Credit Card Processing Method Options

The degree to which you can integrate credit card processing into Gym Assistant depends on your current setup and what changes you are willing to make.  The most seamless method lets you process cards directly in the software, which allows you to process all of your monthly billing in only a few minutes each month.

Fully-Integrated Processing

The Direct Method

This is by far the most efficient way to handle credit cards in Gym Assistant.  Gym Assistant directly submits charges to the processor in real-time through the Internet.

When a member hands you his credit card at the time of purchase, you can swipe the credit card through a USB credit card reader (available in our Online Store).  Gym Assistant then submits the charge and obtains approval in about two seconds.  If you don't have a credit card reader, then you can manually enter the credit card information.

For monthly billing, Gym Assistant will generate a list of all members that should be charged for a given billing date.  The program will then submit all of the charges in one step, recording the payments and updating records for all members whose charges were approved.  After running all of the charges Gym Assistant will display a list of the declined and approved charges.  If a member's card is declined then their payment will not be recorded and they will automatically be denied entry.  You can run charges again for the declined members at any time later.

For more information about companies that offer integration with Gym Assistant please call us or check out our website at www.gymassistant.com.

Using PC-Charge

For those clubs who already accept credit cards and do not want to change processors, PC-Charge/Pro is 3rd party software that is compatible with almost any merchant processor.  When coupled with a USB credit card reader (available in our Online Store), PC-Charge Pro can replace a standard retail credit card terminal.  Transactions are submitted through the internet, so you will not need a dedicated phone line for processing credit cards.

Using this method, Gym Assistant can submit charges through PC-Charge/Pro in real-time exactly like the Fully-Integrated Processing: The Direct Method. The only difference is that Gym Assistant submits charges through PC-Charge, rather than directly through the internet.

You may be able to obtain PC-Charge directly from your merchant processor. Once PC-Charge has been configured and you have run a test charge directly we can walk you through the Gym Assistant setup in about 5 minutes.  Gym Assistant is compatible with both PC-Charge "Pro" and PC-Charge "Payment Server."

Note: One current limitation of PC-Charge is that, as of this printing, PC-Charge is not supported on any Home edition of Windows or any 64-bit edition of Windows.  Please confirm that your computer is compatible with PC-Charge before purchasing their software.

Manual Submission: The Low-Tech Method

For those clubs who already have a standard desktop retail credit card machine and want to keep their current processor, Gym Assistant provides some tools to make your life easier as well.

Retail Credit Card Terminal

When a member hands you his card at the time of purchase, just indicate in Gym Assistant that he will be paying by credit card.  The software will then ask if the charge was approved. Swipe the card through your desktop terminal and run the charge as you normally would.  Once the charge is approved (or declined) return to Gym Assistant and click "Approved" or "Declined."

For monthly billing, Gym Assistant will generate a list of all members that should be charged for a given billing date.  The program will then display a list of credit card numbers, expiration dates and amounts to charge.  You can use this list to manually run each charge through your credit card terminal.  Once you have finished with the list, Gym Assistant can record all of the approved charges and update those member records in one step.

External Processing

If you are processing credit cards completely outside of Gym Assistant (maybe through an online service) then Gym Assistant still provides some tools to make your life easier.

Batch Export

Some merchant processors offer an online website that allows you to upload a batch of transactions in a text file.  After the charges have been processed, a list of approved and declined charges is usually displayed.  Gym Assistant can generate many different export formats including customizing options.  You can then record all of the approved charges and update those member records in one step.

Please don't hesitate to call or email us if you have any questions about payment processing.  We want to help you find the solution that is right for your business.