Check-in Models

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.1club.ai/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

In a nutshell, 1club supports the three industry-standard ways members enter a club. You pick the model that matches how your business runs and configure a small set of toggles to enforce it.

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Overview

Every gym has its own front-desk culture. Some require members to book and pay before they ever set foot in the building. Others welcome walk-ins as long as the member has a paid membership or pays at the door. A third group - community gyms, martial-arts schools, kids’ programs - log attendance on the spot and trust staff to handle payment separately.

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The three check-in models

The model is configured in two settings that work together:

• Booking Policies (Settings → Booking Policies) - the Enforce payment dropdown decides whether payment is required at booking, at check-in, or not at all. See Booking Policies.
• Access Control Settings (Settings → Access Control Settings) - controls whether walk-ins without a member account can be checked in. See Access Control.

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1. Book & Pay

Members must book in advance and pay before the booking is confirmed. No booking, no entry. The schedule is the source of truth. To configure:

• In your booking policy, set Enforce payment to At booking.
• Check-in required is usually on as well, so unclaimed bookings auto-mark as no-shows.

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2. Walk-in + Payment Check

Members can show up without a booking, but the front desk must confirm an active membership, an external program, or collect a direct payment before letting them in. To configure:

• In your booking policy, set Enforce payment to At check-in.
• In Access Control Settings, turn Check-in Mode to Flexible if you also want to allow check-ins for people without a member account.

When the front desk checks someone in, they pick an entrance method (membership, external program, or direct payment) - see below.

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3. Flexible Check-in

Staff logs attendance as members arrive. Payment status is visible but does not block entry. The front desk uses judgment to follow up on overdue accounts. To configure:

• In your booking policy, set Enforce payment to None.
• In Access Control Settings, turn Check-in Mode to Flexible if you want anonymous check-ins for guests and trial visitors.

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Entrance methods at check-in

When the front desk checks a member in, they pick how the member is entering. Three entrance methods exist:

• Membership - A check-in counts against the member’s active membership. Usage is decremented automatically if the plan has a limit.
• External Program - The member enters via a third-party program (a partner curriculum, a corporate-wellness benefit, a federation pass). See External Programs.
• Direct Payment - The member pays for this single visit at the front desk.

Which entrance methods are required at check-in depends on your booking policy. If Enforce payment is set to At check-in (or to At booking with an outstanding balance on the booking), staff must select one of the three before the system records the check-in. If Enforce payment is None, the front desk can record the check-in without selecting a method.

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Picking your model

Most gyms settle on one model per location, sometimes with a different policy for personal training, wellness area, or special programs. If you run multiple locations under one organization, you can scope different booking policies to each - see the Scope section in Booking Policies. If you’re not sure where to start:

• A studio that sells classes online and runs a tight schedule wants Book & Pay.
• A neighborhood yoga studio with lots of drop-ins wants Walk-in + Payment Check.
• A martial-arts school or community gym where members come and go wants Flexible Check-in.

You can change settings at any time. The new policy applies from the moment you save it. Existing bookings are not retroactively re-validated.

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Related

• Booking Policies - Configure payment, anonymous bookings, and check-in rules.
• Access Control - Configure check-in mode and identification methods per club.
• External Programs - Add partner offerings and corporate wellness benefits as entrance methods.
• Attendance - Record and review check-ins.