful gym payment comparison should cover considerably more than price.
Payment methods
Can the provider support recurring cards, in-person payments, online payments and any other channels the gym requires?
Software compatibility
Can the payment provider work with the membership, booking, EPOS or access-control systems already in use?
Recurring billing
How are new memberships, renewals, failed payments, refunds and cancellations managed?
Settlement
How frequently are card-payment funds settled and how easy is it to match those settlements to transactions?
Pricing
Compare the complete processing cost, including technology and recurring-payment charges where relevant.
Contracts
Look at notice periods and separate contracts for acquiring, terminals, gateways or other payment services.
Future requirements
Consider whether the setup can support additional sites, higher volumes, ecommerce, new software or other changes planned for the business.
How Merchant Advice Service helps gyms compare payment providers
Merchant Advice Service is an independent payments information and provider-matching service.
We are not an acquiring bank and we do not approve merchant accounts ourselves.
Our role is to help you understand the payment requirement before narrowing down providers that may be suitable.
For a gym, that may mean looking at:
- existing payment provider;
- monthly card turnover;
- membership structure;
- recurring payments;
- Direct Debit requirements;
- card machines;
- online payments;
- membership or booking software;
- integration requirements;
- number of locations;
- settlement;
- existing processing history; and
- anything the next provider needs to do differently.
We can then use that information to identify payment companies that may fit the requirement.
You can also browse the Payments Directory® if you would rather research providers yourself.
Find payment providers that fit your gym setup
Tell us how your gym collects memberships, takes card payments and which software or integrations need to remain in place.
We can use that information to help identify merchant account and payment providers that may be suitable.
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Editorial & Commercial Disclosure
Merchant Advice Service is an independent payments information, comparison and provider-matching service.
MAS may receive a referral fee or commission from some payment providers where a business chooses to proceed following an introduction. This does not determine the factual information or provider-selection principles contained within this guide.
There is no single payment provider or payment setup that is suitable for every gym. Provider suitability, pricing, integration capability and underwriting depend on the individual business and its requirements.
Merchant Advice Service does not approve merchant accounts or determine final provider pricing, contract terms or underwriting decisions. These remain the responsibility of the relevant payment provider or acquiring organisation.
