A Nuki smart lock with a Nuki keypad is the simple, cheaper way to give customers door codes. You fit it yourself on a door with a standard cylinder, and Sparekey sends each customer a code that opens the door only during their booking. Its limit: it sits on the inside of the door, within reach of every customer, and cannot be secured well against tampering. It works for a small space or a quick start. For a busy gym that runs unattended, we recommend a 2N keypad with a maglock.
When Nuki makes sense
Nuki is a battery lock that mounts on the inside of the door over your existing cylinder and turns the key for you. The keypad goes outside. Fitting takes an afternoon and needs no drilling into the door. It fits when:
- your door has a standard cylinder locked by turning a key;
- Wi-Fi reaches the door with the door closed;
- you are starting small and want a low first investment;
- you or someone you trust can get to the space quickly.
Glass doors, gates and doors without a cylinder need a 2N keypad with a maglock.
How the codes work
- A customer books a slot, for example Tuesday 18:00–19:00, and pays online.
- Right after booking, Sparekey stores a new code in the lock, valid from 18:00 to 19:00, and sends it by SMS.
- Outside that window the keypad refuses the code. Two slots in a row get one code.
- After the booking the code is removed.
Nuki codes have six digits and never contain a 0. Tell customers not to look for a 0 on the keypad.
The limits
Tampering. The lock is on the inside of the door, and the customer is alone inside for the whole booking. It can be turned by hand, knocked out of adjustment or pulled off its mount, and a lock that has been interfered with may not lock the door after the customer leaves. Check the door regularly and keep the lock in view of your camera if you have one (see cameras in an unstaffed gym).
Batteries. A gym door opened many times a day drains the lock and keypad faster than a front door at home. Turn on low-battery warnings in the Nuki app, check the level weekly and keep a charger in the space.
Wi-Fi. New codes reach the lock over Wi-Fi. A metal door or a distant router can make the connection unreliable. Test the signal with the lock fitted and the door closed.
Backup code and a way in
Stored codes keep working when the Wi-Fi is down, because the keypad talks to the lock directly. If a new code cannot be stored when a customer books, Sparekey sends them the location’s backup code, stored in the lock in advance, so they still get in.
For the day everything fails, fit a cylinder with an emergency function, so an ordinary key still opens the door from outside with the lock in place. If yours lacks one, have a locksmith replace it first. More in what can go wrong without staff.
What you arrange, and what we do
You buy the lock and keypad, fit them, pair them in the Nuki app under your own account and make sure Wi-Fi reaches the door. The lock stays yours.
In setup we connect the lock to your booking system, set up the codes and the backup code, and run test bookings with you before opening day. Several doors, a shared building entrance and any number of locations are included at no extra cost. Setup costs the same as for 2N; see pricing.
When to move to 2N
Consider a 2N keypad with a maglock when:
- you find the lock turned, loose or out of adjustment more than once;
- a flat battery or dropped Wi-Fi starts costing you bookings;
- you open longer hours and cannot get to the space quickly;
- your insurer, landlord or fire rules ask for a wired door;
- you add a door or location with glass doors or a gate.
Your booking system stays the same; we connect the new keypad and run a test booking with you.
FAQ
Does the code work only for the booked hour?
Yes. Outside the booking the keypad refuses it.
Can customers tamper with a Nuki lock?
Yes, because the lock is on the inside of the door and the customer is alone in the space. That is why we recommend 2N with a maglock for gyms that run unattended.
What if the Wi-Fi is down when someone books?
Stored codes keep working. The new customer gets the location’s backup code.
Do I need anything besides the lock and keypad?
Wi-Fi at the door, a cylinder with an emergency function and a Nuki account in your name. We handle the connection to your booking system.