Best Card Machines for Gyms & Fitness Studios UK 2025
Compare payment solutions for gyms, yoga studios, CrossFit boxes, and personal trainers. Recurring billing, class bookings, and membership management.
Gym Payment Processing Requirements
Gyms and fitness studios have unique needs:
- Recurring billing: Monthly membership auto-charges
- Direct debit alternative: Card-based recurring payments
- Class bookings: Pay-per-class or packages
- Joining fees: One-time setup charges
- Failed payment handling: Retry logic for expired cards
- Membership management: Active/frozen/cancelled tracking
Top Solutions for Fitness Businesses
1. Square - Best for Boutique Studios
Rating: 9.2/10 for Fitness
Square offers free recurring billing and class booking software, saving yoga studios and small gyms £60-£100 monthly on membership software costs.
Pricing:
- In-person: 1.75%
- Online/recurring: 2.5% + 25p
- Terminal: £269
Perfect for Fitness Because:
- Free Square Appointments - Class booking and scheduling
- Recurring memberships - Auto-charge monthly subscriptions
- Class packages - Sell 5, 10, 20-class bundles
- Online booking - Clients book and pay online
- Automatic retry - Failed card payments retried automatically
- Client profiles - Track attendance and purchase history
Ideal for: Yoga studios, Pilates studios, CrossFit boxes, boutique gyms under 200 members.
2. Dojo - Best for Traditional Gyms
Rating: 8.4/10
Large gyms (200+ members) save with Dojo's 0.9% + 9p fees compared to Square's 2.5% on recurring billing.
Pricing:
- Fee: 0.9% + 9p
- Monthly: £0
- Terminal: FREE
Cost Comparison (200 members at £40/month = £8,000):
- Dojo: £72 + £18 = £90/month ✅
- Square: £8,000 × 2.5% = £200/month
- Savings: £110/month = £1,320 annually
3. GoCardless + Card Machine - Best for Membership Gyms
Rating: 9.0/10 for Large Gyms
Many gyms use GoCardless for Direct Debit memberships (cheaper than card recurring) plus card machine for joining fees and pay-as-you-go.
GoCardless Pricing:
- Per transaction: 1% (capped at £2)
- For 200 members: £400/month (£2 × 200)
Combined with Dojo:
- Memberships via Direct Debit: £400/month
- Joining fees (£2,000) via Dojo: £19/month
- Total: £419/month (cheaper than card-only for large gyms)
4. Stripe - Best for Digital-First Gyms
Rating: 8.3/10
Gyms with apps or online platforms use Stripe for powerful API and recurring billing.
Pricing:
- Online: 1.5% + 20p
- In-person (with Stripe Terminal): 1.4% + 20p
5. SumUp - Best for Personal Trainers
Rating: 8.1/10
Mobile personal trainers use SumUp's £19 portable reader to accept payments at client locations or outdoor sessions.
Pricing:
- Fee: 1.39%
- Reader: £19
Recurring Billing Considerations
Card vs Direct Debit for Memberships:
| Method | Cost per £40 Membership | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Debit (GoCardless) | £0.40 (1%, capped £2) | Large gyms (200+ members) |
| Card Recurring (Square) | £1.25 (2.5% + 25p) | Small studios (<100 members) |
| Card Recurring (Dojo) | £0.45 (0.9% + 9p) | Medium gyms (100-300 members) |
Final Recommendation
Choose based on gym size:
- Personal trainers (mobile): SumUp (£19, portable)
- Small studios (20-100 members): Square (free booking + recurring)
- Medium gyms (100-300 members): Dojo + GoCardless
- Large gyms (300+ members): GoCardless Direct Debit + Dojo for joining fees
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