Moving Your BJJ Gym's Members Off Ezidebit

Ezidebit has collected gym memberships in Australia for a long time, and plenty of academies sit on it because their software came bundled with it. Clubworx, for one, runs its payments through Ezidebit in Australia and New Zealand. So when an owner decides to change software, the question that stops them is rarely the software. It's the direct debits.

This guide is the practical version: what actually happens to each member's direct debit, how to time the move so nobody pays twice or slips through, and the exact words that get members to sign again.

If you haven't yet decided whether to move at all, start with Stripe BECS vs Ezidebit vs GoCardless. It's an honest read, and for some gyms the answer is to stay.

What happens to a member's direct debit

In Australia, a member's direct debit is an authority they gave to a specific biller, through a Direct Debit Request and its service agreement. With Ezidebit, that authority sits with Ezidebit. It doesn't belong to your software, and it doesn't come with you when you leave.

There are two ways to get the same members paying through Stripe.

Bring the bank details across. Stripe lets a business create BECS payment methods from bank details it already holds, without a fresh authority from each member, as long as members are told at least 30 days before the first debit through Stripe and are given Stripe's direct debit service agreement. The catch is the first step: you need the members' bank details, and they sit with Ezidebit. Ask Ezidebit in writing whether they'll release them, and what format and timeline they offer. Don't plan your switch around a yes until you have one.

Members sign again. Each member enters their bank account or card once on the new system. It costs you a push at the front desk and a fortnight of chasing, but you control every step and it doesn't depend on anyone else's cooperation.

Most gyms end up on the second path. Plan for it, and treat a bank detail transfer as a bonus if it comes through.

Before you tell anyone

Do these in the first week, quietly.

1. Read your Ezidebit and software agreements. Note the notice period, any exit fee, and how long you can still log in after you cancel. You'll want read-only access for a few months.
2. Export everything. Members, payment history, and any amounts owed. Keep the payment history. Your accountant will want it, and the ATO expects you to keep records for five years.
3. Write down who owes what. Members in arrears are the ones who go quiet in a switch. Settle or note every outstanding amount before you start, so it doesn't vanish between two systems.
4. Pick your cutover date. It's the day the last Ezidebit debit has run for everyone. More on that below.
5. Set up your plans in the new system. Same names and prices, so the member sees the same membership on a new form.

Time it so nobody pays twice

The two ways a payment switch goes wrong are a gap (old debits stop, new ones haven't started, a fortnight of revenue never arrives) and an overlap (both systems debit in the same cycle). An overlap is worse. Refunds take days, and the member on a tight budget gets a dishonour from their own bank because of you.

The rule is simple: one billing system per period.

• If everyone pays on the same date, let Ezidebit run its last debit, then have members sign up on the new system in the days after. Their first Stripe debit lands one cycle later.
• If members pay on their own dates, the cleanest fix is a short free period on the new plan that runs to your common billing date. In Combat Control, a plan can carry free days before the first charge, so a "Switching members" plan with the right number of free days means nobody is charged until their paid Ezidebit period has run out.
• Stop Ezidebit debits per member as they sign. Don't cancel the whole Ezidebit schedule on day one. Stop each member's debit once they've signed with Stripe, and stop the rest on the cutover date.

The re-sign push

Asking a hundred members to enter their bank details again is the riskiest moment of the whole switch. Every member who doesn't finish the form is a member you've effectively cancelled. Treat it as a retention job, not admin.

What works:

• One clear message, sent once. "We're moving to software built for jiu-jitsu, so your belt progress is tracked properly and billing is simpler. It takes two minutes and you only do it once."
• A direct link, not instructions. Send your join link. Every extra step loses people.
• A tablet at the front desk. Catch members as they check in during the first week. It converts far better than email.
• Phone the stragglers after day five. They aren't ignoring you, they're busy. A thirty second call fixes it.
• A hard date. Tell members when the old debits stop and hold to it.

Expect most members to sign in the first week if you push at the desk, and plan to chase the rest for another fortnight.

What to tell members

Members care about three things: will I be charged twice, is my money safe, and do I have to do anything. Answer all three before they ask.

Hi {first name},

We're moving our memberships to a new system built for jiu-jitsu. Your membership, price and classes stay exactly the same.

Please set up your payment again with this link, before {date}: {link}. It takes about two minutes. You can pay by bank account or card.

Your last payment through Ezidebit is on {date}, and your first payment on the new system is on {date}. You won't be charged twice.

Any questions, just reply or ask us at the desk.

Send it, then put the same message on a card at reception.

Moving to Combat Control

Combat Control runs member payments through Stripe, with card and BECS direct debit on the same form. The money settles to your own Stripe account, and we never hold it. Moving across looks like this:

1. Connect Stripe from your gym settings. It takes a few minutes, and Stripe verifies your business.
2. Import your members from a CSV export: name, email, phone and current belt, mapped to your columns. Check stripes and promotion dates with your coaches as you go, since it's the data members care most about.
3. Set up your plans, including a switching plan with free days if your members pay on different dates.
4. Send your join link with the message above. Members choose bank account or card, sign the waiver, and they're on.
5. Stop each Ezidebit debit as members sign, and the rest on your cutover date.

Families come across on one bill: a plan for each person, with your sibling discount, so a parent signs once for the whole family.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do my members have to sign a new direct debit?

Usually, yes. Their authority sits with Ezidebit. Stripe can take over existing bank details if you hold them and give members 30 days' notice, but that depends on Ezidebit releasing the details. Plan for members signing again, and treat a transfer as a bonus.

How long does the switch take?

About three weeks for a typical academy: a week to prepare, a week of re-signing at the desk, and a week of chasing and cutover. Your own time is a handful of evenings, mostly on belt history and phone calls.

Will members be charged twice?

Not if you keep one billing system per period. Let Ezidebit finish its last debit, start the new debits one cycle later, and stop each member's Ezidebit debit once they've signed.

What about members who owe money?

Settle or record every outstanding amount before you start. Arrears are easy to lose between two systems, and members who owe money are the least likely to sign the new form without a conversation.

Should I keep my Ezidebit account open?

Keep read-only access for about three months if your agreement allows it, so you can look up an old payment. Make sure no debits are scheduled on it.