Setting Up a Gym: The Software Checklist Owners Actually Need

Most new gym owners plan the fit-out down to the last barbell and leave the software until the week before opening. That order is backwards. Your membership system, waivers, billing and lead follow-up all need to be running weeks before the doors open, because that is when founding-member sales happen, and founding members are the cheapest members you will ever sign.

We are VERVE Fitness. We have supplied and fitted out more than 16,000 gyms across Australia, and we also build VERVE Pulse, gym management software shaped by what those owners told us. This is the software checklist we give people who buy a fit-out from us.

8 weeks out: sell before you open

  • Membership plans built and priced. Set up your plans, sign-up fees and any founding-member offer in software, not on paper, so the first sale is a live direct debit, not an IOU.
  • BECS direct debit ready. Australian gyms live on bank-account debits. Get the billing rails working now so pre-sales collect real money.
  • Digital waivers with e-signatures. Nobody should sign a paper form in 2026, and you want every waiver stored against the member profile from day one.
  • Lead capture and follow-up. Your pre-open marketing will generate enquiries at all hours. A CRM with automated SMS and email follow-up works those leads while you are on the tools. See our gym CRM guide for what to look for.

2 weeks out: run the launch

  • Class timetable and online bookings live, with waitlists on, so launch-week classes fill themselves.
  • Check-in sorted. A self-serve kiosk or QR check-in keeps the front desk free on a busy opening weekend, and gives you attendance data from day one.
  • Door access decided. Going 24-hour? Sort access control hardware and its software integration before opening, not after your first 5am no-show at the front door.
  • Payments tested end to end. Run a real signup, a real debit and a real refund before a stranger does.

Open: protect the investment

  • Log your equipment. You have just spent six figures on the floor. Keep every rack, rig and treadmill in an equipment register with its warranty details, service history and fault reports, so maintenance happens on schedule and warranty claims are painless. VERVE Pulse includes this register on every plan, which as an equipment company we consider non-negotiable.
  • Watch retention from month one. Attendance tracking and at-risk member scoring tell you who is drifting before they cancel. Winning a member back is far cheaper than replacing them.
  • Read five numbers weekly. Leads, joins, cancellations, class fill, failed payments. Any platform worth paying for puts these in one report.

What this stack should cost

Approach What it looks like Watch out for
Separate tools A CRM, a booking app, a billing provider and a waiver tool, stitched together Four subscriptions, four logins, and members re-typed between systems
All-in-one platform One system for members, billing, classes, CRM and check-in Per-member fees that grow your bill every month; check the pricing model

VERVE Pulse takes the all-in-one path with flat pricing: $199/month +GST (Core, includes 300 active members), $349/month +GST (Grow, 600) or $549/month +GST (Pro, 1,200), no per-member fees, and a 30-day free trial with no credit card so you can set up your whole gym before spending a dollar on software. Full breakdown on the pricing page.

Set Up Your Gym on Pulse See Pricing

Frequently asked questions

When should I set up gym software before opening?

About eight weeks before opening, at the same time your fit-out is being installed. Membership plans, billing, waivers and lead follow-up need to be live for your pre-sale campaign, because founding-member sales start well before opening day.

What software does a new gym actually need?

Five things: membership management with BECS direct debit billing, digital waivers, a lead follow-up CRM, class bookings, and check-in. You can assemble them from separate tools or run one platform that does all five; one platform is usually cheaper and far less admin.

How do I keep track of gym equipment servicing and warranties?

Use an equipment register inside your gym software: every machine logged with its warranty details, service history and any fault reports. VERVE Pulse includes an equipment register with service and warranty tracking, fault reporting and maintenance guides on every plan.

How much does gym software cost for a new gym in Australia?

Flat-priced platforms start around $199/month +GST. The bigger cost question is the pricing model: per-member fees mean the software bill grows with every member you sign, while flat plans with a published member allowance keep the cost predictable while you grow.