Multisport Card Alternative: A Better Way to Offer Fitness Benefits to a Diverse Team
Multisport works for employees who want a gym. For the rest, the company pays anyway. A credit-based alternative that gives every employee something they actually use.
Multisport is a reasonable solution for companies where most of the team wants gym access and most of the partnered facilities are relevant to where employees live and work.
That is not most companies. The realistic picture at most Polish employers using Multisport: a portion uses the card regularly, a portion uses it occasionally, and a significant portion signed up and never went back. The company pays the same monthly rate for all three groups.
This is not a criticism of the programme. It is a structural limitation of fixed-benefit models applied to diverse teams.
The Multisport utilization problem — what it actually looks like
At most companies using a corporate fitness benefit, the utilization distribution follows a consistent pattern:
These employees would pay for a gym membership independently anyway. The corporate programme gives them a discount on something they already wanted.
These employees benefit from having access, but it is not a significant driver of their day-to-day experience.
The partnered facility is not nearby, they prefer running or cycling, their situation changed after sign-up. The company pays the same amount regardless.
The company pays the same amount per enrolled employee regardless of which group they fall into. For the 40 to 50% who rarely use the card, the benefit is essentially wasted.
What a credit-based fitness benefit looks like
A credit-based alternative works differently. The company allocates a monthly credit to each employee — the same budget that was previously spent on a fixed fitness subscription.
Employees who want gym access use their credits for fitness. Employees who prefer running use their credits for running gear or a race entry. Employees who do not use the gym direct their credits toward something else entirely — wellbeing support, a learning course, home office equipment, or entertainment.
The company’s total benefit spend remains constant. But instead of 40 to 50% of that spend going toward a benefit nobody uses, each employee directs the full amount toward something they actually value.
What the Wallet marketplace covers for fitness employees
Employees who do want fitness benefits can still direct their entire monthly credit toward it. Nothing is taken away. These categories are available:
What happens to admin when you make the switch
Multisport administration involves employee sign-ups, card issuance, monthly headcount reporting to the provider, and invoice processing. A credit-based platform eliminates most of this. No card to issue. No monthly headcount report. The invoice is one credit bundle. For HR, the administrative overhead drops from a recurring vendor coordination task to a monthly dashboard check.
The transition — how to move from Multisport to credits
The transition communication is the most important step. Employees who valued their fitness access need to know they can still use credits for the gym. Employees who never used it are usually relieved to have a benefit they can actually engage with.
The short version
Multisport is a useful product for employees who want gym access near a partnered facility. For the 40 to 50% of employees who do not fit that profile, it is a monthly cost with no return.
A credit-based alternative gives every employee the same budget — directed toward what they actually value. Fitness-focused employees still get fitness. Everyone else gets something that fits their life. The company spends the same amount. The return on that spend doubles.
Frequently asked questions
The most effective alternative is a credit-based benefits platform where employees direct their monthly allocation toward any category in a marketplace — fitness, wellbeing, learning, home office, or other options. This gives fitness-focused employees equivalent access to what Multisport provided, while giving employees who never used the card a benefit they actually value.
The primary reason is utilization. A significant portion of employees enrolled in corporate fitness programmes do not use them regularly — because facilities are not nearby, they prefer other forms of exercise, or their situation changed after sign-up. The company continues paying for all enrolled employees regardless of usage. A credit model produces higher overall utilization because employees choose categories that match their actual preferences.
Yes. Employees who want fitness access can direct their entire monthly credit allocation toward gym subscriptions, fitness passes, or sports equipment in the marketplace. The transition removes nothing for employees who valued the original benefit — it simply gives employees who did not value it the option to use the same budget on something else.
The operational switch is straightforward. The main steps are: calculating the equivalent credit amount, setting up the allocation rule, communicating the change to employees, and ending the vendor contract at the next renewal. The transition communication — explaining that fitness credits are still available, plus additional flexibility — typically receives positive responses from employees.
Give every employee a benefit they will actually use.
Not just the ones who wanted a gym card.
No subscription — buy credits and allocate them.