What are recurring payments, and how to use them at your gym

Imagine your gym members would never have to bother with renewing their membership ever again because it would renew itself automatically, immediately after it expires?

Well, you too can provide your members with this option.

Surely you have already heard about these services. I'm sure you have activated at least one recurring membership for yourself. If you have a streaming service subscription, you are making recurring payments.

That means you have activated that membership. You paid for the first month by entering your bank card details. Then the company withdraws the same amount each month. That is, in fact, a recurring payment.

Since gyms work with membership, which can also be monthly, this payment type is an excellent way of gaining members' loyalty.

What are recurring payments

First, recuring payments can only be made online and are part of an extended online sales system. Therefore, you need a complete online sales system before you can start selling recurring memberships.

Following the example above, recurring payments mean the automatic withdrawal of an amount equal to the monthly membership price each month from the member's bank card. This happens automatically, and neither the member nor your staff must perform any operation.

Using the bank card that the member used when they first purchased the recurring membership, the payment is automatically made each month on the same day.

Of course, you can also sell recurring memberships for more than one month, with automatic payments each three, six, or 12 months. However, my suggestion is to start with one month and extend your offer depending on your members' preferences.

What is a recurring membership

A recurring membership entails making an initial payment for the membership that the member wants. Then, the subsequent renewals are made automatically based on the member's information.

That means the member chooses a recurring membership that renews itself each month. Then they make an online payment using their bank card for the first month.

The membership is activated, and it can be used for the next month.

The day after it expires, the membership is renewed automatically. That means that the online sales system withdraws the amount for the next month (the price of the membership for a month) using the bank card information that the member used the first time.

If the payment is processed successfully and everything is in order, that membership is reactivated for another month. And so on.

When members decide they no longer want a recurring membership, they can stop the automatic payments in their online member account or the mobile app.

That means the system will not withdraw any amount of money from the member's bank account. The membership will remain active until the day is set to expire. The next day, when the system should withdraw the amount for another payment and renew the membership, that will not happen, and the membership will simply expire.

What are the benefits of recurring memberships

Recurring memberships have many benefits for both the fitness clubs that sell them and the members.

For members, the upside is that they don't have to bother renewing their membership manually every time it expires.

At the same time, the gyms that use recurring payments will immediately see the benefits of this feature.

First of all, recurring payments mean more exact predictions for future revenue. A recurring membership is less likely to be stopped than if the member must renew it manually. Therefore, you'll have a better picture of how many memberships you'll sell next month.

At the same time, since the entire system is automated, your team at the front desk won't waste time selling memberships. Everything works on automatic pilot.

Of course, the recurring payments' main benefit is profit growth. If the membership is renewed automatically, and it doesn't rely on the member, members will be less likely to give up, but they will also pay for more days.

For instance, during 6 months, if the member purchases two 3-month memberships, it is very likely, that the renewal will not be the second the first membership expires. That means you lose those gap days between renewals. However, there is no such gap with recurring memberships, and all memberships are renewed the day after they expire.

Moreover, you don't have to worry about renewals in general. Since the payment is automatic, most renewals are a given. As a result, you don't have to waste time contacting members to convince them to purchase another one.

At the same time, providing more payment methods for our members is a sure way to get in front of the competition and quickly increase your member base.

A quick catch-up...

The next step in selling memberships at a fitness club is recurring payments. This system provides a vast range of benefits, not just for your business but also for your members. The payment is made automatically each month, which means both members and employees don't waste time with renewals.

With a recurring payment system, you can streamline sales at your gym, and you get a more accurate prediction for your future revenue at the same time. With a simple strategy, recurring payments can quickly help you increase your sales and simplify and reduce the work at the reception desk.