The verdict in three sentences
A gym franchise lives on recurring memberships and dies from churn. In 2026, a custom platform costs 45,000 to 110,000 EUR (excl. VAT) and ships in 18 to 26 weeks, unifying direct debits, access control, a member app and per-club reporting. The main lever is churn cut by about 15%, which directly increases each member's lifetime value.
Scope and budget per module
A franchise must standardise the experience while giving each club its own reporting. Here is a 2026 order of magnitude per module.
| Module | Range EUR (excl. VAT) | Indicative time |
|---|---|---|
| Memberships and SEPA direct debits | 12,000-26,000 | 6-8 weeks |
| Access control (badges, QR, turnstiles) | 10,000-24,000 | 5-7 weeks |
| Member app (class booking, tracking) | 9,000-22,000 | 5-7 weeks |
| Per-club and consolidated network reporting | 7,000-18,000 | 3-5 weeks |
| Franchise and royalty management | 6,000-16,000 | 3-5 weeks |
| Integrations (accounting, CRM, hardware) | 4,000-12,000 | 2-4 weeks |
Maintenance (about 15%/yr) covers enhancements, payment data security and multi-club support.
The quantified impact on retention
In fitness, one point less of churn is gold because it compounds month after month. Here is the typical effect on an average club.
| Metric | Before | After | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly churn | 5.0% | 4.25% | -15% |
| Average lifetime (months) | 20 | 24 | +4 months |
| Active members / club | 1,200 | 1,200 | stable |
| Average membership | 39 EUR/month | 39 EUR/month | stable |
| Failed direct debits | 6% | 3.5% | recovery + |
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Mini case study
Thomas, franchisor of 8 gyms in the Paris region (1,200 active members per club, average membership 39 EUR/month), suffers 5% monthly churn. He invests 88,000 EUR in a custom platform plus 13,200 EUR of annual maintenance. Thanks to the member app, reminders and failed-debit recovery, churn drops to 4.25% (-15%): average lifetime rises from 20 to 24 months, i.e. +4 months x 39 EUR = 156 EUR of additional revenue per member. Across 1,200 members and 8 clubs, even applying it only to new joiners, the annual gain runs into several hundred thousand euros, paying back the project in under a year.
FAQ
Does access control work with our hardware? Yes, via connectors to turnstiles, badges and QR readers. An audit of existing hardware lets us price the integration precisely.
How does the tool reduce churn? Through the member app (booking, progress tracking), automated inactivity reminders and failed-debit recovery, which prevent involuntary cancellations.
Does it manage franchise royalties? Yes: automatic per-club royalty calculation based on revenue, with consolidated reporting for the franchisor and detailed reporting for each franchise.
How long to roll out the network? The core ships in 12-16 weeks, then each club is connected in 1 to 2 weeks. Budget 18 to 26 weeks for a full network.
Are SEPA direct debits secure? Yes, via a compliant payment provider, with mandate, failure and reminder handling, which also improves the recovery rate.
Let's scope your project. Share your number of clubs, your access-control hardware and your royalty model for a quote between 45,000 and 110,000 EUR (excl. VAT). Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
