# Gym step 6: check-in desk and attendance

> Check gym members in at the front desk with a card scanner or search, see why an entry is blocked, renew on the spot and follow attendance history.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/gym/step-6-check-in-desk/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

The **check-in desk** is the screen at your front door: scan a card, see the member, let them in. It also catches expired plans and unpaid dues before the member reaches the floor. This page is for front-desk staff.

## Before you start

- Members have cards with their code ([step 4](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/gym/step-4-members-and-cards/)).
- The access rules are set in **Gym › Settings › Attendance & access** ([step 1](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/gym/step-1-turn-on-gym-and-settings/)).
- Your role has **Attendance: use the check-in desk**.

## Check a member in

1. Open **Gym › Check-in desk** (or **Open check-in desk** on the dashboard). The search box is ready for a scan.
2. Scan the member card. If the member is allowed, they are checked in at once.
3. Or type a name, member code or phone number and press **Enter**, then click **Check in**.
4. The member card shows photo, plan, end date, days left, sessions, dues, any medical note and **Allowed** or the reasons for a block.
5. If the plan expired, click **Renew** to sell the next period on the spot ([step 5](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/gym/step-5-sell-and-renew-memberships/)). **View** opens the member page.

![Front desk check-in with a member code typed in, the member card showing annual plan, end date, 363 days left and dues, a green Allowed message, an outstanding dues warning and Check in, Renew and View buttons](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/check-in-desk-member-card.Ly_X2T7O.png) (web app page: `/gym/attendance/desk`)
*A member found at the desk: allowed in, with a warning about dues.*

The right side shows **Check-ins today**, **In the gym now** and **Currently in the gym** with a check-out button for each person. Members who forget to check out are closed automatically after the **Auto check-out after (hours)** you set.

![Check-in desk with a large scan card or search member box, check-ins today 31, in the gym now 3 and the list of members currently in the gym with check-out buttons](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/check-in-desk.Dv-wx8U_.png) (web app page: `/gym/attendance/desk`)
*The desk between members: ready for the next scan.*

**Tip:** 
Put the check-in desk on its own screen at the door with the scanner plugged in. Members can scan their own card while staff keep an eye on the screen and only step in when it says blocked.

## Attendance history

**Gym › Attendance history** lists every check-in and check-out with member, plan, method (for example **Scan**), location and time in the gym, plus charts of check-ins per day and by hour. Use the **Filters** for a date range, member or branch, and **Manual entry** for a forgotten visit.

![Attendance history with 337 check-ins and 135 members, a check-ins per day chart, a check-ins by hour of day chart and a table of check-ins with member, times, plan, method and location](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/attendance-history.BrAST-DW.png) (web app page: `/gym/attendance`)
*Attendance history shows your busiest days and hours.*

## On a phone

![Business app member check-in with Allowed to enter, the member's plan and days left, an outstanding dues warning and a Check in button](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/gym-check-in.DmG8UlxE.png)
*Member check-in in the SmartPOS Business app.*

  - [Gym module](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/gym/)
  - [Next: supplements and retail](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/gym/step-7-supplements-and-retail/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Which scanner works with the check-in desk?

Any barcode or QR scanner that types like a keyboard and ends with Enter. A fast scan checks the member in straight away when they are allowed.

### What if I type a name instead of scanning?

Type a name, member code or phone number and press Enter. The desk shows the member card, or a list to pick from, and you click Check in yourself.

### Why was a member blocked?

The desk lists the reasons, for example an expired plan, outstanding dues, a used-up session limit or outside the package's access hours, depending on the rules ticked in Gym settings.

### Can staff let a blocked member in anyway?

Yes. Staff can override a block from the desk and confirm it; the override is saved with the check-in.

### How do I record a visit we forgot?

Click Manual entry on the check-in desk or Attendance history and enter the member, date and time.

### Can members check in on a phone?

Staff can. The SmartPOS Business app scans the member card with the phone camera and shows Allowed to enter or the reason it is blocked.