How to use this guide
Run every serious vendor through the same questions. Do not only listen to the answer; watch whether they answer directly, ask useful follow-ups, or redirect to generic demo language.
Have three numbers ready: active members, monthly billing volume, and locations. Then have one operational pain ready: billing, switching, support, reporting, access, or member communication. Good answers should connect back to your actual gym.
Pricing & contracts
| Question | Good answer | Concerning answer |
|---|---|---|
| What is my all-in monthly cost? | Itemized platform, processing, add-ons, setup, and location/member assumptions. | "Starting at" with no modeled quote. |
| Is processing included or separate? | Exact rate, processor, fee structure, and who owns payment support. | "It is bundled" without explaining the economics. |
| Is my price locked? | Written terms for what can and cannot change. | Vague comfort language with no contract detail. |
| What is included vs. add-on? | Clear feature list by tier. | Features from the demo appear only after upgrade. |
| What happens if I cancel? | Plain cancellation terms and export path. | Difficult exits, surprise fees, or unclear data access. |
What is my all-in monthly cost?
- Good answer
- Itemized platform, processing, add-ons, setup, and location/member assumptions.
- Concerning answer
- "Starting at" with no modeled quote.
Is processing included or separate?
- Good answer
- Exact rate, processor, fee structure, and who owns payment support.
- Concerning answer
- "It is bundled" without explaining the economics.
Is my price locked?
- Good answer
- Written terms for what can and cannot change.
- Concerning answer
- Vague comfort language with no contract detail.
What is included vs. add-on?
- Good answer
- Clear feature list by tier.
- Concerning answer
- Features from the demo appear only after upgrade.
What happens if I cancel?
- Good answer
- Plain cancellation terms and export path.
- Concerning answer
- Difficult exits, surprise fees, or unclear data access.
Billing & payments
| Question | Good answer | Concerning answer |
|---|---|---|
| What happens when a payment fails? | Member notification, retry path, staff visibility, and grace-period behavior. | Auto-cancel or hand-waving. |
| Do you support lower-cost methods like ACH? | Precise yes/no, rate, failure handling, and settlement timing. | "Probably" or no detail. |
| Do you support card updater services? | Clear support status. | Generic promises about fewer failures. |
| Can I see overdue payments immediately? | Dashboard view without manual exports. | End-of-month reconciliation only. |
| Who is the processor? | Named processor and clear responsibilities. | Hidden processor or unclear payment ownership. |
What happens when a payment fails?
- Good answer
- Member notification, retry path, staff visibility, and grace-period behavior.
- Concerning answer
- Auto-cancel or hand-waving.
Do you support lower-cost methods like ACH?
- Good answer
- Precise yes/no, rate, failure handling, and settlement timing.
- Concerning answer
- "Probably" or no detail.
Do you support card updater services?
- Good answer
- Clear support status.
- Concerning answer
- Generic promises about fewer failures.
Can I see overdue payments immediately?
- Good answer
- Dashboard view without manual exports.
- Concerning answer
- End-of-month reconciliation only.
Who is the processor?
- Good answer
- Named processor and clear responsibilities.
- Concerning answer
- Hidden processor or unclear payment ownership.
Migration & onboarding
| Question | Good answer | Concerning answer |
|---|---|---|
| What data transfers? | Field-level explanation for member records, plans, history, waivers, visits, and billing data. | Only a vague "we import your members." |
| What happens to payment tokens? | Processor-specific answer before contract. | "It should be fine." |
| Who owns the migration work? | Named responsibilities for vendor and gym. | Unclear handoff after signup. |
| How long does onboarding take for a gym like mine? | Realistic range with dependencies. | One-size-fits-all timeline. |
| Can we test billing before go-live? | Clear testing or verification path. | First live dues run is the first test. |
What data transfers?
- Good answer
- Field-level explanation for member records, plans, history, waivers, visits, and billing data.
- Concerning answer
- Only a vague "we import your members."
What happens to payment tokens?
- Good answer
- Processor-specific answer before contract.
- Concerning answer
- "It should be fine."
Who owns the migration work?
- Good answer
- Named responsibilities for vendor and gym.
- Concerning answer
- Unclear handoff after signup.
How long does onboarding take for a gym like mine?
- Good answer
- Realistic range with dependencies.
- Concerning answer
- One-size-fits-all timeline.
Can we test billing before go-live?
- Good answer
- Clear testing or verification path.
- Concerning answer
- First live dues run is the first test.
Support & reliability
- 1How do I reach a human? Good: phone, hours, escalation path. Concerning: chatbot-only support.
- 2What is typical response time? Good: specific expectation by issue type. Concerning: "as soon as possible."
- 3What happens during a billing emergency? Good: priority path. Concerning: same queue as a minor feature question.
- 4Can I test support during the trial? Good: yes. Concerning: support only after contract.
- 5Can I speak to a customer like me? Good: willing reference. Concerning: delay or testimonials only.
Data ownership & exit rights
- 1Do I own my data? Good: yes, plainly. Concerning: contract language that makes access conditional.
- 2Can I export member and billing data anytime? Good: clear formats and process. Concerning: limited exports or fees.
- 3What happens to payment data if I leave? Good: processor-specific answer. Concerning: no plan until cancellation.
- 4How long is data retained after cancellation? Good: written retention window. Concerning: immediate cutoff.
Product direction & fit
- 1Show me the five screens I will use daily. Good: vendor can run your workflows live. Concerning: polished tour only.
- 2How does this fit my gym model? Good: answer changes for 24/7 access, classes, coaching, multi-location, or boutique model.
- 3What do customers complain about most? Good: honest answer with how they are improving. Concerning: "nothing."
- 4What is on the roadmap, and what is live today? Good: clear distinction. Concerning: roadmap features sold as current product.
Printable evaluation checklist
| Area | Must confirm before signing |
|---|---|
| Pricing | All-in monthly cost and price-lock terms |
| Billing | Processor, rates, failed-payment workflow, ACH/card-updater status |
| Migration | Data export, token path, timeline, responsibilities |
| Support | Human support channel, hours, emergency path |
| Data | Export rights, cancellation terms, payment data handling |
| Fit | Daily workflows match your gym model |
Pricing
- Must confirm before signing
- All-in monthly cost and price-lock terms
Billing
- Must confirm before signing
- Processor, rates, failed-payment workflow, ACH/card-updater status
Migration
- Must confirm before signing
- Data export, token path, timeline, responsibilities
Support
- Must confirm before signing
- Human support channel, hours, emergency path
Data
- Must confirm before signing
- Export rights, cancellation terms, payment data handling
Fit
- Must confirm before signing
- Daily workflows match your gym model
Bring this list to a Fitness GM demo
Test the answers in the product.
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