How Payments Work
Set your pricing, connect Stripe, and let parents pay online during registration. Money goes directly to your club’s bank account. No cash. No chasing.
How It Works
The payment flow in three sentences.
The flow
Configure your registration types (Trial, Term, Annual) and set a price for each.
Parent fills in the registration form, picks a squad and plan, and pays by card at checkout via Stripe.
Money lands directly in your club's bank account via Stripe Connect. Your club receives 100% of the registration amount.
The booking fee
The parent. A small booking fee is added at checkout on top of the registration price.
Stripe card processing (1.5% + 20p) and the AcademyOS platform fee (3%).
You set a term fee of £150. Parent pays £156.95 at checkout (£150 + £6.95 booking fee). Your club receives the full £150.
Zero. Your club always receives exactly the amount you set. The booking fee is entirely on top.
- Parents see the booking fee clearly at checkout — it's labelled as a processing/service fee. No surprises.
- This is standard practice — Eventbrite, Ticketmaster, and ClassForKids all do the same.
Setting Up Stripe Connect
Stripe Connect links your club’s bank account to AcademyOS so payments go directly to you.
Setup steps
During setup (or from your dashboard), you'll be redirected to Stripe's hosted onboarding page.
Stripe asks for basic details: club name, address, bank account, and a form of ID. Standard KYC — takes ~5 minutes.
Enter your club's bank sort code and account number. This is where Stripe sends your payouts.
Once Stripe approves your account (usually instant), payments from parents flow directly to your bank.
- Stripe Express onboarding is simple — no paperwork, no waiting days. Most clubs are live in under 10 minutes.
- You can use a personal bank account or a club account. Stripe pays out to wherever you connect.
- Stripe payouts typically arrive in 2-3 business days after a parent pays.
- Payments won't work until Stripe Connect is set up. Make sure this is done before sharing your registration link.
- Keep your Stripe account details up to date. If your bank account changes, update it in Stripe to avoid payout failures.
Setting Your Prices
You decide what each registration type costs. Parents choose their plan during sign-up.
Registration types
A single-session taster. Typically £5-£15. Low commitment for new families trying out the club.
A block of sessions (e.g. 10-12 weeks). Typically £100-£200. Most popular for grassroots clubs.
Full season registration. Typically £350-£500. Best value for parents, most predictable revenue for you.
Per-session drop-in rate. Useful for casual players or summer camps.
Pricing strategy tips
Let parents choose between Trial, Term, and Annual. Annual gives you predictable income; trials convert new families.
Show the annual price as the best value (e.g. '£420/year = £35/month') next to the term price (£150/term = £50/month). Parents self-select the annual.
Offer 10-15% off for second and subsequent children. Reduces churn and builds loyalty.
Offer a discounted annual rate for families who register before the season starts (e.g. £380 vs £420).
- Most successful grassroots clubs offer Term and Annual with a clear price advantage for Annual.
- Review your pricing each season based on the revenue data in your Reports dashboard.
- If a squad is consistently full with a waitlist, your price is probably too low.
Tracking Payments
The Registrations page in your admin dashboard is your payment control centre.
What you see
Total revenue, active registrations, pending payments, and missing consent forms — all at a glance.
Every registration listed with: player name, parent name, squad, plan type, payment status (Paid / Pending / Failed / Refunded), amount paid, and date.
Colour-coded badges: green (Paid), amber (Pending), red (Failed), grey (Refunded). Spot issues instantly.
Three checkmarks per registration: Terms, Medical, Photo. Missing consents are flagged.
Filter by status (All / Active / Pending / Waitlisted / Cancelled). Sort by date, name, or amount.
- Check the Registrations page weekly for any Pending or Failed payments.
- Parents with failed payments receive automatic retry emails — but a personal follow-up helps.
- Export the registrations table for your committee treasurer or end-of-year accounts.
Automatic Payment Reminders
No more chasing parents for money. AcademyOS handles the awkward conversations for you.
Automated emails
Sent when a payment is approaching its due date. Includes the amount, a 'Pay Now' link, and the plan details.
Sent if payment hasn't been received by the due date. Polite but clear — with a direct payment link.
Sent immediately if a card charge fails. Asks the parent to update their payment method and retry.
Sent after successful payment. Includes a receipt link and confirms the registration is active.
- Payment reminders are sent from your club's name and email — parents see their club, not a faceless platform.
- You never need to manually chase a parent for payment. The system does it automatically.
- If a parent consistently fails to pay, their registration status shows as Pending — visible in your dashboard.
What Parents See
Parents have full visibility of their payments in the Parent Portal.
Parent portal — Payments page
Any unpaid or upcoming amounts shown prominently with a 'Pay Now' button.
Full list of past payments with date, amount, status, and a downloadable receipt.
Their current registration: squad, season, registration type, sessions included, and per-term cost.
One-click payment via Stripe. Card details are saved for returning parents.
- Parents can pay outstanding balances directly from their portal — no need to send them a separate link.
- Receipts are auto-generated and downloadable. Useful for parents who expense through employers.
Stop chasing payments
Set your prices, connect Stripe, and let parents pay online. Money in your account, no awkward conversations.