The verdict in three sentences
A chain of 6 clubs and 5,500 members paying around USD 1.6 per member per month for software spends roughly USD 105,000 a year on licences, without owning its data. A custom platform with memberships, recurring billing, access control and a member app costs between USD 50,000 and 110,000. Cutting failed payments from 4% to under 1.5% makes it profitable within 18 months.
Where a multi-club chain loses margin
Three leaks keep showing up in Dubai chains: failed card payments retried too late, freezes and cancellations poorly tracked across clubs, and a per-member licence that grows with every opening. Then comes access: shared cards, unchecked entries, and members of a JLT club training in Business Bay without a multi-site plan.
| Indicator | Per-member SaaS | Custom platform |
|---|---|---|
| Annual software cost (5,500 members) | USD 105,000 | USD 13,000 to 22,000 maintenance and hosting |
| Failed payment rate | 4% | 1 to 1.5% with retries at D+1, D+3, D+7 |
| Automatic card updater and retries | often add-on | included |
| Multi-club access | depends on plan | rules per membership |
| Member app | vendor branding | your brand, class booking |
| Data ownership | at the vendor | yours, hosted in the UAE |
In the UAE, recurring billing runs mostly on cards through local gateways (Network International, Checkout.com, Telr, Stripe) rather than direct debit, so tokenised cards and smart retries replace SEPA mandates.
Scope and budget (2026 order of magnitude)
| Module | Scope | Estimated budget |
|---|---|---|
| Memberships and contracts | plans, commitment, freeze, cancellation | USD 9,000 to 18,000 |
| Recurring billing and dunning | tokenised cards, retries, backup payment | USD 9,000 to 20,000 |
| Access control | QR code, cards, turnstiles, multi-club rules | USD 10,000 to 22,000 |
| Member app iOS and Android | class booking, payment, push, Arabic and English | USD 13,000 to 30,000 |
| Back office and dashboards | revenue per club, churn, attendance | USD 6,000 to 13,000 |
| Data migration | 5,500 members, tokens, history | USD 3,000 to 7,000 |
| Total | USD 50,000 to 110,000 |
The same scope in Montpellier runs EUR 45,000 to 100,000. Access control depends heavily on existing hardware: reusing turnstiles is far cheaper than replacing them, at USD 3,000 to 6,000 per new entry point.
A typical 5-month timeline
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and access hardware audit | 3 weeks | specifications |
| Back office and app mockups | 3 weeks | approved screens |
| Development | 11 weeks | modules in batches |
| Pilot club | 2 weeks | live tests on one site |
| Rollout to 5 other clubs | 2 weeks | progressive switch |
Card tokens can usually be migrated between PCI-compliant gateways without asking members to re-enter details.
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Omar, managing director of 6 clubs across Dubai Marina, JLT and Al Barsha, bills 5,500 members at AED 350 (about USD 95) a month, or USD 6.27M a year. Failed payments at 4% represent USD 250,800. Bringing them to 1.5% recovers USD 156,700 a year. He also saves USD 105,000 in licences, minus USD 20,000 in maintenance and hosting: USD 85,000. Annual gain: USD 241,700. On a USD 95,000 project plus USD 25,000 of access hardware, the USD 120,000 investment pays back in about 6 months in this favourable scenario, and within 18 months even if only a third of the gains materialise.
FAQ
Does the platform support Arabic?
Yes, the app and member portal can ship in English and Arabic with right-to-left layouts, included in the app budget of USD 13,000 to 30,000.
Can we keep our current turnstiles?
In most cases yes, through a Wiegand-compatible controller or a manufacturer API. That avoids USD 3,000 to 6,000 per entry point.
What does card processing cost?
Local gateways typically charge 2.2 to 2.9% plus a small fixed fee per transaction, negotiable at this volume.
Is the app under our brand?
Yes, published under your name on the App Store and Google Play. The Apple developer account costs USD 99 a year.
What if we open a seventh club?
Adding a club is configuration, with no licence surcharge. Only the new site's access hardware needs budgeting.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of clubs, members and access hardware, and we will price your platform between USD 50,000 and 110,000 with a 5-month plan. 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.
