Automated Recurring Billing

Overview

GymPoint automates the billing process for recurring membership plans. Once a member is enrolled in a monthly or annual plan with a payment method on file, GymPoint handles charge scheduling, retry logic for failures, and invoice generation without manual intervention. This article explains how the automated billing engine works.

How Auto-Billing Works

The Billing Cycle

Each member's billing cycle is based on their individual start date, not a fixed calendar date. For example, if a member enrolls on March 15 with a monthly plan, their billing dates are March 15, April 15, May 15, and so on.

The Billing Process

On each billing date, GymPoint performs these steps automatically:

1. Invoice creation — An invoice is generated for the billing period with the plan amount, any applicable taxes, and fees.
2. Charge attempt — GymPoint sends a payment request to Poynt using the member's stored payment token. The charge is processed against the card on file.
3. Result handling:
   • Success — The invoice is marked as Paid, a receipt email is sent to the member, and the revenue is recorded.
   • Failure — The invoice is marked as Failed, the member is notified, and the retry schedule begins (see Handling Failed Payments).

Timing

Billing runs are processed in the early morning hours relative to your gym's configured timezone. Members are typically charged between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM so that any issues can be identified and addressed during business hours.

Billing Dates and Proration

Standard Billing Date

A member's billing date is determined by their enrollment start date. This date remains consistent throughout their membership unless a plan change or freeze shifts it.

Proration

Proration occurs when a member changes plans mid-cycle. GymPoint calculates the unused portion of the current billing period and applies it as a credit toward the new plan amount.

Example: A member on a $60/month plan upgrades to a $100/month plan halfway through their billing cycle. They receive a $30 credit (half of $60 unused) and are charged $70 ($100 minus $30 credit) for the remainder of the cycle.

Proration is calculated automatically. You can review the proration details on the invoice before confirming a plan change.

Billing Date After a Freeze

When a membership is unfrozen, the billing date shifts forward by the number of days the membership was frozen. For example, if a member with a March 15 billing date freezes for 20 days, their new billing date becomes April 4.

Grace Periods

Grace periods provide a buffer after a failed payment before the member's access is affected.

How Grace Periods Work

• When a payment fails, the member retains access for the duration of the grace period.
• During the grace period, GymPoint retries the payment according to the retry schedule.
• If the payment succeeds during the grace period, access continues uninterrupted.
• If the grace period expires without a successful payment, the membership status changes to Past Due and access may be restricted based on your settings.

Configuring Grace Periods

1. Go to Settings > Billing.
2. Under Grace Period, set the number of days (e.g., 3 days, 7 days, 14 days).
3. Click Save.

The default grace period is 7 days. Choose a period that balances member experience with financial discipline for your gym.

Viewing Upcoming Billing

To see which members are due for billing soon:

1. Navigate to Billing > Recurring.
2. This view shows all active recurring subscriptions and their billing schedules.
3. Review the list to identify any members with expired cards or other potential issues before their charge date.

Pausing Auto-Billing

Auto-billing can be paused for individual members by freezing their membership. For gym-wide billing pauses (e.g., during a holiday closure), contact GymPoint support to temporarily halt billing across all members.

Tips

• Encourage members to keep their payment methods up to date through the member portal.
• Check Billing > Recurring weekly to proactively address expiring cards.
• Set a grace period that gives members enough time to update their payment information without being too lenient on overdue accounts.