By alphacardprocess January 30, 2026
A gym’s payment system is not “just a card reader.” It’s the engine behind membership billing, class packs, personal training invoices, online sign-ups, retail sales (supplements, merch), and the policies that keep disputes and fraud from eating your margins.
That’s why a merchant services setup timeline for gyms should be planned like a real project—with steps, owners, milestones, and testing gates.
The best part: most gyms can go from “we need payments” to “members are paying smoothly” in a few weeks when the work is sequenced correctly.
The worst part: if you rush underwriting documents, skip recurring billing rules, or ignore chargeback and compliance settings, you can end up with delayed approvals, higher reserves, failed recurring payments, and avoidable disputes.
This guide lays out a practical, modern merchant services setup timeline for gyms, written for operators who want a system that’s easy for staff, frictionless for members, and resilient as payment tech evolves. You’ll also see future-facing predictions—because the gyms that win long-term build payment infrastructure that can adapt.
Why a Setup Timeline Matters for Gym Merchant Services

A strong merchant services setup timeline for gyms protects two things: cash flow and member experience. Cash flow matters because gyms live on recurring revenue. Member experience matters because billing friction is one of the fastest ways to increase cancellations and negative reviews.
A timeline forces you to lock down the essentials early—how you’ll take payments (front desk, website, mobile, kiosks), how you’ll store payment credentials for recurring billing, how you’ll handle cancellations and refunds, and how deposits land in your bank.
Gyms also face unique payment risk patterns. Monthly memberships, free trials, annual plans, and “freeze” policies can trigger disputes if the agreement isn’t clear.
Underwriters often evaluate gyms based on cancellation terms, contract transparency, and operational maturity—because confusing policies lead to chargebacks. A timeline helps you produce the exact documents, workflows, and settings that reduce underwriting questions and speed approval.
Modern card rules also matter. When you store cards for membership billing, you need the right transaction indicators and credential storage framework handling to reduce declines and remain compliant with stored credential requirements. A timeline makes sure you build recurring billing correctly instead of patching it later.
Most importantly, a timeline prevents the classic gym mistake: “We’ll figure it out after launch.” Payments are not a side quest. A proper merchant services setup timeline for gyms makes your payment stack dependable on day one and scalable by day ninety.
Phase 1 (Week 0–1): Discovery and Requirements for Gym Payment Acceptance

Week 0–1 is where your merchant services setup timeline for gyms either becomes smooth—or turns into a month of rework. This phase is not about choosing a provider immediately. It’s about defining what you need so you don’t buy the wrong setup.
Start by listing your revenue streams: memberships (monthly/annual), personal training, group classes, drop-ins, day passes, retail, and any online coaching.
Each stream can have different payment types (in-person card present vs. online card-not-present), and that affects pricing, fraud tools, and underwriting comfort. Card-not-present typically carries higher risk and may require stronger fraud controls depending on how you sell.
Next, map your payment channels: front desk terminal, mobile checkout on the floor, website checkout, member app billing, recurring autopay, invoices, and ACH where appropriate. Decide whether you want a gym management platform with embedded payments or a stand-alone processor connected via gateway/API. You’re designing a system, not picking a gadget.
Finally, define “done.” For most operators, success means: members can enroll online; billing runs automatically; failed payments trigger retries and reminders; staff can sell add-ons quickly; refunds are controlled; reporting matches bank deposits; and disputes are manageable.
If you treat Week 0–1 as a real planning stage, the rest of the merchant services setup timeline for gyms becomes faster, cheaper, and less stressful.
Define Your Gym Revenue Model and Billing Rules (Key Step in Week 0–1)
A gym’s revenue model determines how your merchant services should be configured, especially for recurring billing and dispute prevention. In this part of the merchant services setup timeline for gyms, write down your exact billing logic in plain language, then translate it into payment settings.
For memberships: identify start date rules, proration, billing date (calendar date vs. join date), late fee policies, freeze rules, and cancellation windows.
These details control chargeback risk. If your membership says “cancel anytime,” but your billing system charges for the next month due to a hidden notice period, you’ve created dispute fuel. Underwriters look for clean contracts because unclear terms are a known dispute driver.
For trials and promos: define what happens at the end of the trial, what notice is provided, and how consent is captured. For class packs: define expiration rules and whether refunds are allowed. For personal training: define whether sessions are prepaid, invoiced, or recurring.
Then set operational rules: who can issue refunds, under what conditions, and how you document member communication. This is critical because disputes are often won or lost based on whether you can show agreement, proof of service, and clear policies.
By the end of this step, your merchant services setup timeline for gyms has something powerful: a written billing blueprint that aligns your member agreement, your gym software, and your processor configuration.
Map Payment Channels and Member Experience Requirements (Key Step in Week 0–1)
The second big Week 0–1 deliverable in a merchant services setup timeline for gyms is a “channel map”—how payments move from member to bank across every touchpoint. This prevents mismatched tools and missing capabilities.
Front desk payments usually require contactless and chip support, fast checkout flows, tips (optional), and simple refunds. Mobile payments may require a smartphone-based acceptance option or a lightweight handheld. Some gyms also want “pay anywhere” on the floor for PT add-ons or retail impulse sales.
Online enrollment requires a secure checkout, tokenization for storing credentials, and a clean membership sign-up flow that captures consent.
If you use a gym management platform, confirm whether payments are built in and what features you get: recurring billing engine, failed-payment retries, automated receipts, and dunning messages.
Also decide whether you need multiple locations, sub-merchants, or separate deposit accounts. Multi-location gyms often need consolidated reporting but location-level controls for staff.
If you want low hardware dependency, consider modern “tap-to-pay” options where a phone can accept contactless payments in certain supported markets and with compatible payment apps. Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhone, for example, is enabled inside payment apps and is positioned as a way to accept contactless payments without extra hardware.
A strong channel map makes the rest of your merchant services setup timeline for gyms predictable: you’ll know exactly what you’re buying, what you’re integrating, and what you’re testing.
Phase 2 (Week 1–2): Provider Selection and Pricing for Gyms

Week 1–2 of the merchant services setup timeline for gyms is where you choose a provider based on your requirements—not on a generic rate quote. Gym payments are a blend of in-person transactions, recurring billing, and online payments. That combination can change the “best” option dramatically.
Start by deciding whether you want an integrated gym platform payment solution (often easiest operationally) or a more flexible processor + gateway approach (often better for customization and negotiation).
Integrated platforms can reduce implementation time because membership billing and payment acceptance are bundled, but you must confirm contract terms, portability, and what happens if you switch later.
Then evaluate pricing in the real world, not marketing terms. Look at the mix: card-present vs card-not-present volume, average ticket size, chargeback patterns, and seasonality. Many providers present blended pricing that hides cost drivers.
You want to understand processor markup, transaction fees, monthly minimums, gateway fees, tokenization fees, and chargeback management costs. Guides for fitness merchant accounts commonly note that average card fees can land around the low single-digit percent range, but your true cost depends on your risk profile and channel mix.
In this phase, also confirm support quality and onboarding. Gyms benefit from a provider that understands membership billing and the realities of freezes, upgrades, and billing disputes. A good choice here shortens the full merchant services setup timeline for gyms because fewer issues appear during underwriting and launch.
Evaluate Processors, Gateways, and Gym Software Compatibility (Week 1–2 Deep Dive)
Compatibility is where many gym payment setups fail silently. In this part of the merchant services setup timeline for gyms, you confirm that your payment processor actually works with your gym stack—and that the integration supports recurring billing properly.
If you use gym management software, verify whether it has a preferred processor, and whether you can bring your own merchant account. Some platforms “bundle” payments, which can be convenient but may reduce negotiating power and portability.
If you run multiple locations, confirm whether reporting and settlement can be segmented by location while still rolling up to a master view.
For online sign-ups, confirm your checkout options: hosted payment pages, embedded checkout, or API-based custom pages. Embedded checkout can preserve brand continuity, but you must confirm the provider handles security correctly and supports tokenization.
For recurring billing, ask specifically about stored credential framework handling (card-on-file compliance), membership billing schedules, and retry logic for failed payments.
Stored credential requirements focus on how credentials are stored and how cardholder-initiated vs merchant-initiated transactions are identified. This matters for gyms because a large portion of your revenue may be merchant-initiated recurring payments.
Also verify hardware options: EMV chip + contactless terminals, mobile readers, and potential phone-based acceptance in supported environments. The point is not to chase trends; it’s to ensure your chosen tools fit your workflow.
When this step is done well, your merchant services setup timeline for gyms avoids the painful scenario where your gym software can’t support the billing model you promised members.
Negotiate Fees, Reserves, and Processing Limits for a Gym Risk Profile (Week 1–2 Deep Dive)
Negotiation is part of the merchant services setup timeline for gyms because your early terms can affect cash flow for months. Underwriters may impose processing limits or reserves if they perceive risk. Your job is to reduce perceived risk with documentation and clarity, then ask for terms that match your real business.
First, estimate your monthly volume and peak months. Gyms can have seasonal spikes (New Year, summer), and you want limits that won’t throttle you during peak enrollment. If you expect a spike, include a note and support it with marketing plans or historical numbers if available.
Second, prepare to discuss reserves. Some processors hold a percentage of funds or keep a rolling reserve for higher-risk profiles.
If you’re a new gym with limited processing history, you may start with conservative limits and then increase after clean processing history is established. Underwriting guides often emphasize that better documentation and financial stability can improve limits and terms.
Third, negotiate operational costs: gateway fees, monthly account fees, statement fees, tokenization or vault fees, and chargeback fees. Ask what’s included and what’s optional. Clarify refund and chargeback workflows and whether you get dispute alerts.
This step directly impacts the success of your merchant services setup timeline for gyms because strong early terms reduce surprise fees and protect your deposit consistency.
Phase 3 (Week 2–3): Application and Underwriting for Gym Merchant Accounts

Week 2–3 is where many operators lose time in the merchant services setup timeline for gyms. Underwriting delays almost always happen due to missing documents, inconsistencies, or unclear business models.
Underwriters are trying to answer basic questions: Who are you? What are you selling? How will you bill people? How do you handle cancellations? Are you likely to generate disputes? Gyms, like many subscription businesses, can trigger extra review because recurring billing creates ongoing obligations and can lead to “I forgot to cancel” chargebacks.
To move fast, submit a complete and consistent package: business registration, banking, ownership information, processing estimates, and your membership agreement. Also ensure your website and marketing claims match the application. If your website advertises “cancel anytime” but your contract says “30-day notice,” expect questions.
During underwriting, be transparent about online vs in-person volume, and any future plans like online coaching or selling equipment. Hidden revenue streams discovered later can lead to account holds.
Most gyms can clear underwriting quickly when prepared. Your goal in this phase is to keep the merchant services setup timeline for gyms on track by making the underwriter’s job easy: clear documentation, honest estimates, and policies that reduce disputes.
Assemble the Document Checklist Underwriters Expect From Gyms (Week 2–3 Deep Dive)
This step is the “paperwork engine” of your merchant services setup timeline for gyms. The exact list can vary by provider, but most underwriting packages for gyms include a consistent set of items.
You typically need: business formation documents (or equivalent registration), tax ID confirmation, a voided check or bank letter for deposits, owner identification, and sometimes recent bank statements.
New gyms may also be asked for a basic business plan or projected volume, especially if projected volume is high relative to current bank balances.
For gyms specifically, the membership agreement is critical. Underwriters want to see pricing, term length, billing frequency, cancellation steps, refund policy, dispute contact information, and any early termination fees. Fitness merchant account setup guidance frequently stresses that clear membership terms reduce disputes and improve approval odds because recurring billing disputes are common when terms are ambiguous.
If you sell online, you may need website policy pages: terms, privacy, refunds, and contact details. Make sure the contact method is real—phone and email should work, because unreachable merchants trigger disputes.
Treat this as a single “submission bundle,” not a scavenger hunt. When your doc set is clean, your merchant services setup timeline for gyms becomes dramatically faster.
Underwriting Risk Factors for Gyms and How to Reduce Delays (Week 2–3 Deep Dive)
Underwriting is not random; it’s pattern recognition. In this part of the merchant services setup timeline for gyms, you actively reduce risk signals.
Common risk signals for gyms include: aggressive “free trial” marketing without clear conversion consent, confusing cancellation policies, high ticket annual prepay plans without clear refund logic, and high online volume without fraud controls.
Also, if your business model mixes in-person memberships with online coaching, be explicit—because card-not-present fraud risk is typically higher than in-person transactions.
To reduce delays, align everything:
- Your application volume estimates should match realistic capacity.
- Your website policies should match your contract.
- Your billing schedule should match the member agreement.
- Your customer support process should be visible and responsive.
If your provider asks for clarifications, answer quickly and clearly. Many underwriting resources emphasize that complete, accurate applications reduce delays and improve terms.
Also decide early how you’ll handle failed recurring payments: retries, notifications, and grace periods. Underwriters like seeing operational maturity, because mature processes reduce disputes.
When you proactively address risk, you don’t just get approved—you keep the merchant services setup timeline for gyms moving and increase the odds of stable processing after launch.
Phase 4 (Week 3–4): Integration and Technical Setup (POS, Online, Recurring)
Week 3–4 is the build phase of the merchant services setup timeline for gyms—where approvals become actual payment flows. This is where you connect terminals, configure your gateway, integrate gym software, and set up recurring billing.
Start with settlement basics: confirm how often you get deposits, whether weekends settle, and how chargebacks or refunds affect deposits. Then set up user roles: limit refund permissions, control voids, and require manager approval where appropriate.
Next, implement your payment acceptance channels:
- Front desk terminal(s)
- Mobile acceptance (optional)
- Online enrollment checkout
- Recurring billing engine for memberships
- Invoicing for training or corporate memberships
Then build reporting: daily batch totals, deposit reconciliation, membership billing reports, decline reports, and chargeback alerts. If you can’t reconcile sales to deposits, you’ll lose time every week.
This phase is where “modern” matters: tokenization for stored credentials, clear recurring billing indicators, and fast checkout for contactless payments. Stored credential frameworks are specifically relevant for gyms because subscriptions rely on secure storage and correct transaction classification.
Done right, Week 3–4 turns your merchant services setup timeline for gyms from a plan into a working system your staff trusts.
Configure In-Person Payments: Terminals, Contactless, and Phone-Based Tap to Pay (Week 3–4 Deep Dive)
In-person payment setup is often the first “visible win” in a merchant services setup timeline for gyms, because staff can immediately take payments at the front desk. But configuration matters more than people expect.
Make sure terminals support chip and contactless. Contactless is not just a nice-to-have; it reduces checkout friction and speeds lines during peak times.
Configure receipts (printed, email, SMS), tips if you offer them, and refund workflows. If you sell retail items, build product buttons or quick-sale workflows so checkout doesn’t become slow manual entry.
For mobile or pop-up sales—like events, challenges, or selling merch on the gym floor—consider smartphone-based acceptance where supported.
Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhone is enabled inside compatible payment apps and allows merchants to accept contactless payments using only an iPhone, without additional hardware. This can be helpful for low-hardware, flexible checkout—especially for trainers or remote sign-up events.
You should still maintain at least one dedicated terminal for reliability and member trust, but phone-based acceptance can be a strong backup or secondary lane.
This step strengthens your merchant services setup timeline for gyms because it reduces bottlenecks at the front desk and gives your team a consistent way to sell memberships, add-ons, and retail items quickly.
Set Up Online Enrollment and Stored Credentials for Recurring Membership Billing (Week 3–4 Deep Dive)
This is the heart of a gym’s merchant services setup timeline for gyms: recurring billing that works consistently and remains compliant.
First, implement a secure checkout for online enrollment. Ideally, your system should tokenize card data so sensitive card details are not stored on your gym servers. This reduces your security burden and simplifies compliance. Then configure recurring schedules to match your membership rules—billing dates, proration, and upgrades/downgrades.
Next, handle stored credential requirements correctly. Card networks established frameworks for stored credentials (often called card-on-file frameworks), including how to identify cardholder-initiated transactions (CIT) versus merchant-initiated transactions (MIT) for recurring and other scenarios.
This matters because your monthly membership charge is typically merchant-initiated after the member’s initial consent. Correct indicators help reduce declines, disputes, and compliance risk.
You should also build a “billing health” workflow:
- Automated retries (smart retry timing)
- Email/SMS notices for failed payments
- Grace periods aligned with your policy
- Easy payment method update links
- Clear receipts and billing descriptors
Finally, make cancellation frictionless but policy-consistent. Members who can’t cancel easily are more likely to dispute.
When recurring billing is implemented correctly, your merchant services setup timeline for gyms creates stable revenue and fewer payment support tickets—two of the biggest operational wins a gym can get.
Phase 5 (Week 4–6): Testing, Launch, and Staff Training
Week 4–6 is where your merchant services setup timeline for gyms becomes “real.” You can have perfect underwriting and a beautiful integration, but if you skip testing and training, you’ll launch chaos.
Testing should include real scenarios, not just “a $1 test worked.” Run these:
- New member enrollment online and in-person
- Membership recurring billing (simulate or run test plans)
- Failed payment and retry behavior
- Refunds, partial refunds, and voids
- Chargeback evidence retrieval workflow (where do you pull contracts and attendance logs?)
- Tip handling (if enabled)
- End-of-day reconciliation: batch totals vs deposits
Then train staff with role-based workflows. The front desk should know: how to take payments, fix simple declines, update billing methods, and explain receipts. Managers should know: refunds, cancellations, disputes, reporting, and escalation. Trainers should know: invoicing or quick charges if they sell sessions.
Also train on language. Many disputes start at the front desk. Staff should confidently explain billing dates, freeze rules, and cancellation steps without improvising.
This phase is also where you tune your checkout experience: reduce steps, prefill fields, and ensure the member agreement is easy to access and sign.
A gym that completes Week 4–6 properly has a launch-ready system—and a merchant services setup timeline for gyms that actually delivers predictability.
Phase 6 (First 30–90 Days): Optimization, Decline Reduction, and Chargeback Control
The first 90 days are not “set it and forget it.” In a mature merchant services setup timeline for gyms, the post-launch period is where you optimize for fewer declines, fewer disputes, and better member retention.
Start with decline analytics. Identify patterns: expired cards, insufficient funds, incorrect billing descriptors, or bank declines on recurring charges. Improve your dunning: reminders before billing dates, easy update links, and smart retries.
If your provider supports account updater services, consider enabling them (where available) to reduce expired card declines.
Next, focus on chargebacks. Every gym should track:
- Chargebacks per 1,000 transactions
- Top dispute reasons
- Win rate
- Time-to-response
Most disputes are preventable with three habits: clear agreements, consistent cancellation handling, and strong documentation. Keep signed contracts easy to retrieve. Keep attendance logs (or access control logs) to prove service delivery. Keep support messages archived.
Also optimize member experience. Make the billing descriptor recognizable (the name that appears on statements). Include your support phone/email in receipts. Confusion leads to disputes.
Finally, revisit processing limits and reserves after a clean period. If you’re growing fast, request higher limits with proof of stable operations.
This phase completes the practical merchant services setup timeline for gyms by turning a working system into a high-performing one.
Compliance Roadmap for Gym Merchant Services (Security, Stored Credentials, and PCI)
Compliance is not about becoming a security expert. It’s about choosing tools and workflows that keep your gym safe and prevent expensive problems. In a strong merchant services setup timeline for gyms, compliance is layered into the setup rather than bolted on later.
Two big areas matter most for gyms:
- Stored credentials and recurring billing compliance: If you store payment credentials for memberships, you must handle consent, credential storage, and recurring indicators correctly.
Stored credential frameworks define how CIT vs MIT transactions should be handled and identified. This protects you from avoidable declines and strengthens your dispute position because it shows you followed proper consent flows. - Payment security standards (PCI): PCI DSS v4.0 is in effect, and the PCI Security Standards Council has published timeline guidance for adoption and future-dated requirements.
Many organizations worked toward future-dated items around March 31, 2025, as referenced by multiple industry explainers discussing the v4.0 future-dated requirements timing.
The practical takeaway for gyms: reduce your compliance burden by using tokenization, avoiding storage of raw card data, keeping devices updated, and following provider guidance for questionnaires and scanning.
Also consider privacy expectations and data minimization: collect only what you need, secure it, and restrict staff access.
When compliance is built into your merchant services setup timeline for gyms, you reduce fraud exposure, protect member trust, and avoid expensive remediation later.
PCI DSS v4.0: What Gyms Should Do Now and How Requirements Are Evolving
PCI can sound intimidating, but most gyms can keep it manageable with the right setup choices. In this part of the merchant services setup timeline for gyms, the goal is to reduce scope: avoid storing card data, use secure payment apps/terminals, and rely on tokenization for recurring billing.
PCI DSS v4.0 introduced updates and future-dated requirements, with published timeline guidance from the PCI Security Standards Council about transition timing and future-dated requirements after v4.0 publication.
Industry breakdowns have also highlighted March 31, 2025 as the date many future-dated requirements take effect, depending on applicability and assessment cycles.
For gyms, practical actions include:
- Use validated, up-to-date terminals and avoid unsupported devices.
- Ensure your network and Wi-Fi used for business systems is secured (strong passwords, segmentation where possible).
- Train staff to avoid writing down card numbers or accepting card data through insecure channels.
- Use a payment provider that supports tokenization and stored credential compliance so you don’t store sensitive data directly.
- Complete the appropriate PCI questionnaire (often guided by your provider) and follow scan requirements if applicable.
The “future prediction” here is straightforward: security standards will continue pushing toward stronger authentication, better monitoring, and fewer manual exceptions. The gyms that stay ahead will be the ones using modern payment apps and providers that update security controls proactively.
This keeps your merchant services setup timeline for gyms future-proof by minimizing risk and keeping compliance work predictable.
Future Predictions: Where Gym Payments Are Headed (Next 12–36 Months)
A future-ready merchant services setup timeline for gyms anticipates how members will want to pay and how risk controls will evolve. Several trends are becoming more relevant for gym operators.
First, hardware-light payments will keep expanding. Phone-based acceptance is already positioned as a practical option for some businesses, with Tap to Pay on iPhone promoted as enabling contactless acceptance through compatible payment apps.
Over time, gyms may rely less on fixed terminals and more on flexible staff devices—especially for events, pop-ups, and trainer-led sales.
Second, real-time expectations are rising. Members want instant confirmations, instant receipts, and fast resolution when billing issues occur. Expect more real-time payment status messaging in gym apps, smarter retry logic, and improved card updater tools to reduce declines.
Third, fraud and dispute tooling will become more automated. Providers will increasingly offer automated dispute alerts, order/service proof templates, and AI-assisted risk detection. For gyms, this likely means fewer “surprise” chargebacks when you can respond earlier with evidence.
Fourth, recurring billing will get stricter. Stored credential compliance frameworks already emphasize correct handling of recurring payments. Expect continued enforcement and more data requirements over time.
Finally, member experience will keep merging with payments: seamless sign-up, one-click upgrades, and in-app wallet updates. The gyms that treat payments as part of product design—not just finance—will win retention.
FAQs
Q.1: How long does a merchant services setup timeline for gyms usually take?
Answer: Most gyms can be live in a few weeks when documentation is ready and the integration path is straightforward. The biggest variable is underwriting speed and whether your gym software and payment provider integrate cleanly. A realistic plan includes time for testing and staff training, not just approval.
Q.2: What causes the biggest delays in a merchant services setup timeline for gyms?
Answer: Missing documents, inconsistent business details, unclear membership agreements, and last-minute changes in how you plan to bill members. Underwriting moves faster when your website policies and contracts align with your application.
Q.3: Do gyms need special recurring billing compliance steps?
Answer: Yes. Membership billing relies on stored credentials and recurring merchant-initiated transactions. You should ensure your provider properly supports stored credential framework handling and recurring indicators.
Q.4: Should a gym accept ACH, card, or both?
Answer: Most gyms benefit from both: cards for convenience and sign-ups, ACH for lower cost and member preference in some segments. The “best” mix depends on your member base and your billing model. If you add ACH, make sure refunds, cancellations, and reporting are clean and easy for staff.
Q.5: How can gyms reduce chargebacks fast?
Answer: Use clear membership terms, make cancellation steps easy to follow, send receipts, use a recognizable billing descriptor, and keep documentation accessible (signed agreement + proof of service like attendance logs). Many disputes happen because members forget or don’t recognize the charge—clarity and communication reduce that risk.
Conclusion
A gym’s payments are a system: acceptance, recurring billing, policies, compliance, reporting, and staff behavior. A real merchant services setup timeline for gyms turns that system into a repeatable rollout instead of a scramble.
If you follow the phases in order—requirements (Week 0–1), provider selection (Week 1–2), underwriting (Week 2–3), integration (Week 3–4), launch readiness (Week 4–6), and optimization (first 90 days)—you’ll get more than “working payments.” You’ll get stable cash flow, fewer declines, fewer disputes, and a better member experience.
Just as importantly, you’ll be positioned for what’s next: more contactless and device-based acceptance, stronger recurring billing standards, and security expectations that reward gyms using tokenization and modern payment tools.