Gift cards (or gift certificates) always make for a great holiday gift; easy to purchase, suits just about anyone, available last minute, and the recipient will be able to redeem it at their convenience. For all these reasons, it’s a great business move to should offer gift cards at your gym. Plus, your members are your biggest advocates, and for this reason, they should be able to give the gift of fitness they receive every day at your gym.

Are you a gym owner considering offering gift cards to your members, their friends, and families? Great! We’ve got 6 more reasons why you should start offering gift cards at your gym.

#1: Gift Cards Create Referral Opportunities

Referrals are a great way to not only increase your total number of members but also to thank your current members (and build some loyalty with your current client base). If members love your gym and refer their friends to join them, why shouldn’t they be rewarded for it? However, many referral programs don’t offer a clear way to reward guests for bringing in new customers, or at the very least, provide an easy way for current customers to claim a friend who joins the gym as their referral. Gift cards can help to eliminate these issues. The gift card will allow you your staff to accurately see who purchased the certificates and who received them, making keeping track of referrals a breeze! Meaning if that recipient converts into a gym member after the gift card amount runs out, the purchaser of the gift card can be rewarded quickly and easily with free membership time, or whatever other benefits your gym offers through its referral program (free apparel, personal training session, supplements, etc). Gift cards are also a fantastic physical way to spread word-of-mouth advertising about your gym. Let’s be honest, everyone loves free advertising, and if it’s from loyal members, there’s nothing better.

#2: Gift Cards Eliminate Risk – The Classic “Try Before You Buy” Tactic

Let’s be honest here, not all gyms are alike – and that can be a big deal for some people who might be worried about joining a new gym. Maybe they had a terrible experience at their previous gym and aren’t overly enthused about the idea of joining a new one, or they’re concerned that your gym won’t provide them with the equipment or atmosphere that they’re looking for–which happens more than you think!

Most gyms have short trial periods – usually a week or less – during which, prospective members can get a feel for the facilities. However, these are often inadequate and they might want to experience a full month(s) before fully committing and signing the contract. Why not let them use the gift card to make sure that your gym is the right fit for them and their fitness journey!

#3: Gift Cards Get More Potential Members In The Door

The intimidation factor of joining a gym really shouldn’t be underestimated. Lots of people are simply too intimidated by the process of going into a gym, signing up for a membership, and then coming regularly.  A gift card program can eliminate this process entirely, allowing new faces to start flooding through your doors! Gift cards open up your doors to people who otherwise who might have never have joined – and that makes them a fantastic way to increase your market reach. More people in equals more people converting to memberships, which equals more money in your pocket! It’s a win-win for everyone. Who doesn’t love a gift? The very best part about offering gift cards at your gym is the fact that you get a gift as well, a new customer.

#5: Gift Cards Help With Customer Retention

A loyal gym member who buys a gift card is unlikely to just let their recipient wander through your facilities unguided – far from it. Gym members who buy gift card see it as an investment in their loved one or friend, and they will try to help them through your facilities and make sure you and the coaches are invested in their time. Plus, you just won a customer as well as kept one; it doesn’t matter how many new members you get a month if your constantly losing members.

#6: You Get Paid, Even If The Gift Card Isn’t Redeemed

There is some concern, that what happens if the member never uses the gift card? Well, in a service-based industry like a gym, customers aren’t redeeming their certificates for products – so you don’t need to have assets on hand to keep as a liability. If they never redeem their certificates, it doesn’t really affect you one way or the other – at least as far as profit goes. While they can certainly use the gift cards to pay for supplements or apparel inside your gym, however, nearly 99% of the time the gift cards is used to purchase a membership option.



Gift Certificates can be purchased through Triib for all of these occasions and use cases! These gift certificates can be assigned to current and yet-to-be members of your gym, so everyone can join in on the fun. No one likes doing burpees alone, so the gift of fitness through a gift certificate might make burpees hurt a little less next time! Already a Triib user? Learn more about issuing gift certificates on our site.