Key takeaways

  • Popular club access control systems are keycard and fob door entry systems, mobile access control, and hybrid door entry systems.
  • The benefits of club access control systems, like 24/7 gym access control systems, are enhanced security, increased member retention, and an improved access experience for your members.

 

An example of club access control.

 

Club access control systems provide a convenient yet secure way to manage access to your gym, health club, or fitness studio. ​​What’s more, mobile club access control systems empower members to seamlessly access your facility with a simple swipe, scan, or tap of their smartphones, ensuring a seamless and secure environment for everyone.

Join us as we uncover the five best club access control systems on the market. Then, we explore the costs of gym key fob systems. Finally, discover the benefits that access control systems can offer your sports club, gym, or wellness center.

In this guide, we cover:

 

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5 best club access control systems

From yacht clubs and tennis courts to apartment and office fitness centers, sports club facilities require robust access control to streamline entry for your members, visitors, and staff.

Based on our research, here are our recommendations for the best club access control systems:

  1. ButterflyMX
  2. GymMaster
  3. Hello Club
  4. Club Automation
  5. Smart Club Solutions

 

1. ButterflyMX

ButterflyMX is the best club access control solution for making access simple and safe for your members.

Moreover, ButterflyMX empowers you to reduce wait times and enhance your members’ overall experience. Furthermore, we empower you to create customizable access permissions that allow you to tailor access levels to different membership tiers or specific areas within your facility.

 

What is the best 24/7 gym access system?

Here’s how ButterflyMX makes property-wide access simple for gyms:

  • State-of-the-art video intercom. Our video intercom has a 156° wide-angle camera with minimal blind spots that empower you to visually verify members and guests before granting them access. As a result, this boosts security for everyone at your facility by maximizing how much you can see on the screen.
  • Five-star mobile app. Our top-rated mobile app simplifies access for everyone at your fitness center with just a swipe, tap, or scan of their smartphone. So, members won’t have to lug around physical keys that may get lost at your gym.
  • 24/7 remote control. Our cloud-based technology empowers your staff to remotely grant or revoke access, track entry logs, and manage membership privileges from anywhere at any time.
  • Flexible entry options. Our ecosystem of ButterflyMX access control technology offers versatile access options, including a mobile app, keycards, fobs, and keypads for your member’s convenience.
  • Manage access permissions. Control and restrict access to women-only spaces, exclusive member rooms, and more. Additionally, you can easily remotely revoke access to members with expired memberships.
  • Audit logs. Detailed audit logs that are easily accessible with a mobile app or web dashboard give you full transparency into entry activity. What’s more, these logs empower you to track visitor usage of your facilities and access time-and-date-stamped logs in the event of a security incident.
  • Front desk station. Control and manage access right from your front desk with our front desk solution. With this in mind, integrate your front desk with our video intercom so that staff can visually verify guests and members before letting them in for improved security.
  • Elevator controls. Control and manage access to certain floors with your key-fobbed elevator to enhance security at your property.
  • Vehicle access control. Grant secure and automatic access to authorized vehicles at your property with convenient vehicle readers and windshield tags.
  • Package room. Receive exercise equipment and other packages safely and securely. As a result, preventing the risk of package theft or misplaced parcels.

 

Discover how ButterflyMX works:

 

2. GymMaster

GymMaster offers gym management software that’s intuitive and easy to use. What’s more, GymMaster employs convenient AI-generated emails and newsletters to streamline your flow of communication with members.

Here are some key benefits of GymMaster:

  • Empowers your members to check in with their mobile devices.
  • Offers a fully integrated database for enhanced club management.
  • Sends real-time alerts and insights into visitor usage at your facilities.
  • Send automated payments, schedule reminders, and send membership expiration reminders.
  • Set up secure access to women-only areas.
  • Provides data analytics and trend insights that allow you to monitor equipment and light usage.
  • Prevent unauthorized visitors from tailgating at your gym with an advanced tailgating detection system.

 

3. Hello Club

Hello Club offers a 24-hour door access system that makes managing your facility easy and efficient. Moreover, their software provides a one-stop shop for all of your club management needs.

Here are some key benefits of Hello Club:

  • Large touchscreen display that makes member check-ins quick and easy.
  • Awarded a Class-5 certification from the Australian Security Industry Association.
  • Flexible access options, including tags, fobs, cards, PIN codes, and more.
  • Detailed reports and access log history to track who accesses your facility.
  • Manage bookings, classes, and personal training sessions.
  • Manage and monitor light controls that are designed to automatically shut off when a room is not in use.

 

4. Club Automation

From fitness clubs to corporate wellness centers, Club Automation provides top-tier experiences for members, visitors, and staff. What’s more, their software offers various outreach tools that maximize engagement at your club.

Club Automation offers convenient benefits like:

  • Customized access points based on age, gender, and membership type for an improved experience for your members.
  • Comprehensive data analytics that empowers you to track visitor volume and entry activity.
  • Versatile keycard options for seamless and convenient entry.
  • Club management software that empowers you to manage your facility remotely.
  • Convenient payment and billing system that makes submitting online invoices easier than ever.

 

5. Smart Club Solutions

With over 20 years of experience, Smart Club Solutions specializes in various smart club sectors. As a result, Smart Club Solutions is the leading solution for club access control throughout the UK and Ireland.

Here’s what Smart Club Solutions has to offer:

  • Membership database that’s activated by a member’s card or fob.
  • Electronic readers that make access convenient for everyone at your property.
  • Control doors, gates, and barriers for enhanced security.
  • Monitor time and attendance so you always stay informed of who’s entering your facility.
  • Automatic lighting controls that shut off when a room is not in use to save electricity and money.

 

Fitness trainers using club access control systems to secure their gym.

 

Types of club access control systems

Each type of club access control system brings benefits, from enhanced security and convenience to streamlined management and integration with membership databases.

Let’s take a closer look at different types of gym entry systems:

 

Keycard and fob door entry system

A keycard and fob door entry system streamlines entry for members without needing physical keys, providing swift and hassle-free access to your facility.

Additionally, keycard and fob door entry systems offer flexibility by empowering your staff to grant or revoke access privileges as needed. This is particularly convenient if you offer temporary promotional memberships.

Moreover, these systems integrate seamlessly with gym management software and make it easy to track facility usage by members and visitors.

 

Hybrid door entry system

Hybrid door entry systems combine different access control methods for a completely tailored experience. These systems offer heightened security by allowing access only to authorized members through various methods, such as keycards, PIN codes, or biometric authentication.

This flexibility ensures that members and staff can easily gain entry while minimizing the risk of unauthorized access. Moreover, hybrid systems provide protection against technological failures or power outages by offering robust access options, such as mechanical keys, ensuring uninterrupted access even in outages.

 

Mobile access control

A mobile access door entry system empowers members and visitors to use their mobile devices to access authorized areas. By leveraging smartphones as access credentials, you can enhance the experience for your members by providing them with unparalleled convenience.

What’s more, granting your members access with just a tap or swipe of their smart device eliminates the need for you to issue them physical keys.

Additionally, cloud-based mobile access control systems empower your staff to manage access and monitor your facility in real-time.

 

Gate access control

Gate access control systems ensure that only authorized individuals can enter your club’s facilities by granting vehicles and individuals access at a barrier or gate.

By using physical barriers to control access, you can more easily guarantee that only members and staff access your facility during operating hours.

 

Vehicle access control

Vehicle access control systems empower you to easily regulate parking access, ensuring only authorized vehicles can enter your club’s parking garage. This helps prevent unauthorized parking, reduces congestion, and guarantees that designated parking spaces are always available for your members and staff.

The most common types of vehicle access control are:

  • LPR systems. LPR (license plate recognition) systems are a popular way to grant quick and easy access to vehicles. However, LPR systems often have difficulty reading license plates during extreme weather conditions. Additionally, they may have difficulty reading your member’s license plate if the plate itself is damaged.
  • Vehicle readers and windshield tags. Vehicle readers automatically grant access to vehicles that have a valid windshield tag adhered to their vehicle. What’s more, ButterflyMX windshield tags automatically degrade when they’re removed. So, you won’t have to worry about members taking their tags off their vehicles and sharing them with unauthorized individuals.

Additionally, these systems streamline parking management and enhance the experience for your members by granting automatic access to authorized vehicles at your facility.

 

Biometric access control

Biometric access control uses biological features that are unique to each individual to grant access to your staff and members. They often employ fingerprint and iris scanners, as well as voice recognition technology to grant authorized members access.

Unfortunately, biometric access control is the most expensive method. However, when integrated with gym software, biometric access control can give members valuable insights into their physical activity, heart rate, and health stats.

 

Using club access control systems to protect members.

 

How much does a key fob system for a gym cost?

For gyms, key card and key fob systems typically cost $1,000 to $3,000 per door. With that in mind, gym key fob system costs often include readers, panels, and wiring. Additionally, there are usually upfront installation costs and an additional cost of $3 to $10 per card or $5 to $50 per fob.

 

Benefits of 24/7 gym access control systems

Here are some advantages of gym access control systems:

  • Enhanced security. Gym access control gives you enhanced visibility into your property’s entry activity and member usage. With this in mind, this boosts visibility into who’s accessing your facilities, which is great for improving gym security for members and staff.
  • Improved experience for members. Robust access control grants easy automatic access to authorized members at your property. What’s more, you can easily manage and restrict access to exclusive members, as well as women’s only areas.
  • Streamline operations. Modernize your front desk station with automatic and secure check-ins that reduce wait times.
  • Save time and money. Club access control systems save time and money by empowering administrative staff to focus on more important tasks. Additionally, they save money by reducing manual tasks and improving efficiency.
  • Increase member retention. Member retention is important because even a 5% increase in member retention rate can increase profits anywhere between 25% and 95% for your gym. With this in mind, access control systems increase member retention by making access simple for members and improving the overall experience at your facility.
  • Manage access to all your club locations. If you manage several club locations throughout the country, a cloud-based access control system empowers you to manage access to all of your locations remotely.

 

Components of club access control systems

Here are the key components of club access control systems:

  • Security door or entry barrier. Physical barriers like doors or gates boost security for everyone at your facility by preventing unauthorized entry. This increases trust and eases worries for your customers.
  • Infrastructure and hardware. Infrastructure encompasses the wiring, access control systems, security cameras, and backup power solutions that keep your property safe.
  • Gym management software. Management software empowers administrators to add or remove health club members, set access schedules, review access logs, and monitor real-time activity remotely. What’s more, cloud-based gym access control systems allow remote access and integrate with other gym access control systems. Additionally, management software provides a centralized hub for sending billing for gym memberships to members and can even act as a convenient booking platform.

 

Club access control systems FAQs

Here are some commonly asked questions about 24/7 gym entry systems:

 

What are the three major components of an access control system?

The three major components of an access control system are identification, authentication, and authorization.

First, your access control system identifies whether a visitor has a valid access credential. Then, your system authenticates the access credential. Finally, your reader authorizes the access credential and grants the user access.

 

Who is the leader in access control?

ButterflyMX is the leading access control system for making property-wide access simple.

 

What is a swipe card system for gyms?

Swipe card systems for gyms grant access to members with valid keycard credentials. What’s more, they’re easy to use and convenient for members.

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Author

Tiara Sutton

Content Writer
Tiara Sutton joined the ButterflyMX team as a Content Writer in 2022. After graduating from Agnes Scott College with a degree in Political Science, she started her journey registering underrepresented communities to vote, before becoming an ESL teacher, and eventually discovering her love for freelance writing.

With a knack for translating complex ideas into compelling stories, she brings years of experience in writing and teaching where she crafts insightful content for multifamily and commercial real estate industries.

She lives in Atlanta, GA, where she enjoys writing poetry, exploring new cities, and performing at open mics. She also enjoys reading and spending time outdoors, whether hiking through nature or finding peaceful moments in a local bookstore.

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