Daxko Club Automation product roadmap & AI strategy review
How AI will transform fitness club operations in 2026
Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly moving from buzzword to business essential – and for fitness club operators, it’s about to become a game-changer. In our 2026 Product Roadmap & AI Strategy webinar, Daxko leaders Wes Gillette, Pat Harper, and Karl Koutroupas outlined how Club Automation is evolving with new AI tools designed to reduce staff workload, improve the member experience, and automate time-consuming operational tasks.
Whether you’re managing a multi-purpose health club, a regional gym, or a growing fitness franchise, this blog will walk you through what AI tools are available today, what’s launching in 2026, and how to prepare your team for smarter, more efficient operations.
Club Automation roadmap takeaways
The 2026 Club Automation product roadmap focuses on five strategic product themes – each designed to reduce friction, save time, and help fitness clubs grow smarter.
Empower members with self-service
Today’s members expect intuitive mobile tools that put them in control of their fitness experience. In 2026, Club Automation will deliver enhanced functionality in the mobile app, including guest pass visibility and a native join experience. The roadmap also adds QR code capabilities to streamline referrals, and new pathways for members to upgrade or freeze their accounts directly through self-service tools.
Daxko Engage Pro is also adding key self-service functionality. Operators will be able to use new segmentation filters and tagging tools to power personalized experiences and better target specific member needs. From a front-desk perspective, these upgrades allow fitness clubs to reduce hand-holding and still deliver a more relevant, responsive experience to every member. These features help reduce administrative load while improving both engagement and satisfaction.
Enhance billing & payments
Billing and payment success remain top priorities for fitness clubs and for Daxko. The 2026 roadmap introduces updates that will make collecting payments easier and more consistent, such as automations for past-due accounts and tools like Text2Pay.
New integrations with Apple Pay and Google Pay will provide members with familiar, secure payment options, while capabilities like deep linking will reduce the number of steps needed to complete a transaction. These updates are all aimed at helping fitness clubs reduce missed payments and improve cash flow without increasing staff workload.
Streamline core processes
One of the standout updates is the new modern scheduler, built specifically for the needs of multi-purpose fitness clubs. It’s optimized for mobile use and designed to make attendance tracking faster and easier.
Fitness clubs will also benefit from enhancements in roster management, including barcode scanning for walk-in classes and attendance visibility. Additionally, features like federated login and scheduled reporting will create a more seamless experience for staff across locations and shifts.
Improve integration between Daxko Club Automation & Daxko Engage Pro
Club Automation and Engage Pro are becoming more tightly connected in 2026.
Shared data infrastructure and real-time syncs help unify communication and reporting. The roadmap includes new triggers for packages and calendar integrations that ensure accurate, up-to-date information flows between the systems.
This means staff can execute timely, targeted outreach without manual data pulls, and leaders can trust that member insights are consistent across platforms.
V2 upgrades
Club Automation Version 2 (V2) provides the technical foundation for many of these enhancements. It includes capabilities in membership billing and online sales—such as daily billing for dues and incidentals—that are unavailable in V1.
While not every new feature requires V2, fitness clubs on V2 can access additional functionality, including enhanced online sales tools. That said, the next-gen mobile app is not exclusive to V2. All scheduling and mobile functionality enhancements are available to both V1 and V2 users.
We’re actively developing a strategy to upgrade all fitness clubs currently on V1 to V2—more information, including timelines and upgrade planning, will be shared in an upcoming webinar focused specifically on this transition.
Daxko AI vision: What AI means for fitness clubs in 2026
Artificial intelligence is built into the future of Club Automation—but not in ways that disrupt your staff or overwhelm your operations. Instead, AI will be quietly working in the background to make your team faster, smarter, and more effective.
AI that understands fitness clubs
Daxko AI is purpose-built from real operational data generated within fitness clubs—not scraped from the internet or pulled from unrelated industries. That means the insights you receive are relevant to your environment. Expect smarter tools trained in the behaviors and workflows that actually happen in fitness clubs.
Data ownership and trust
Your member data is never used to train public AI models. Daxko’s commitment to data privacy includes:
- SOC2 compliance
- Role-based access controls
- Secure, governed APIs
You stay in control—always.
What AI will do in 2026
AI will play a practical support role in your day-to-day operations. Here’s where it’s heading:
- Predicting member churn and triggering proactive follow-ups
- Automating outreach via email, SMS, or voice based on activity patterns
- Reducing payment friction with smarter decline recovery and reminders
- Supporting staff with 24/7 conversational AI for member questions and bookings
How AI helps fitness clubs today
AI is already at work in Engage Pro, where it powers automated communication flows and segmentation tools. These capabilities help fitness clubs stay connected to members and prospects without creating extra work for staff. In 2026, expect AI capabilities to extend into performance analytics, workflows, and core member management—helping you act faster, smarter, and more proactively.
Audience Q&A: Real questions from club operators – Answered
Q: What is the ETA for member booking and family barcode in the new app?
A: Both features are available now.
Q: Can you explain what V1 vs V2 are?
A: V1 allows monthly billing of dues and incidentals. V2 introduces daily billing flexibility and enhanced online sales tools. We are actively developing a plan to upgrade all V1 instances to V2.
Q: Is the Club Automation V2 upgrade required for the next-gen app?
A: No. All scheduling enhancements and the new mobile experience are available on both V1 and V2.
Q: What functionality is ready and working in the new app?
A: All existing features plus appointment booking, family barcodes, staff schedule access, payment-required reservations, and a new member dashboard showing check-ins and current balance.
Q: For Engage Pro, will there be a way to message parents of kids enrolled in programs?
A: Yes. Engage Pro automatically excludes minors (under 18) and defaults to parent or guardian contact information.
Q: Will roster management include automatic check-ins for courts and programs?
A: Yes—automatic check-ins for resource reservations and sessions arrive in Q2 2026. Program roster automation is planned for a future release.
Q: Can instructors take attendance?
A: Yes. They’ll be able to take attendance directly from the mobile staff schedule.
Q: Is there a trial available to try the new app? When will it be ready?
A: The app is being released in phases based on functionality needs and readiness. It has already started releasing to fitness clubs last November and will continue rolling out over the next few months.
Missed the webinar? Watch on demand
Get the full walkthrough of Club Automation’s 2026 roadmap and how Daxko platforms are evolving so your team spends less time clicking and more time creating value for your members.