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Gym Management Software Glossary

Plain-language definitions of the terms you'll see.

Definitions of terms and concepts used throughout Finegym.

A​

Active Membership​

A membership that is currently valid and allows the member to use gym services. Not expired, frozen, or cancelled.

Appointment​

A one-on-one scheduled session between a member and staff member (e.g., personal training session).

Appointment Type​

A category of appointments that defines duration, pricing, and which staff can provide the service.

Archive​

To remove an item from active use without permanently deleting it. Archived items can often be restored.

Attendance​

A record of a member's visit or check-in to the gym.

Auto-Renewal​

Automatic continuation of a recurring membership at the end of each billing period.

B​

Billing Cycle​

The regular interval at which a recurring membership is charged (e.g., monthly, weekly).

Billing Day​

The specific day of the month or week when recurring payments are processed.

Blocked Member​

A member whose access has been restricted and cannot check in or make bookings.

C​

Category (Product)​

A grouping for organizing products in the catalog (e.g., "Supplements", "Apparel").

Check-In​

The process of recording a member's arrival at the gym facility.

Class​

A scheduled group fitness session that members can reserve and attend.

Class Type​

A category that defines a type of group class (e.g., Yoga, HIIT, Spinning) with its own settings for duration, capacity, and instructors.

Commitment Period​

A minimum duration a member agrees to maintain their recurring membership before they can cancel.

Credit (Punchcard)​

A single visit or session unit in a punchcard membership that gets deducted upon use.

Communication History​

A log of all emails, SMS, and WhatsApp messages sent to a member, viewable in their admin profile.

Custom Field​

Additional data fields that a gym can create to collect specific member information.

D​

Dashboard​

The admin home screen showing at-a-glance business metrics like active members, today's check-ins, and monthly revenue.

Dependent​

A family member with no login of their own — typically a child — who trains on a relative's shareable membership. Emails about them go to whoever manages the family.

Digital Document​

An electronic document (waiver, contract, agreement) that members can sign digitally.

Discount​

A price reduction applied to membership plans or products, which can be percentage-based or a fixed amount.

Discount Code​

A text code (e.g., "SUMMER25") that members enter to apply a discount to their purchase.

Drop-In​

A single-session payment option that doesn't require a membership, available for some appointment types.

E​

Employee​

See Staff Member.

Event​

A special scheduled activity (workshop, seminar, open house) that appears on the calendar alongside classes.

Expected Revenue​

Projected income based on active recurring memberships and their scheduled billing dates.

F​

Family​

A group of members who share one membership marked shareable with family. Whoever manages the family adds and removes dependents and books for them.

Free Session​

A class type setting that means attendance does not count against a member's visit limits or punchcard credits.

Freeze​

Temporarily suspending a membership so it doesn't count against the member's time or usage limits.

Frontdesk Mode​

A self-service kiosk screen, usually on a tablet at your entrance. Members scan their QR code or type their PIN to check in, book today's classes and appointments, sign documents or buy a plan, and new visitors can sign up and pay. See Front Desk Kiosk.

G​

Guardian​

A parent or responsible adult listed on a minor member's account.

Guest Sale​

A walk-in sale recorded without a customer record, for someone who is not a member. Shows as "Guest" on the invoice.

I​

Instructor​

A staff member who leads classes or provides appointments. Also called Coach or Trainer.

Invoice​

A billing document listing charges owed by or paid by a member.

Invoice Item​

A single line item on an invoice (e.g., membership charge, product purchase).

K​

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)​

A measurable value that tracks business performance, such as active member count, monthly revenue, or retention rate.

Kiosk Mode​

See Frontdesk Mode.

L​

Late Cancellation​

Canceling a class reservation or appointment within the late cancellation window, which may result in penalties.

Lead​

A potential member who has expressed interest but hasn't yet signed up.

M​

Member​

A customer/user who has an account at the gym, regardless of whether they have an active membership.

Member App​

The mobile application for members to manage their gym account, book classes, and check in.

Membership​

An assigned plan that gives a member access to gym services for a specific period or number of visits.

Membership Plan​

A template defining what access and benefits a membership provides, including pricing and terms.

M​

Merge Field​

A placeholder in email or SMS templates (e.g., {{first_name}}) that gets replaced with actual member data when sent.

Migration​

The process of transferring member data, plans, and settings from another gym management system to Finegym.

Migration Wizard​

A guided 4-step process in Finegym for importing members: Import → Assign Plans → Send Welcome Emails → Review.

N​

Net Revenue (After Taxes)​

Payments minus refunds and tax — what the business actually earned. Shown on the Transactions report. The Sales report's total is a different figure: it counts payments only, before refunds and including tax.

No-Show​

When a member has a reservation but doesn't attend and doesn't cancel in advance.

Non-Recurring Membership​

A one-time purchase membership with a fixed duration that doesn't automatically renew.

Note Reminder​

An optional follow-up alert attached to a member note, triggered on a specific date or at the member's next check-in.

Note Tag​

A label used to categorize member notes for organization and filtering.

P​

Payment Method​

How a member pays (card, cash, bank transfer, or custom methods).

PIN Code​

A numeric code assigned to each member for alternative check-in when QR code isn't available.

Product Variant​

A specific option of a product, such as size or flavor (e.g., "Protein Shake - Chocolate").

Punchcard​

A membership type where members purchase a set number of visits/credits to use over time.

Q​

QR Code​

A unique scannable code assigned to each member for quick check-in.

R​

Recurring Membership​

A membership that automatically renews and charges at regular intervals (weekly or monthly).

Refund​

Returning payment to a member for a previous charge.

Reservation​

A booking made by a member for a class, event, or appointment.

Reset Period​

How often the usage counter resets for memberships with visit limits (e.g., weekly, monthly).

S​

Referral Source​

How a member found your gym (e.g., Google, walk-in, existing member). Tracked for marketing analytics.

Setup Fee​

A one-time fee charged when a membership is first assigned, in addition to the regular charge amount.

Shareable Membership​

A membership on a plan with Shareable with family switched on. Everyone in the holder's family can check in and book on it, drawing on the same usage limit.

Staff Member​

An employee of the gym with access to the admin dashboard (admin, staff, or instructor roles).

Stripe​

The payment processing service used by Finegym for card payments and automatic billing.

T​

Tax Rate​

A tax percentage or fixed amount applied to membership charges or product sales.

Tenant​

The gym/business account in Finegym. Each tenant has their own data and settings.

Time Window​

Specific hours or days when a membership is valid for check-in (e.g., off-peak access).

Transaction​

A record of a payment, refund, or other financial activity.

U​

Usage Limit​

The maximum number of visits or check-ins allowed per billing/reset period.

User Membership​

A specific membership instance assigned to a member (as opposed to the plan template).

W​

Waitlist​

A queue for members who want a place in a full class. First come, first served: when a spot opens the next eligible member is booked in automatically and emailed. Available on any class type that has an attendance limit.

Waiver​

A legal document members sign to acknowledge risks (a type of digital document).

Webhook​

An automated notification sent to an external system when an event occurs in Finegym (e.g., new member signup).

Welcome Email​

An automated email sent to newly migrated members containing their login credentials and app download instructions.

Z​

Zapier​

A third-party automation platform integrated with Finegym. Supports triggers for member, membership, and class events.

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