Email open rates for transactional messages in India average around 18%. WhatsApp message open rates average above 90%. If you're relying on email to remind members about upcoming renewals, you're reaching fewer than one in five people who need to see your message.
WhatsApp has become the default communication channel for personal and commercial interactions in South Asia. Members don't check email for appointment reminders or billing notices - they check WhatsApp. Meeting your members where they already are is the single most effective thing you can do to improve renewal rates.
The optimal reminder sequence for membership renewals is three messages: one 5 days before renewal, one the day before, and one on the day if payment hasn't been processed. This sequence gives members enough notice to arrange payment while maintaining enough frequency to prevent it from slipping through.
Sending only a single reminder - even on WhatsApp - leaves significant renewal rates on the table. The second and third reminders in the sequence recover 20–30% of the members who didn't act on the first.
Fitness centers using a 3-step WhatsApp reminder sequence see average renewal rates 25% higher than those using single-touch email notifications.
A message addressed to "Dear Member" performs significantly worse than one addressed to the member by name. Include the member's name, their plan type, and the renewal amount in the reminder. This specificity signals that the message is genuinely relevant to them - not a bulk broadcast.
Including a direct payment link in the message removes friction entirely. Members shouldn't need to log into a portal or call the front desk to renew. One tap to confirm payment is the experience that maximises conversion.
Automation doesn't mean impersonal. The tone of your WhatsApp reminders should reflect your fitness center's personality. A high-energy HIIT studio might use more motivational language; a yoga studio might use calmer, more mindful phrasing. Templates should feel like they were written by a person at your studio, not generated by a billing system.
KurlClub's automated WhatsApp reminders are fully customisable and triggered automatically based on each member's individual renewal date. No manual scheduling, no missed reminders, and a tone that fits your brand - all without your staff sending a single message manually.
Amal Ganesh is the CIO of KurlClub, overseeing information systems and data strategy across the platform. He focuses on ensuring secure, efficient data management and leveraging insights to improve decision-making and overall product performance for fitness businesses.
See how KurlClub gym management software can streamline memberships, attendance and billing for your fitness business. Book a free demo or read more articles.