Member guide: tap your phone at the gate

Use this when the door does not open with Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. For physical NFC tags (fobs), see member-nfc-tag-tap-troubleshooting.md. Staff can link members to these pages from the portal.

Before you tap

Membership active — your key shows as active in the member portal (not “pending payment” or “under review”).
Pass in your wallet — you completed Add to Apple Wallet or Add to Google Wallet on your membership page.
Correct wallet app — this membership uses one wallet app (Apple or Google), not both. If you picked the wrong one, ask the gym to reset your wallet choice.
Phone powered on — wallet passes do not work with a dead battery.
Platform setup — Android: NFC must be on in Settings. iPhone: no NFC on/off switch; open Wallet and show your pass (see below).

Android (Google Wallet)

Turn on NFC

Settings → Connected devices → Connection preferences → NFC (wording varies by phone).
Ensure NFC is On.

Samsung Galaxy (important)

Samsung phones often default to Samsung Wallet for tap-to-pay. Our readers expect Google Wallet.

Settings → Apps → Choose default apps (or Default apps).
Open Tap to pay / Contactless payments / Pay with phone.
Set Google Wallet as the default (not Samsung Wallet).

If you use Samsung Pay for cards, you can still set Google Wallet for membership passes — open the gym pass in Google Wallet before each visit.

At the reader

Open the Google Wallet app.
Open your gym membership pass on screen (not only the lock screen).
If you have several passes, select the correct one if Google asks.
Hold the back of the phone flat on the reader for 2–3 seconds.
Wait for the gate — do not pull away immediately.

Still not working?

Remove thick metal cases or pop-sockets over the NFC area.
Try airplane mode off, Bluetooth/Wi‑Fi on (NFC does not need data, but some phones behave oddly in airplane mode).
Confirm you added the pass with Google Wallet, not only a screenshot or email attachment.
Ask staff to verify your membership is active and that you are using the phone that has the pass.

iPhone (Apple Wallet)

NFC on iPhone

There is no “turn NFC on” setting. NFC stays available for Wallet and Apple Pay. You do not need to enable anything in Settings.

At the reader

Wake your iPhone.
Open the Wallet app and display your gym pass before tapping (most reliable; lock screen alone may not work).
Hold the top of the phone near the reader for 2–3 seconds.
If you use Express Mode, ensure the correct pass is eligible for the reader.

Still not working?

Remove thick cases over the top edge of the phone.
Confirm the pass is in Apple Wallet (not only a downloaded file in Files).
If you recently got a new iPhone, use Move pass to new device on the portal (once per month) or queue a wallet switch (automated, with a wait that grows if you request often).
Ask staff to verify your membership is active.

Reader light stays steady (no flash)?

If the reader does not flash or beep and staff see no log entry for your tap, the reader did not detect your phone at all (different from “detected but denied”).

Check	Android	iPhone
Other phones work on same reader?	Gate is OK — focus on your phone	Same
Open wallet app with pass on screen	Google Wallet, pass visible	Wallet app, pass visible
Tap position	Back of phone, flat, 2–3 s	Top of phone, flat, 2–3 s
Contactless pay test	Try Google Pay at a shop or the same reader	Try Apple Pay at a shop or the same reader
Phone NFC hardware	If pay and tag-read (Shortcuts) also fail, phone may need repair; ask staff about a physical tag	If Apple Pay and Shortcuts → NFC tag scan both fail, phone may need repair; ask staff about a physical tag

What staff see when it fails

Member symptom	Common cause
Denied instantly (logs show a tap)	Pass not in wallet, wrong wallet app, or inactive membership
Nothing happens — no reader flash, no logs	Phone not presenting Wallet (open pass first); Android NFC off; Samsung default wallet; possible phone NFC fault
Worked before, not now	New phone without moving pass; wallet lock to other platform

Technical setup for the gym: google-smart-tap-pi-setup.md (staff / IT).

Quick checklist (printable)

Android

NFC on in Settings
Samsung: Google Wallet = default for tap-to-pay
Pass open in Google Wallet on screen
Hold back of phone flat 2–3 seconds
Phone charged
Active membership in portal

iPhone

Pass open in Wallet (not only lock screen)
Hold top of phone 2–3 seconds
Phone charged
Active membership in portal
(No “NFC on” setting to check)