Billing: ACH > ACH Processing Method Options

Fully-Integrated Processing: The Direct Method

This is by far the most efficient way to handle ACH in Gym Assistant is to sign up with a 3rd party ACH processor that offers full compatibility with Gym Assistant. The ACH processor's primary function is to submit ACH transactions into the banking system on your behalf.

Gym Assistant submits ACH transactions directly to the processor through the internet. The processor will check the information that is sent for invalid data and give you confirmation that the information was received.

You can then record all of the payments and update the members' information in one step. You will receive an email from the processor within 2-4 days notifying you of any rejected transactions. You can then easily reverse the payments for those members in Gym Assistant; in the meantime, they will be denied entry until their membership is paid either in person or by another ACH transaction.

NACHA File Export

Your bank may provide a website that allows you to upload ACH batches. The standard format for ACH batch files is called "NACHA" (National Automated Clearing House Association). Gym Assistant will generate an industry-standard NACHA file that you can send to your bank. The program will also record all of the payments and update all of the member records in one step.

Manual Submission: The low-tech method

For those clubs who already have a standard countertop retail credit card machine and don't want to change Gym Assistant provides some tools to make your life easier as well.

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

Some banks provide tools for you to setup recurring ACH transactions. With a recurring transaction you tell the bank how much to deduct from the member's account on a given day each month, when to start and when to stop. With Gym Assistant, you can easily record all of the payments that will occur on a given billing date.

One significant disadvantage of utilizing a recurring bank debit is that you need to maintain duplicate system -- you must make sure to keep the bank list of transactions synchronized with the membership list in Gym Assistant. If you have a lot of members this process can easily get out of control, so we recommend the Direct or NACHA methods whenever possible.