TECH SERIES
GUY FOSTER
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, CLUBWISE
T
he only sure-fire way to prevent membership fraud is to use biometric
technology linked to a turnstile, gate or access door. By enrolling an image of the member’s fingerprint, our biometric technology ensures only that specific member can gain access to the club. The scanner reads intricate details from each fingerprint to ensure every record is as precise as possible. Biometrics allow reception cover to
be scaled down at quiet times, or even become totally unmanned. After all, people can hand over a card or a PIN to their friends, but not their fi ngers! Where a member is unwilling or
unable to provide a scan, proximity card and PIN code alternatives can be built into the single access control scanner for more fl exibility. Tailgating and CCTV technology can allow us to report to the club on those members who are still trying to abuse the system. While the initial costs of implementing
the solution are slightly higher than some barcode and cards solutions, the ongoing costs are considerably less, as clubs no longer have to budget for things like membership cards. Members also don’t have to remember to bring a membership card with them each time they visit.
Gantner’s system uses fi ngerprints to verify that members are the card-holders ALEXANDER EGELE
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, GANTNER
B
ased on reports from our customers, up to 10 per cent of people training
in a club that doesn’t have an automated turnstile-based access control system are likely not to be valid members: they either use a friend’s membership card, have an expired membership, or haven’t paid the membership fee at all. Fitness clubs with a turnstile still report about 5 per cent of customers cheat by using the card of a friend or family member. We believe the best control system is a combination of smart cards with a
GORDON WATSON
GENERAL MANAGER, AUTHENTIC8
U
ntil clubs install an access control system, they can’t quantify the
problem, but we suspect fraud is more widespread than operators realise. The main problems we come across are card sharing and card cloning: it’s easy to clone a basic membership card or replicate barcodes, even on Microsoft Word. Member identifi cation can be
validated very simply by printing their photo on the card. This only requires around £1,000 in initial outlay for the card printer and means the card can be checked anywhere in the club. However, we’re now looking to
The benefi ts of biometrics must be weighed up against the costs
60
enhance member authentication using biometrics. In our view, the ultimate solution is biometrics combined with
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
Authentic8: Combining biometrics with smart wristbands, cards and fobs
October 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
state of the art biometric component. We offer a fi ngerprint-on-card access control reader, where the member has to hold a smart card, wristband or key fob up to the reader and verify with their fi nger that they are the card-holder. The biometric data is stored as vectors in designated sectors in the memory of the smart card. These sectors are secured with crypt keys to ensure no external readers can read or access this data. The verifi cation process takes less
than a second and, to ensure members’ privacy is maintained, there’s no link between the club management software and the biometric data, which is solely stored in the memory of the smart card.
an RFID wristband or card. Members are issued with a smart wristband, card or fob, which incorporates a scan of their fi ngerprint. When they enter the club they have to fi rst swipe the wristband (or card or fob) and then scan their fi ngerprint. This gives you a secure, scalable solution that completely eliminates card sharing and cloning. However, biometrics is an expensive
solution, so operators need to weigh up the signifi cant costs against the benefi ts. ●
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