How to Grow Gym Revenue Beyond Membership Dues?

Your classes, programs, services, and products are in demand. The easier it is for your members to find, book and pay for them, the more you sell.

SHC built Sales Hub to be the single sales layer across everything a club does, every amenity, service, product, and event. It turns the gym app into a full-service sales channel for members, non-members, families, and guests, without adding to staff workload.

In this blog, we cover six sales failures at gyms and health clubs and how fitness facilities are fixing them with SHC’s Sales Hub:

1. No standard way to sell everything the club offers
2. Members have no self-serve way to buy across departments 
3. Payment processing is fragmented across departments with no single unified gateway
4. Monthly subscriptions are set up and tracked manually
5. No system to enforce member pricing, volume discounts, or package deals
6. No single view of what’s selling, what’s generating revenue, and what’s not

Let’s start.

1. No Standard Way to Sell Everything the Club Offers

A. Pain Points Experienced by Staff and Directors and the Impact

1. Lessons, clinics, and camps are sold through manual processes with no standard purchase flow
2. One-time events such as seasonal workshops, movie nights, and beginner clinics are sold manually with no system
3. Smoothies are only sold at the counter, no way to pre-order 
4. Guest passes and day passes have no digital purchase option

B. How SHC Handles This

Pain Point	SHC Workflow
Lessons, clinics, and camps sold through manual processes with no standard purchase flow	Single sales layer on SHC: Every purchasable asset across every amenity like Swim Lessons, Tennis Clinics, Kids Camp, Personal Training, Group Exercise, Smoothies, Guest Passes is available through the SHC app and the same purchase flow. Club sets up each service once in the platform like pricing, availability, member vs non-member rates. Members browse and buy from any amenity in 2-3 taps. Every transaction appears in the same Orders Report.
One-time events such as seasonal workshops, holiday events, and beginner clinics are sold manually with no system	Diverse event setup on SHC: Club creates a one-time event in the platform such as dance class, pickleball beginner night, movie night, seasonal workshop.Sets pricing, availability, and whether non-members can buy tickets. Event appears on the app immediately, members and non-members browse and purchase without any Front Desk involvement.
Smoothies only sold at the counter – no way to pre-order	Smoothies on SHC: Members open the Smoothie Now section of the app and browse available products — smoothies, pro shop items, T-shirts. Customize their order with preferred options and add-ons.Staff manage orders in real time from a dedicated dashboard, no counter transaction required.
Guest passes have no digital purchase option	Guest passes on SHC: Member or non-member purchases a day pass or guest pass directly from the app for themselves or their family. After purchase, guest receives an email with a QR code. QR code validated at the Front Desk and stops working after the purchased days are used.

C. How Fitness Facilities Have Addressed This With SHC

“In 3 weeks we sold 1494 Swim Lessons, Group Fitness Classes, and Pickleball Clinics to members and non members. Saved approx. 6 weeks of Front Desk time.”

– Tom Casper, Project Manager Wisconsin Athletic Club

Another facility running Tennis Clinics, Kids Camp, Swim Lessons, EMS, and Fitness Training on SHC processed 2,407 transactions totaling $114,751 in a single month, all through one platform. Every transaction is visible in one place; no separate system for each amenity.

2. Members & Non-Members Have No Self-Serve Way to Buy Everything the Club Offers 

A. Pain Points Experienced by Members and Front Desk and the Impact

1. Members can’t buy classes, programs, or services online
2. Non-members can only buy during business hours when staff are available
3. Family purchases require a separate Front Desk visit
4. Session packs are tracked manually, no visibility for members into their session balance 
5. Non-member enrollment requires multiple steps
6. Refunds require a Front Desk call, no self-serve option

B. How SHC Handles This

Pain Point	SHC Workflow
Members can’t buy classes, programs, or services online	Member self-purchase on SHC: Member opens the app and navigates to any department — Group Exercise, Aquatics, Tennis, Personal Training, Smoothie Now. Selects a service, class, program, or product and sees all available pricing options such as single session, 5-pack, 10-pack, monthly subscription. Purchases in 2-3 taps and receives confirmation instantly.
Non-members can only buy during business hours when staff are available	Non-member self-purchase on SHC: Non-member opens the web portal or app. Browses available classes, programs, events, and guest passes. Pays via Stripe, no billing company account required. Confirmation sent instantly. No Front Desk step.
Family purchases require a Front Desk visit	Family purchasing on SHC: Member selects a family member from their linked account during the purchase flow. Buys a clinic, camp, or lesson on their behalf. Single transaction – child health information captured at enrollment and visible to instructors.
Session packs are tracked manually, no visibility for members into their session balance	Session balance tracking on SHC: Member purchases a session pack such as a 5-pack or 10-pack, directly from the app. Each booking automatically deducts one session from the balance. Member sees remaining session balance in their profile at any time. If they cancel, the session is returned automatically.
Non-member enrollment requires multiple steps	Staff-assisted non-member purchase on SHC: Front Desk opens the relevant department on the web app. Creates the account, selects the service, processes payment through Stripe. Single flow, no system switching. Confirmation sent automatically.
Refunds require a Front Desk call, no self-serve option	Refunds on SHC: For Stripe payments, partial or full refunds are processed directly from the platform, no third-party gateway login required. Member receives confirmation of the refund automatically. Refund recorded in the Orders Report immediately, full audit trail maintained.

C. How Fitness Facilities Have Addressed This With SHC

Recovery Lab built their entire service model around self-serve purchasing. Every client opens the app, browses services, books a slot, and pays without a single Front Desk step. 

Similarly, Saginaw Athletic Club was managing Pickleball open play with a physical punch card, a member’s name written on it, and punched manually each visit. After moving to SHC, session balances are tracked automatically. When a member books a class, the balance goes down. When they cancel, the session comes back. 

3. Payment Processing Is Fragmented Across Departments With No Single Unified Gateway

A. Pain Points Experienced by Staff & Management and the Impact

1. Cash and check transactions are recorded manually with no link to the main reporting system
2. Court bookings, classes, and products are charged at different points: some at booking, some after service, some at the counter
3. Member and non-member transactions live in different systems 

B. How SHC Handles This

Pain Point	SHC Workflow
Cash and check transactions are recorded manually with no link to the main reporting system	Alternative payment recording on SHC: Staff records cash or check payment directly in the platform at the point of transaction. Payment method, amount, and a note are captured.Alternative payments appear in the Orders Report alongside Stripe and billing company transactions — full record, one place. These also feed directly into commission calculations for instructors.
Court bookings, classes, and products are charged at different points — some at booking, some after service, some at the counter	Flexible payment timing on SHC: Club configures each service individually — pay at booking for class packs and programs, pay after service for court bookings and Personal Training sessions. For pay after service, staff charge from the calendar event when the session is complete. System enforces the correct timing automatically, no manual tracking of who owes what.
Member and non-member transactions live in different systems	Unified payment record on SHC: Member purchases route through the club’s billing company — ABC, Jonas, Club Automation, Paramount. Non-member purchases route through Stripe. Both appear in the same Orders Report — one view, all transactions, regardless of gateway. Filter by department, date range, payment method, or member type. Export to CSV for accounting.

4. Monthly Subscriptions Are Set Up and Tracked Manually

A. Pain Points Experienced by Staff and Management and the Impact

1. Monthly subscriptions for Pilates, gymnastics, and small group training, etc. are set up and renewed manually
2. Failed subscription payments have no automated follow-up; staff chase them individually
3. Members can’t freeze or cancel a subscription without calling Front Desk
4. No automated grace period when a subscription payment fails; cancellation is handled case by case

B. How SHC Handles This

Pain Point	SHC Workflow
Monthly subscriptions for Pilates, gymnastics, and small group training, etc. are set up and renewed manually	Recurring charge on SHC: Club creates a recurring charge under Inventory and Promotions, sets the price, billing period (weekly, monthly, or custom), and renewal date. Member subscribes once, charged automatically on the same date each period. Auto-renewal handles every subsequent charge, no staff follow-up required.
Failed subscription payments have no automated follow-up, staff chase them individually	Grace period on SHC: Club sets a grace period for declined renewals, for example 7 days. System retries the payment within the grace period before cancelling the subscription. Member notified automatically, no manual follow-up from staff required.
Members can’t freeze or cancel a subscription without calling Front Desk	Member self-management on SHC: Club enables the freeze function; members can pause their own subscription for a set period directly from the app. Subscription reactivates automatically at the end of the freeze period or can be cancelled. No Front Desk call required; member manages their own subscription.
No automated grace period when a subscription payment fails, cancellation is handled case by case	Cancellation window on SHC: Club sets a cancellation window for recurring charges, how far in advance a member must cancel before the next billing date. System enforces the window consistently, no case-by-case decisions from staff. Members who miss the cancellation window are charged for the next period automatically.

C. How Fitness Facilities Have Addressed This With SHC

“With SHC’s app, we’re selling much more of our specialty classes, such as Floating Sound Baths and Pilates Classes to our members and especially to non-members.”

 – Carrie Gimmestad, Member Engagement Director, Memorial Athletic Club

5. No System to Enforce Pricing, Volume Discounts, or Package Deals

A. Pain Points Experienced by Directors and Front Desk and the Impact

1. Member vs non-member pricing is applied inconsistently, no system to enforce it automatically
2. Volume discounts and package pricing require staff to manually select the right price
3. Promo pricing such as early bird, limited-time offers is applied inconsistently across shifts
4. No way to restrict a promotional price to prevent members buying it repeatedly

B. How SHC Handles This

Pain Point	SHC Workflow
Member vs non-member pricing is applied inconsistently, no system to enforce it automatically	Differential pricing on SHC: Club creates separate inventory items for member and non-member pricing, for example member Group X drop-in at $27, non-member at $32. System identifies the member type at checkout and surfaces the correct price automatically. No staff calculation required, the right price is applied every time, consistently.
Volume discounts require staff to select the right price	Volume pricing on SHC: Club creates multiple price tiers under one inventory item — single session, 5-pack, 10-pack. Members see all options when purchasing and select the one that suits them. System charges the correct amount, no staff involvement in the pricing decision.
Promo pricing — early bird, limited-time offers — is applied inconsistently across shifts	Promo price management on SHC: Club creates a promotional price and hides it from member-facing purchase. Staff charge the promo price from the backend when appropriate, applying it intentionally, not at the member’s discretion. Promotion is controlled and consistent, no member can repeatedly purchase a promo price that was intended as a one-time offer.
No way to restrict pricing by membership tier	Tier-based pricing on SHC: Club assigns pricing to specific membership tiers — Silver, Gold, Platinum, so that only members of the relevant tier see and can purchase that price. Members without the qualifying tier see standard pricing. Applied automatically at checkout, no manual verification required from staff.

C. How Fitness Facilities Have Addressed This With SHC

South RAC runs three PT pricing tiers, such as a 10-pack at $700, a 5-pack at $325, and a promo 3-pack at $99. The promo 3-pack is intentionally hidden from member-facing purchase, only staff can apply it from the backend, preventing members from buying the promotional price repeatedly. All three pricing options are available in the same system, applied correctly every time, without manual intervention.

6. No Single View of What’s Selling, What’s Generating Revenue, and What’s Not

A. Pain Points Experienced by Directors and Finance and the Impact

1. No single revenue view across departments
2. Session usage history invisible without checking the billing system
3. Alternative payments (cash, check) are not captured in the same report as digital transactions
4. No GL codes or profit center tracking for accounting

B. How SHC Handles This

Pain Point	SHC Workflow
No single revenue view across departments	Orders Report on SHC: Director opens the Orders Report from the web app.Sees every transaction across all departments — classes, programs, court bookings, products, smoothies, guest passes, in a single report. Filter by department, date range, payment method, membership tier, or service type. Export to CSV.
Session usage history invisible without checking the billing system	Session usage tracking on SHC: Staff opens a member’s profile from the All Users page.Sees full session usage history — class name, date of use, instructor, sessions used, remaining balance.No billing system login required — full history visible in one place.
Alternative payments not captured alongside digital transactions	Unified payment record on SHC: Alternative payments — cash, check, complimentary — recorded in the platform at the point of transaction.Appear in the Orders Report alongside Stripe and billing company transactions. Full payment record across all methods: one report, no manual reconciliation.
No GL codes or profit center tracking for accounting	GL code and profit center reporting on SHC: Club assigns GL codes and profit center codes to departments and inventory items. Every transaction in the Orders Report is tagged with the relevant code automatically. Filter and export by GL code — revenue from Pilates, Tennis, Group Exercise, and the Smoothie bar tracked and separated without manual reconciliation.

C. How Fitness Facilities Have Addressed This With SHC

A multi-location fitness facility in Dallas processes thousands of transactions a month across Tennis, Camp, Swim, and Fitness Training and has every transaction visible in one report by department, by service, by payment method. Directors can see exactly which departments are performing and which need attention without pulling a single report from a separate system.

Conclusion

Most gyms have more to sell than their current system lets them sell.  SHC’s Sales Hub is the single sales layer across everything a club does. One place for members and non-members to buy. One payment gateway behind every transaction. One report showing what sold, what it generated, and where it came from.

The clubs that have put a system behind their sales are seeing it in their numbers.