Most of the time, gym membership cards will include the name of the member, a member ID number and a photo. Some gyms don’t print photos on the cards themselves, but instead store them in a database to make sure that no one is sneaking in to the use the gym on someone else’s pass. Gyms and health clubs can also choose to include barcodes or magnetic stripes on their cards. These additional features track how often individual members use the gym and what services they use to help target what services the gym offers along with any future marketing efforts. The added technology also makes it easy to implement a cashless payment system for the gym vending machines and gift shops.

Gym ID cards can even be used for access control within the gym itself. Usually there are a range of plans to choose from when signing up at the gym. Member cards can be integrated with access control privileges for exercise classes, swimming pool access, or spa services. In addition to identifying members, a Gym ID system prints employee ID cards too, which helps gym-goers identify the experts in the gym when they need assistance with equipment or a particularly challenging yoga move.