What hardware do you need?

You can start with FitManager using only the computers and phones you already have. Hardware comes in when you want the door to open by itself, fiscal receipts, card payments at the desk or a self-service kiosk. All of that runs through one free Windows program, FitManager Control, on a PC at your reception.

At a glance#

The basics: nothing to buy#

The dashboard, the point of sale, the website and the member portal run in any up-to-date browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad or Android. Staff sign in from wherever they work, and you can use a laptop at the desk on day one.

Doors#

Members can check in two ways:

• QR code. Members scan the door's QR code with their phone in the member portal. On its own, that records the visit and tells the member whether they are allowed in. To open the door automatically after a granted scan, you also need the relay described below.
• Cards and key fobs. Members tap an RFID card or fob on a reader at the door.

For an automated door you need:

• A Windows 10 or 11 PC, always on and connected to the internet. A small mini PC at reception is enough. One PC per site.
• FitManager Control, free to download from FitManager. It runs as a background service and updates itself.
• A card reader: a Wiegand RFID reader connected through a Wiegand-to-USB converter. Power the reader from its own supply, not from the USB port.
• A door relay: a USB relay board (LCTech type) wired to the electric strike or maglock. One relay per door.

Some relay boards and converters need the CH340 USB-serial driver, which is linked from the FitManager Control download page. Readers, relays and locks can be bought from any supplier.

Fiscal printer#

In North Macedonia, FitManager prints fiscal receipts straight from the POS and the kiosk on these printers:

• Synergy PF-500 / PF-550 (Akcent)
• David / Fiditek Expert SX, FX1300A

The printer connects to the PC running FitManager Control. See Fiscal compliance.

Card terminal at the desk#

When the cashier chooses Card on the POS, FitManager sends the amount to your bank's card terminal, so nobody types it twice. The terminal is connected to the PC running FitManager Control through Payten's cash-register (ECR) interface. Confirm your bank and terminal model with the FitManager team before you rely on it.

Self-service kiosk#

The kiosk lets members buy a membership on a touch screen and pay by card with nobody at the desk. It needs:

• A touch screen: a Windows 10 or 11 PC with a touch screen, or an Android tablet (Android 7 or newer) on the same network as a PC running FitManager Control.
• An unattended card terminal from your bank with a cash-register (ECR) connection. Ask your bank for a test terminal for the first days.
• Optionally a fiscal printer, the same models as above, or no printer and an emailed invoice instead.

Phones for members#

Members do not need to install anything. The member portal works in the phone's browser and can be added to the home screen. Depending on your plan, your gym can also be listed in the FitManager app, or have its own branded app in the App Store and Google Play, which the FitManager team builds and publishes for you.

Common questions#

Do I have to buy hardware from FitManager? No. FitManager does not sell hardware. Buy readers, relays, printers and terminals from any supplier, and the terminal from your bank.

What happens to the doors if the internet goes down? FitManager Control is built to keep working through short outages, but the door is only as reliable as the PC and the connection it runs on. Use a PC that stays on and a stable internet connection.

Can one PC run several doors? Yes. One PC with FitManager Control drives every reader and relay connected to it, plus the fiscal printer and the card terminal at the same site.