Why you should collect payment through OpenSports

OpenSports uses a payment system called Stripe that is fully integrated with our platform (web + iOS and Android app) so you can seamlessly collect payments at a lower cost than other platforms, no matter if you are a massive sports organization or a small group of friends that love to play pickup!

1. Cashless, contactless transactions are safer

With the World Health Organization recommending that people wash their hands after handling money, it follows that exchanging money is a practice that warrants guidelines even in the recreational sports world. As contactless pickup and delivery apps continue to gain traction across most industries with their built-in payment processing capabilities, consumers will continue to see headlines like “safest way” being touted, instead of just “easiest” or “quickest”.

Recreational sports management software platforms like OpenSports allow organizers to avoid physical transactions, and allow for the near-effortless transfer of money to play sports. Eliminating cash may feel like a big adjustment for sports organizers, but will help recreational players stay safe and confident when getting back into sports.

2. No more no-shows!!

Pickup sports are historically pretty unreliable. There are often so many no-shows and it gets very frustrating).

How does OpenSports mitigate the “no-show” problem?

• Collecting payment in advance significantly reduces the number of no-shows.
• Create refund deadlines to prevent last minute drop-outs. For example, if your refund deadline is 24 hrs before the event, players will be less likely to drop out 10 hours before, because they won’t receive a refund!
• Our Automatic waitlist turns on automatically when your event fills up and works to fill spots if there are drop-outs.
• Our waitlist is much more innovative than a standard waitlist because it gives a dynamic range for the amount of time people have to RSVP. It also pauses over night. It is a relatively sophisticated system but it very easy to use for organizers and players!

“We’re eliminating cash because it causes a lot of chaos — some people show up and don’t have change and it creates a lot of problems. When they sign up and pay online it guarantees how much revenue is coming in. Otherwise, if they don’t show up, its a lost opportunity that somebody else could have taken.” — Yash, Facility Manager from Ultra Sports Center, Toronto

3. Boost player commitment, and generate recurring revenue

• OpenSports lets you easily set up discounts and memberships that are automatically managed when you collect payment electronically
• You can even offer your players a variety of popular memberships types, so it’s like they have class pass to your group: punch-card style passes, monthly, annual, or seasonal memberships!

4. Low transaction fees

• Easily link your bank account to Stripe and receive automatic payouts out on a 2-day* rolling basis
• A small transaction fee (5% + $0.30) is taken from the total amount a game organizer charges per ticket
• Most payment cards are accepted, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay for players that have Apple Pay or Google Pay enabled on their phone!
• Collecting payment in advance means less unpredictability to deal with. When players pay in advance, they will show up and your games will run at max capacity!

*Payouts vary by country. 2-day for USA, 7-day for Canada, and varies for other countries.

5. Don’t chase players for cash!

• Managing pickup should be fun and shouldn’t be such an administrative burden.
• You need solution that really streamlines and automates the process of players joining and paying for pickup games so that you/your staff have to do minimal administrative work, while knowing your games will fill up.

If you are worried about losing players who traditionally enjoy paying cash, or you have any more questions about collecting payment through OpenSports, contact me, alicia@opensports.net 🤓