Illustrative example

Example: how a gym replaces key tags with a wallet membership card

Last updated 2026-11-14

This is an illustrative example of a single-site gym that signs members up at the front desk and by link.

Problem

Plastic key tags and paper cards are lost and reprinted, expired memberships are hard to spot at the desk, and a timetable change reaches only the members who check email.

Setup

Create a membership card in Cards with the gym's logo and colours, and choose the details members fill in at signup.
Set the tiers or membership types the gym uses, so a change of tier updates the card.
Publish, then share the signup link by email when a member joins, and put the QR code and counter poster at the front desk.
Decide how the door works. Staff can check the card's barcode at the desk. For tap-to-enter, see NFC below.

What members see

A new member opens the link, completes the form and adds the card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. The card shows the gym branding and the member's details, and it stays current when the gym changes the membership.

Integration

Gate and door hardware is optional and depends on your reader. NFC tap-to-enter uses Apple VAS and Google Smart Tap, so the reader must support both, you need an Apple Developer Program membership as an organisation and a Google Pay and Wallet Console account, and Apple's approval takes several weeks. The reader receives the pass's barcode value, which is plain ASCII and at most 64 characters, so check that your access system can match it to a member. The barcode stays on the pass for readers without NFC.

Push and updates

Send members who have installed the card a message when a class moves, the gym closes for a public holiday or a new timetable starts. Changes to a member's tier or expiry update the card already in their wallet.

Outcome: what to measure

We do not publish results for this example. The gym would measure:

The share of active members who have added the card to a wallet.
Replacement cards or key tags issued before and after the rollout.
Timetable messages sent, as a count to compare with the old email-only reach.

About this example

This is an illustrative worked example, not a customer story. It describes how a gym could issue wallet membership cards using screens and settings that exist in Shakewell Wallet today. No customer, logo, quote or result is shown, and the page states no figures because we have no production data for this scenario that is meaningful to publish. Any numbers you see in your own account will be your own.

FAQ

Does the card work at the door without NFC?

Yes. The card carries a barcode that staff or a barcode reader can scan. NFC is an optional extra that needs compatible readers and platform approval.

How long does NFC approval take?

Apple reviews NFC per Pass Type ID and the review takes several weeks, so start early. Normal cards need none of this.

What happens when a membership changes?

Update the member in the dashboard and the card already in their wallet updates, so nothing is reprinted.

Are these real results?

No. It is an illustrative example of the setup and states no results.

All worked examples