Savvy gym operators are always looking for ways to control costs and increase revenue while providing value to customers. While expenses like equipment, staffing and utilities are easy to spot, there are also less obvious costs and lost revenue that can add up quickly—especially in the systems gyms use every day to run their operations.
Your gym software is often treated as a fixed cost, but the right platform can actively reduce overhead and drive new revenue. Platforms like Redpoint HQ have been helping gyms to reduce expenses and protect revenue, supporting in ways that aren’t always obvious at first glance.
Here are three ways gyms are using the Redpoint HQ platform to save money and increase revenue.
1. Offsetting Credit Card Fees With Surcharging
In the U.S., accepting credit cards is part of running a gym, but the fees can add up fast. When customers use a credit card, every membership payment, day pass and retail purchase comes with a processing fee.
Over the course of a year, these fees can add up to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Redpoint HQ offers a fully compliant surcharging program that helps offset (or even eliminate) those expenses by passing along a small, transparent fee to customers who choose to pay with credit. Redpoint surcharging applies to ALL credit card transactions where allowed, including monthly memberships, online sign-ups, retail purchases, and day passes at the front desk terminal.
So, gyms keep more of what they earn, without cutting programs, raising prices or changing the customer and member experience.
Real-World Example: A gym processes $1M annually at a 2.7% fee, totaling $27,000 in processing costs. With surcharging in place, effective fees drop to 0.6%.
Savings: $21,000 per year.
Transparency Is Key to Surcharging Success
One of the biggest concerns gyms have about surcharging for the first time is how customers will react. The reality is that most customers are already familiar with cash/debit versus credit pricing from everyday transactions at gas stations, utility providers, coffee shops, smoothie shops and convenience stores. Consumers generally understand two simple things:
- Credit cards cost more to process than debit cards.
- They have a choice by paying with debit.
It’s about giving people a choice. Customers can use a credit card and cover all of the processing cost, or they can use a debit card and avoid any additional charge.
Like most things related to the customer experience, transparency is key.
When gyms clearly communicate their surcharge policy—and the reasoning behind it—most customers make a choice without any issues.
* Credit card surcharging is widely permitted across the U.S., though rules vary by region—so, it’s important to follow local regulations.
2. Eliminating Third-Party Email Tools With Dispatches
Many gyms rely on external email marketing tools like Mailchimp or Constant Contact to communicate with their members. These tools typically charge a monthly fee based on the size of an email list or how often campaigns are sent. As a gym grows, those costs increase.
Redpoint HQ includes a built-in email tool called Dispatches, which allows managers to create and send one-time targeted emails directly from the platform.
Because Dispatches is fully integrated, it works with the data you already have—like membership status, visit history and purchases. This feature means operators can send targeted email campaigns to the right customers with the right message without using third-party software.
This capability also translates into real savings. By removing the need for a separate email platform, many gyms are saving hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars each year.
Real-World Example: A gym with 40,000 contacts was spending $4,000 per year on email campaigns with Constant Contact. With Redpoint Dispatches, that cost drops to $20 per month for up to 50,000 email sends.
Savings: $3,760 per year.
3. Recovering Lost Revenue With Enrollment Requirements
Not all revenue loss is obvious. Often, it’s as simple as the wrong person getting access to the right discount.
For example:
- A returning customer signs up for a discounted trial membership.
- Someone books a class at member pricing when they are not a member.
- A promotion gets used by a customer who is not eligible.
Each of these instances may seem minor on its own, but over time they add up and can have a real impact on the bottom line.
Redpoint HQ solves this problem with Enrollment Requirements—a flexible set of rules that let gym managers define exactly who can access specific memberships, classes or promotions. When someone tries to sign up online, the system automatically checks whether they’re eligible. If they are, the transaction goes through. If not, they’re notified immediately—without anyone on your team having to step in.
Gyms using Eligibility Requirements have recovered thousands of dollars in revenue by making sure discounts and promotions are only used by eligible customers.
Real-World Example: A gym was unintentionally selling first-time guest passes to returning customers due to staff error. With Redpoint automatically enforcing eligibility rules, those customers are now purchasing full-price Day Passes or Memberships instead.
Savings: Converting just 1-2 guest passes per day into full-price Day Passes and Memberships adds up to more than $10,000 per year.
The Bottom Line
These are just a few of the real-world ways gyms are increasing their revenue with Redpoint HQ—there are plenty more built into the platform. The best part? It’s all included. There are no extra tools or additional costs for this type of functionality.
In a little over a year, more than 300 gyms have seen the value in Redpoint HQ and have made the decision to switch to the platform.
Want to learn why? Sign up for a demo today.
This article is a sponsored story and does not necessarily represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
