Gym owners need the full cost of collecting dues, not just a headline rate. The numbers on a deposit report hide how much each payment method costs to process.
Card and ACH pricing structures are different. The mix of how members pay moves the cost more than the rate alone.
Start by looking at how many members use each payment method. This split changes the cost to collect. It also affects when payments settle, how you handle failures, and the operating steps you need to take.
Run the math on your own mix before you compare offers.
What you see on a deposit report
Take FeeCheck's sample gym: $50,000 a month in dues, 1,000 drafts of $50, 65% ACH and 35% card. A deposit report shows the total amount collected each month. It lists the sum of all dues, but it does not show how much each payment method costs. The report combines ACH and card payments into one total, so you cannot see the separate fees for each type.
Without breaking out the payment mix, it is hard to add up the true cost of processing. The overall number hides the different rates and fees for cards and ACH, making it difficult to understand where the money goes. Look at how many payments are by card and by ACH to see the real cost. The mix of payments affects the total processing fee and other parts of operations.
Breaking down the cost
The deposit report shows one total, but the cost to process depends on how many members pay by card and how many use ACH.
- Cards: 350 drafts, $17,500. At 2.9% plus 30 cents each, that is $507.50 plus $105.00, or $612.50.
- ACH: 650 drafts, $32,500. At 0.8%, each $50 draft costs 40 cents, under the $5 cap, so $260.00.
- Stripe Billing: 0.7% of $50,000 in recurring dues is $350.00.
- LQDT processing markup: $0
- Total: $1,222.50 a month, about 2.4% of what it collected.
This is an estimate, not a quote. Same $50 draft: by card it costs $1.75 to collect, by ACH 40 cents. A $1,200 ACH payment would cost $9.60 at 0.8%, but the $5 cap applies, so it costs $5.
The lines show the processor’s base fees for each method. The card total includes both the rate and the fixed charge per draft. The ACH total shows only the rate because every draft is under the cap. The mix changes the cost: more cards raise the rate and add fixed charges, while more ACH lowers the rate but can add returns and retries to manage. The total cost is the sum of all fees, not just the rate.
What to check on your statement
Look at the processor’s published rates for cards and ACH. Find how the fees split by payment method. Check for fees outside the base rate. Verify settlement dates and timing differences. Make sure you know how failed payments and retries are handled. Review any optional add-ons you might not need.
The statement should show the full cost picture, not just the headline rate. It helps you see where the money goes and plan for timing and exceptions.
- Card rate and fixed fee per transaction
- ACH rate and any caps
- Failed payment fees
- Dispute fees
- Payout speed fees
- Optional add-on charges
Switching and member continuity
Switching payment processors can feel risky. You might worry about losing billing data or breaking access continuity.
LQDT Billing is built around continuity. It maps members, plans, cards, ACH, payment state, recurring billing schedules, and access permissions together. The system keeps recurring membership billing clean. It surfaces migration exceptions before they become revenue loss or access mismatches.
Start by reviewing your current billing schedules and access configuration. Look at how often you bill and when members normally access the facility. Check which locations are involved and how data flows between them. This helps you see what needs to stay in sync.
The scope and timing of a move depend on your systems, data, billing schedules, access configuration, and locations. Talk through the details to plan the migration carefully.