The Build Lab · Case study · Loyalty
A digital visit card for a gym, and a heads-up for the owner before members drift away.
An independent gym loses members quietly: nobody notices someone has stopped coming until they cancel.
A member app with a QR check-in and a 10-visit stamp card, plus an owner panel showing who is at risk of lapsing, who hit a reward, and a win-back WhatsApp drafted for approval.
Paper stamp cards and spotting lapsed members only when they cancel.
Independent gyms, studios, cafés and salons that rely on regulars and currently notice someone has left only when they cancel.
Fewer paper stamp cards, more regulars rewarded, and lapsing members spotted and contacted before they cancel.
Demo video
Live demo
Everything below works. The business and data are made up; the real version is built around your business and your tools.
Forge
Morning, SamMember since March
Visit card
7/10
3 more visits to a free PT session
Streak
4 weeks
2 of 3 this week
Hold to the scanner at the door
Reward unlocked
Free PT session
Ten visits done. One hour with a coach, on us.
Retention · 90 days
86.2%Check-ins today
37Rewards today
2Win-backs this month
5 sent · 3 backNothing waiting. Every morning at 6am Claude checks who has gone quiet and drafts a message for you to approve.
How I built this
I built this demo with Claude for a made-up gym, to show what a loyalty scheme can look like without paper cards or a pricey app.
The real version reads check-ins from the booking system, like Glofox or Mindbody, and payments from Stripe, and keeps a running member list in Google Sheets the owner can open any time.
When someone goes quiet, Claude drafts a WhatsApp in the owner's voice using what it knows about that member. Nothing is sent until the owner taps approve.
Questions
Give each customer a card on their phone and add a stamp at every visit, usually by scanning a QR code at the door or till. The reward is added automatically when the card is full. You can use a ready-made loyalty app, the loyalty features in your booking or till system, or a simple custom web card like the demo. Square and several gym booking systems include loyalty features, so check what you already pay for first. Keep the reward simple and worth having, such as a free class or coffee.
Look for changes in attendance habits rather than waiting for a cancellation. A member who usually comes twice a week and has not visited for two weeks is at risk, even if they are still paying. Your booking system, such as Glofox, Mindbody or TeamUp, already records visits, so a weekly report of anyone well below their usual pattern is a good start. The demo checks this every morning and drafts a friendly message for the owner to approve. A timely personal check-in usually works better than a discount.
No. The demo card works in the phone's web browser and can be saved to the home screen, so it behaves like an app without an app store download. Cards can also be added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, which many people prefer. Avoiding a download matters, because asking people to install yet another app is where many loyalty schemes lose customers. If you choose an off-the-shelf loyalty tool, check whether customers need an account or a download before they can collect their first stamp.
The demo is set up for gym tools like Glofox and Mindbody, with Stripe for payments, WhatsApp for messages and Google Sheets as a simple record. Other common UK options include TeamUp and Gymcatch for studios, Fresha and Timely for salons, and Square or SumUp for cafés. Most of these can export visit or sales data, and many connect to Zapier or Make. If your system cannot export data at all, the loyalty card can keep its own visit record through its QR check-ins.
It depends whether you use existing tools or build your own. The cheapest route is the loyalty feature in the booking or till system you already pay for, which may cost nothing extra. Standalone loyalty apps charge a monthly fee that depends on the plan. A custom card like the demo is a small build, and Claude Pro at around £20 a month can help write the win-back messages. Sending WhatsApp messages through the WhatsApp Business app is free, while higher-volume automated messaging through the WhatsApp Business Platform is charged by Meta based on usage.
Usually yes, if members agreed to hear from you and can easily opt out. Under UK GDPR and the electronic marketing rules (PECR), you generally need consent for marketing messages, although existing customers can often be contacted about similar services if they were given a chance to opt out when they signed up. A personal "we've missed you" check-in from the owner is welcome to most members. Keep attendance data private, never mention anything sensitive, and let people opt out in one tap.
Not if they are short, friendly and based on the member's own routine. A message that says you noticed they have not been in for a couple of weeks and asks if they want their usual Tuesday class feels like care. A discount blast feels like sales. In the demo Claude writes each draft from the member's usual habits, and nothing is sent until the owner approves it. If a member replies, the reply goes to the owner, who can book them straight back in.
