With a new £1 coin due in early 2017, there’s never been a better time for UK health clubs to switch their locker, access and vending systems to a cashless GANTNER smart card solution

With the clock ticking on the introduction of the new £1 coin and all the changes that will entail, it’s the perfect time for health clubs to install a cashless system. GANTNER’s range of access, locker and payment systems not only reduce costs for operators, but also greatly enhance the customer experience

As the Treasury prepares to launch the new 12-sided, £1 coin in March 2017, UK businesses have just six more months to get their coin-operated systems such as lockers and vending machines in order.

But rather than go through the costly process of replacing equipment or upgrading software so that your facility can accept the new coins, now is the perfect time to consider switching to a cashless system from GANTNER.

With patented NFC (near field communications) locker and access systems designed for all the needs of modern health clubs and leisure centres, GANTNER has enabled leading brands such as Virgin Active, Fitness First, Fresh Fitness, Hard Candy, McFit and Holmes Place to make the switch to cashless quickly, easily and economically.

A GANTNER NFC system, used with swipe cards, smartphones or wristbands, can be installed as a new system or retrofitted into existing technologies.

Customisable to a health club’s branding and logo, the smart card technology can reduce operational and staffing costs, while at the same time greatly enhancing convenience for your members in key areas of the health club – most notably the changing rooms, reception and access areas, and catering areas.

Secure changing rooms
If your current lockers can only accept coins, then now is the ideal time to change to a battery-powered or fully-networked GANTNER locking system.

Operating with NFC-enabled smart cards, the system provides a status display showing which lockers are available or in-use.

Multiple locker modes provide operators with the flexibility to make all lockers available or to individually assign or rent lockers for a defined time period. For enhanced security, all locker openings and closings are recorded, meaning operators can easily track who is using them.

If a member forgets which locker they used, information terminals in the changing room can display their locker number, requiring no call-out time from staff.

Health and fitness clubs can eliminate the usual maintenance costs associated with lost keys and forgotten PINs, failed locks, theft, members claiming lockers for long periods of time, as well as valuable time spent managing lockers.

Access control
GANTNER’s NFC applications ­– including access control and cashless payments – create an integrated solution that allows members and visitors to have a seamless experience through your club.

This integrated system allows members to gain access, check-in, use a locker or a gym’s networked fitness equipment and make a payment in the shop or café all with just one membership card.

One club to offer all these benefits to customers with a single smart card is the recently opened Alex Fitness in London’s Chelsea. The club has installed GANTNER’s networked locking systems, access systems, and networked fitness with the Technogym Key. The latter enables users to track and record all their fitness progress, as well as synchronise with all their favourite fitness apps.

Fully-automated card solution
To make life even more convenient for both operators and customers, GANTNER has also recently introduced its new card-dispensing machine – GAT CardDispensing Station, which is ideal for 24/7 leisure facilities.

The station can automatically produce tickets and membership cards, reducing the need for continuous staffing of reception desks, as well as cutting peak-time traffic queues and administrative expenses.

Members can simply sign-up online to receive a pin that they enter at the GAT CardDispensing Station to pick up their new smart card.

The robust yet compact dispensing machine can be loaded with NFC cards and customised with a facility’s own logo, colours and design.

Boosting spend
GANTNER technology can also be linked to your vending machines and café and retail payments, meaning that members need not carry any cash in the facility at all. Cards can be pre-loaded or linked to a verified customer account.

Cashless systems have been shown to substantially boost in-club secondary spend by increasing convenience, as well as impulse purchases.

Contact GANTNER about its many secure cashless technologies designed for the health club and leisure market, to stay one step ahead of the competition…and the Royal Mint’s next coin change.