POS System For Gym
Finding the perfect gym management software to maintain every element of your operation AND help with business growth can be difficult.
If you're searching for a gym POS system that can suit all your needs, you've come to the right place.
We'll help you narrow down your options and decide which POS system to ultimately go with.
Let's jump in!
POS System For Gym
Vagaro
- Best for multi-location fitness clubs
- 2.2% $0.19 flat-rate processing
- $25 per month starting cost
Shopify
- Best for eCommerce
- 2.4% to 2.7% flat-rate processing
- $9 per month starting cost
Lightspeed
- Best for gyms with retail-adjacent operations
- 2.6% + $0.10 flat-rate processing
- $69 per month starting cost
Clover
- Best for smaller fitness clubs
- 2.3% to 2.6% + $0.10 flat-race processing
- $0 per month starting cost
Square
- Best no-cost gym management software
- $0 per month starting
- 2.5% to 2.6% flat-rate processing
Vagaro is the ultimate gym management software option for large fitness clubs with multiple locations.
You'll find a wide range of functionality in Vagaro's POS software, including self check-in, live stream fitness classes, email marketing, automated notifications, customizable calendars, online booking, and membership management.
The base price for Vagaro's software is $35 per month, though it goes up to $85 per month if you require seven or more calendars.
The cost also increases by $10 per month to integrate with the company's check-in app, a helpful tool for busy gym establishments.
Though the check-in app works with iPads and Android tablets, the Pay Desk does not.
To take advantage of this portion of the software, you'll need to purchase Vagaro's tablet hardware.
Where Vagaro truly shines is its extensive set of club features, of our favorites of which include fitness class bookings and independent contractor management. This is a spectacular gym management software option for larger fitness clubs, especially those that offer group classes or hire personal trainers.
Some of the most common tasks, including checking into classes, collecting instructor rent, and offering 1:1 appointments, can be made much easier with Vagaro's gym management software.
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If you know a little bit about eCommerce already, then you've likely heard of Shopify. Shopify business owners a wide range of templates to choose from when building their websites, great for gym owners who want to create a high-quality custom website that integrates with their POS system.
You can sync up your online store with your brick-and-mortar space to sell the same merchandise and services online and in person. If there are third-party apps that you already enjoy using, such as Servicify, Sesami, or Appointly, it's super easy to integrate them with Shopify.
Shopify's pricing starts off at $9 per month if you go with the Lite Mobile Plan.
While this version of Shopify's gym management software doesn't offer too many features, it will allow you take in-person credit card payments on a tablet or smartphone.
However, we recommend stepping up to at least the Basic Plan, which costs $29 per month and includes a full-fledged website.
To begin taking payments through Shopify, all you need is a mobile card reader, which costs $49. Of course, they also have other hardware equipment, which you can purchase through the company's website.
It is worth mentioning is that Shopify does not require a long term contract, as you sign on month-for-month. This can be ideal for new gym owners who prefer the flexibility to jump ship with their POS provider if it's not working for their business.
We recommend Shopify for gyms that need the ability to sell their merchandise and services online. With that said, this gym management software works just as well in person, all thanks to its wide range of third-party app integrations.
No matter what types of apps and additional functionalities you need, the majority of resources will be able to integrate with Shopify. It's one of the most flexible and versatile gym POS systems on the market today.
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Lightspeed has built-in subscription billing, helpful booking and scheduling integrations, advanced retail functionality, and customer management software.
If you want to take it a step further than Lightspeed's basic functions, they do offer additional features for additional fees.
These include gift cards, loyalty programs, eCommerce, accounting, and advanced reporting and analytics.
And if you can't find everything you need in the list above, you can integrate Lightspeed with third-party gym membership management software or online booking apps.
For gyms that sell in-store merchandise, Lightspeed Retail POS software provides all the functionality to keep your business flowing, as well as your inventory accounted for. It's also great for multi-channel fitness businesses.
Whether you've already got an online store in place or are thinking about creating one, we highly recommend looking into Lightspeed's gym management software. This is because it has built-in SEO tools, beneficial for expanding the reach of any online store.
Lightspeed starts off at $69 per month for a single POS system terminal. Take note that to use Lightspeed Retail, you must utilize Lightspeed's payment processing as well. This may pose a problem if you already have a payment processing company that you like working with.
As for the hardware, Lightspeed's gym management software works on a desktop computers and iPad tablets. If you have neither of these, hardware can be purchased through Lightspeed's website, the pricing of which is quote-based.
Lightspeed is one of our absolute favorite POS options for gyms, thanks to its intuitive design and feature-rich functionality. While the Lightspeed POS system wasn't explicitly made for the fitness industry, there are plenty of applicable features that help streamline the day-to-day operations of successful fitness clubs.
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Clover is our #1 pick for smaller fitness studios. With Clover, you can set up recurring billing, integrate with several membership management apps, integrate with online booking apps, utilize retail and order management software, manage employees, and create a loyalty program.
Though Clover has a free option available, most gym owners go with the $44.95 per month option, which comes with a register and a set of functional gym management software features.
Note that Clover does not have built-in scheduling functions, so you'd need to find a scheduling app that can be integrated. However, if you want to set up recurring billing and process those payments, you can use the Clover Virtual Terminal at no extra cost.
One of the things people love most about Clover is the proprietary hardware that the company offers. There are a few choices to select from in the Clover lineup, including:
Clover's plans are some of the most affordable out there. This includes hardware, software, and payment processing. The beauty of Clover is that you can expand its functionalities with whatever your business needs. When it comes to gym management software, the integration possibilities are endless.
If you run a small gym, you'd have a hard time finding other gym POS systems with this amount of flexibility.
However, that the deal you get on a Clover POS system will depend on where you buy your system. There are sources to purchase Clover systems from that have expensive equipment leases and long-term contracts. Choosing a recommended Clover provider is extremely important in this regard.
While there are no built-in gym management software features in Clover's system, Clover integrates with a number of great apps for customer check-ins and membership management. Plus, there are some fairly basic restaurant and retail features included, perfect for gyms that also sell food or merchandise.
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While Square has become one of the most popular POS systems for small businesses on the market, you might be surprised to learn that it also works excellently as gym management software. With Square Appointments, for example, you can manage online bookings, and with Square Invoices, you can process recurring subscription payments.
While the Square point-of-sale software is not the most robust software on its own, it can be integratee with a number of booking and gym management software apps, including GoDaddy, Booxi, Appointy, Acuity, Here, Gymdesk, and Billforward.
There are also plenty of great add-ons for loyalty programs, team management software, gift cards, marketing, and much more. No matter what version of the app you select, your personal trainers can even accept tips!
Though there are certainly better eCommerce-centric gym POS system options out there, the online store that can be created using Square is pretty competitive.
Square POS is completely free, and you get a single calendar to use with Square Appointments, helpful if you have a single personal trainer. Of course, if you require anything beyond these basic features, you will have to upgrade. Most gyms upgrade to the $35 per month gym POS plan, which is known as the Teams Plus plan. Visit Square POS system cost for more detailed information.
As for payment processing, the standard in-person payment rate with Square is 2.6% + $0.10. However, those who run high-volume gyms could qualify for discounts on the price just listed. The same goes for using Square Appointments, as Square Appointments owners qualify for the 2.5% + $0.10 rate.
When it comes to free POS systems for gyms, Square is one of the most comprehensive. When signing up your health club up for a Square plan, you get free online booking (for a single staff), a free website, free recurring billing, and a free card reader.
If your gym requires more robust functionality, you can upgrade using a number of add-ons and paid integrations.
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The Bottom Line
As an independent gym owner, the first thing you're likely considering is the budget. If you can, try and take advantage of any free trials offered by the provider before making a final decision or signing a long term contract.
This is a great way to test out the functionality of the system to see if it works for you.
Not all POS systems that work well for gyms will come with the functions needed in this specific industry. This problem is solved by using one of the many different third party apps and integrations that can work together with most of the POS systems we've reviewed.
Want the lowest prices from the best gym POS providers in the industry? We provide business owners like you with POS system quotes based on your specific needs. Answer a few questions below to let us know what you're looking for. Our service is completely FREE. There's nothing to lose! Get started today.
Tyler Connaghan
Contributing Author