Gym Management Software vs Direct Debit Collector: Which one is better for a BJJ and MMA Gym?

Running a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym isn’t like running a regular fitness centre.

From handling memberships to scheduling classes, tracking belt promotions, and keeping students engaged, the admin workload can become overwhelming fast.

Many gym owners in the UK and Ireland rely on Direct Debit collectorslike GoCardless, Ashbourne Management, SimplyCollect or believing that's enough.

But here’s the hard truth: a Direct Debit collector alone won’t run your gym.

Let's break down why!

Key Takeaways

• GoCardless, Ashbourne, and other Direct Debit collectorss only handle Direct Debits billing, they don’t support bookings, attendance, or belt tracking.
• Using just a Direct Debit collector leads to hidden admin work, poor retention, and zero visibility.
• Gym management software automates the full admin load, from class scheduling to progress tracking and member communication.
• Most gyms save 5–8 hours per week after switching to a proper management platform.

What Do Direct Debit Collectors Like GoCardless, Simply Collect and Ashbourne Management Actually Do?

Services like GoCardless, Ashbourne Management, SimplyCollect and are designed to do one thing very well: collect direct debits

They automate the monthly billing cycle, ensure funds are transferred to your account, and reduce the need to chase late payments.

That’s important and often the first step many gyms take in trying to run things more professionally.

But that’s where it ends.

These systems typically cover:

• Automated billing and direct debit setup
• Notifications for failed or missed payments
• Payment reports and reconciliation

What they don’t do is:

• Schedule and manage class bookings
• Track student attendance or belt progression
• Send reminders for classes or events
• Help with student retention
• Automate communication with members

When you're only using a payment collector, you’re left patching together spreadsheets, WhatsApp groups, and guesswork.

The Limits of Direct Debit Collectors

Direct Debit services like GoCardless, Ashbourne Management, or SimplyCollect are limited to collecting payments through bank-based systems such as SEPA (in Europe) or BACS (in the UK).

While these methods can be cost-effective, with lower transaction fees than credit card payments, they come with significant drawbacks:

• They’re easy to cancel: A student can interrupt a SEPA/BACS mandate with a quick click from their bank app. This makes it risky for long-term subscriptions or contracts.
• No flexibility: These systems don’t support card payments, digital wallets, or alternative methods that many modern users prefer, resulting in a disservice to clients and potential loss in revenue

That lack of flexibility can become a bottleneck as your academy grows and your clients demand for different payment options

Why Payment Flexibility Matters for BJJ and MMA Gyms

Credit and debit cards, mobile wallets such as Google Pay or Apple Pay, or even one-time payment links allow you to create multiple subscription types: monthly, pay as you go, annual packages, etc.

With MAAT for example you have the flexibility to offer both credit card and bank payments (SEPA/BACS) from the same platform, giving your members options while you stay in control of how you get paid.

This gives you the flexibility to adapt to your students’ preferences, reduce failed payments, and make your memberships more accessible.

The Hidden Costs and Missed Opportunities of Using Only a Direct Debit Collector

At first glance, relying on a Direct Debit collector such as GoCardless,Ashbourne Management or Simply Collect may seem like a lean, efficient choice.

But under the surface, it often leads to:

• Hours of manual admin work every week managing bookings, chasing attendance, updating spreadsheets
• Lost student engagement from missed reminders or lack of structured feedback
• Lower retention because of poor communication and no sense of progress
• No visibility into class performance, student behavior, or drop-off risk
• Less flexibility in payment methods and subscription types

By our experience, working with hundreds of BJJ and MMA academies all around Europe, most gyms using only a Direct Debit collector spend an average of 15 hours per week on admin tasks that could be automated with the right gym software.

What Is a Gym Management Software?

A gym management software is a comprehensive tool that helps you run the entire operational side of your academy.

These platforms go far beyond payment collection: they handle your timetable, your students, your communications, and your financials. A modern Gym management software should enable you to collect payments from different payment methods, Cards, Bank Direct Debits and Wallets like Google Pay or Apple Pay.
All in the same place.

👉Read here What's the Best Payment Methods for BJJ Gym Owners

Direct Debit Collectors vs Gym Management Software: What's the Difference?

While both categories of tools help you run your business, their core purpose is completely different.

1. Automation Beyond Billing

A Direct Debit Collector stops at collecting money.

A Gym Management Software handles everything else: student registration, class caps, waitlists, trial sign-ups, class attendance, rankings and much more

2. Attendance Tracking and Insights

Knowing who shows up and who’s dropping off is critical to improving retention.

Direct Debit Collectors offer zero visibility here.

Gym Management Software lets you track attendance trends and even build automated workflows to re-engage inactive members.

3. BJJ-Specific Progress Tracking

Generic platforms don’t understand belts, stripes, or promotions.

With a dedicated BJJ gym app like MAAT you can track who’s ready to level up, create leaderboards, and keep students motivated through transparent progression tools.

4. Reduce No-Shows and Last-Minute Cancellations

Without a booking system, students have no accountability.

Class scheduling software for BJJ includes automatic reminders, booking confirmations, and cancellation policies helping reduce no-shows and increase mat attendance.

5. Efficient Communication Tools

A Gym Management Software can centralise communication.

Instead of juggling emails, WhatsApp, and DMs, you can automate messages about bookings, belt tests, changes to class times, all in one place.

6. Designed for Community

Your academy isn’t a transaction machine, it’s a community. BJJ gyms thrive when students feel seen, valued, and part of something.

Tools like MAAT support this with features that go beyond admin: they’re built to support coaches in building culture

A Common Scenario in the UK: Two Systems, Twice the Friction

Another frequent setup for BJJ and MMA gyms in the UK is combining a gym management software with a Direct Debit Collector that are not integrated.

This happens because many Gym Management platforms, while good at handling class bookings and student tracking, don't offer native support for Direct Debits payments.

While this seems like a workaround, it often creates more problems:

• You’re managing two separate systems for billing and operations.
• Payment insights are disconnected from student attendance or engagement data.
• Coaches and admins need to log into multiple dashboards.
• Students might get confused about where to update their info or check class access.

This setup dilutes your operational focus and creates unnecessary complexity.

The ideal solution is having everything under one roof: class management, belt tracking, payments, communication, all in a single platform like MAAT.

We were using Club Manager, but still relying on files, envelopes, and printed tick lists to manage payments. It was a mess. Now with MAAT, I just use my phone, way simpler

👉Read more about how The Fighting Arts Academy migrated from Club Manager to MAAT here

How Much Can a Gym Save with a State of the Art Management Software?

According to recent industry reports, BJJ and MMA gyms using all-in-one management systems save:

• 5–8 hours per week on manual admin tasks
• 30–40% fewer no-shows due to booking reminders
• Up to 20% improved retention by tracking attendance and belt progress

Final Thoughts

If you’re relying solely on GoCardless, Simply Collect, or Ashbourne Management, you’re only solving a small part of your gym’s admin workload.

The rest? It either falls on you manually or worse, gets ignored resulting in lack of control and money loss.

And if you’re combining a gym software with a separate Direct Debitcollector, you’re still dealing with fragmentation.

To trulygrow your memberships, and offer a better student experience, you need tools built for how BJJ and MMA gyms operate.

Whether it’s automating admin work, reducing no-shows, or tracking attendance in your gym, a dedicated combat sport gym management software,is no longer a nice-to-have.

It’s your foundation.

👉 Want to learn more? Click here to read more about MAAT

👉 Or just book a free call with us