Payment processor

Definition

The vendor that drafts monthly dues and holds the record of who is actually paying.

Why It Matters

The processor's records, not the front-desk count, are the truth about who is actually paying, so reconcile the claimed membership against real drafts before valuing anything. Ask about failed payments too, since a gym carrying a long tail of declined cards has fewer members than its own report says. Then price the switching cost: the platform holds the billing relationship, and moving it after closing is the kind of project that loses members.