# Gym Payment Software: Fees, Your Own Stripe Account and Cash at the Desk

> What gym payment software really costs per payment: processor, platform, per-member and setup fees, why your own Stripe account matters, how to record cash at the desk, track who is due and what to ask any vendor.

*Author: Trainera Team  |  Published: 2026-09-23  |  Reading time: 6 min*

## What does gym payment software actually do?

Gym payment software takes money from members, by card online or in cash at the desk, ties each payment to the right membership and shows you who has paid, who owes and whose membership runs out soon. The subscription price is only part of the cost: what the software takes from every payment, and whose account the money lands in, matter just as much.

## What fees do gyms pay on member payments?

There are four fee layers, and they add up. Only the first is unavoidable when members pay by card; the other three depend entirely on the software you choose.

| Fee layer                   | Who charges it                            | How it grows            | What to ask                                       |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Card processing fee         | The payment processor, for example Stripe | With every card payment | Is the processor's rate passed through unchanged? |
| Platform or transaction fee | The software vendor, on top of processing | With your revenue       | Do you take a percentage of member payments?      |
| Per-member fee              | The software vendor                       | With your member count  | Is there a charge per active member?              |
| Setup fee                   | The software vendor                       | One-off                 | Is there an onboarding or migration charge?       |

A hypothetical example shows why the second layer deserves attention. A gym with 250 members paying $50 a month collects $12,500 a month. A 1% platform fee on top of processing costs $125 a month, or $1,500 a year, for exactly the same card payments. At 3% it is $4,500 a year. A $1 per-member fee adds $3,000 a year and rises with every sign-up.

In Trainera, online card sales run through your own Stripe account with a 0% platform fee. Stripe's own processing fees still apply and are charged separately, as with any card payment. Gym plans have unlimited members, no per-member fee and no setup fee. Subscription pricing models are compared in our guide to [how much gym management software costs](/blogs/how-much-does-gym-management-software-cost).

## Why does it matter whose Stripe account the money lands in?

Because the account holder controls the payment relationship, the transaction history and, later, how easy it is to leave. There are two common setups:

* **Your own processor account.** You open a Stripe account in your gym's name and connect it to the software. You see every charge, refund and fee yourself, and the account stays yours if you change software.
* **An account the vendor controls.** Payments run through processing that the software company set up and prices. Onboarding is quick, but the vendor sets the rate, may build in a margin you never see itemised, and holds the payment relationship. Ask what happens to saved cards if you leave, because moving them is often difficult.

Neither is automatically wrong, and a vendor-run setup can suit a gym that never wants to open a processor dashboard. But if you want to know what each transaction costs and keep a clean exit, your own account is the safer default. Stripe runs only in the countries it supports, so first check that your gym can open an account where it is registered.

## How do you handle card payments and cash at the desk in one system?

Accept both, but record both in the same place. Cards online and cash at reception with nothing linking them end in a notebook, a spreadsheet and a member list that never agree.

| Question                  | Card online                           | Cash at the desk                           |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Who handles it            | The member, from their phone          | Reception                                  |
| Cost per payment          | Processor fee, plus any platform fee  | No processor fee                           |
| Main risk                 | Hidden platform fees                  | Unrecorded payments and forgotten debts    |
| What the software must do | Link the payment to the right package | Let reception record it against the member |

In Trainera, members buy their membership in the app through your own Stripe account or pay cash at the desk, which reception records, so card and cash land in one transaction ledger. Each package carries your price, currency, billing cycle, access hours and entry limits, so what a member paid for is also what the system enforces. More on packages in our guide to [gym membership management software](/blogs/gym-membership-management-software). In much of the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Gulf paying at reception is still normal, and software that only understands card subscriptions pushes staff back to paper.

## How do you know who has paid and who is due?

You need three things: a list of who owes money, a list of memberships about to expire and a door that stops expired members. Without them, debt surfaces weeks late and expired members train for free.

Trainera shows payment status, debt and memberships expiring in the next 14 days. At the door, expired memberships, access hours and entry limits are checked on every QR scan, at reception or at a connected turnstile (up to 10 devices on Core). A simple weekly routine:

1. Go through the debt list and settle or chase each open amount.
2. Contact every member whose membership expires in the next 14 days, before it lapses rather than after.
3. Let the door handle the rest, so reception is not the one saying no.

The door rules are explained in our [guide to gym check-in and access control](/blogs/gym-check-in-access-control-software), and the renewal conversation is part of any plan to [reduce gym member churn](/blogs/how-to-reduce-gym-member-churn).

## What should your accountant get every month?

A clean export of every transaction, card and cash, plus the documents behind them. If your accountant has to rebuild the month from bank statements and a cash book, you pay twice for the same bookkeeping.

Trainera keeps a transaction ledger with CSV export, so the month goes to your accountant as one file. It also stores contracts, invoices and staff files: 10 GB of document storage on Core and 50 GB on White Label.

## What should you check that Trainera does not cover?

Some payment requirements depend on your market, so confirm them with any vendor, Trainera included. Trainera's published gym features cover card sales through your own Stripe account and cash recorded at reception. They do not list:

* **Direct debit**, such as SEPA in the eurozone, which many European gyms use for monthly contracts.
* **Automatic retries and dunning**, meaning repeated attempts on a failed card plus reminder emails.

If your gym runs on direct-debit contracts or relies on automatic retries, raise it in a demo and get the answer in writing. Where members pay by card in the app or in cash at reception, the setup above covers the day-to-day. For the wider picture, see [how to choose software for a small or boutique gym](/blogs/best-software-small-boutique-gym).

## Checklist: questions to ask any gym payment software vendor

Ask every vendor the same eight questions before you sign, and compare the written answers side by side.

* Do you take a platform or transaction fee on member payments, and how much?
* Is the money paid into my own processor account, with the fee visible on each transaction?
* Can reception record cash against a member, in the same ledger as card payments?
* Is there a per-member fee, a member cap or a setup fee?
* Can I see debt and upcoming expiries, and does the door stop expired members automatically?
* Can I export every transaction to CSV?
* Do you support direct debit, retries and dunning, if my market needs them?
* If I leave, what happens to saved payment details and history?

## What does Trainera cost for a gym?

Gym plans have public prices, fixed per country and billed monthly by card, with unlimited members and no per-member or setup fee. Core is $149 a month in the US, 139.99 € in Germany and the western eurozone and 129.99 € in Spain and the southern eurozone, with a 7-day trial. White Label adds your own branded iOS and Android app, costs about double and is arranged on a call. See the [pricing page](/pricing) for your country and the [gym features overview](/for-gyms) for both plans. Switching? Members, packages and expiry dates are imported for free from your export.

_Take member card payments into your own Stripe account with a 0% platform fee and record cash at reception: see [Trainera for gyms](/for-gyms) or [start the 7-day Core trial](/auth/register?role=gym)._

## Related reading

* [How Much Does Gym Management Software Cost in 2026?](/blogs/how-much-does-gym-management-software-cost)
* [Gym Membership Management Software: The Complete 2026 Guide](/blogs/gym-membership-management-software)
* [Best Gym Management Software 2026](/blogs/best-gym-management-software-2026)
* [Gym Management Software: Complete Guide](/blogs/gym-management-software-guide)

## FAQ

### Is there gym software without transaction fees on member payments?

Yes. Some gym platforms add a percentage on top of card processing and some do not, so ask every vendor directly. Trainera charges a 0% platform fee on online card sales, which run through the gym's own Stripe account. Stripe's own processing fees still apply to card payments, as they would with any processor, and cash taken at the desk has no processing cost. Gym plans also have no per-member fee and no setup fee.

### How do gyms take membership payments online?

Usually through a member app or website where members buy a membership package by card, with the payment processed by a provider such as Stripe and linked to their account. In Trainera, members buy packages in the app through the gym's own Stripe account. Each package carries its price, currency, billing cycle, access hours and entry limits, so the purchase also defines what the member can use.

### Should a gym use its own Stripe account or the software vendor's payment processing?

Your own account gives you direct visibility of every charge, refund and fee, and it stays yours if you change software. Vendor-run processing can be quicker to set up, but the vendor sets the rate and holds the payment relationship, which can make leaving harder. Ask what happens to saved cards and recurring payments before you sign. Trainera connects to the gym's own Stripe account.

### Can gym software handle cash payments at reception?

It should, especially in markets where many members still pay at the desk. The key is that reception records the cash payment against the member, so it sits next to card payments and the membership status stays correct. In Trainera, members pay by card online or in cash at the desk, which reception records, and the transaction ledger exports to CSV for your accountant.

### Does Trainera support SEPA direct debit, automatic retries or dunning?

Trainera's published gym features list online card sales through the gym's own Stripe account, cash recorded at reception, and payment status, debt and memberships expiring in the next 14 days. Direct debit, automatic retries of failed payments and dunning emails are not on that list. If your gym depends on them, raise it in a demo and get a written answer before switching, as you should with any vendor.

### How much does Trainera cost for a gym?

Gym plans have public prices, fixed per country and billed monthly, with unlimited members, no per-member fee and no setup fee. Core is $149 a month in the US, 139.99 € in Germany and the western eurozone and 129.99 € in Spain and the southern eurozone, and it starts with a 7-day trial. White Label adds the gym's own branded iOS and Android app, costs about double Core and is arranged on a call.

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Source: https://trainera.fit/blogs/gym-payment-software