Competition entry fees - alternatives to cash

[LincolnShep]

Since golf resumed, all of our competitions have been just for fun, no entry fees and no prizes. We want to start charging a fee but don't want to use the 100% cash system that we used before.

We don't have the facility to accept card payments. We could ask players to do bank transfers, or use PayPal, or maybe there are other options that I haven't considered. Would just be interested to hear what you are doing at your club, what's worked and what hasn't.

Thanks in advance.
Shep

 

[jim8flog]

It is simple where I play you load up your members card and all comp fees, bar and food (when open) get taken from it.

Our optional medals and twos used to be cash but we have switched all over since coming back.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We are another with members cards. We can now add money to them via the Club V1 app so that makes it even easier. I appreciate that doesn't help you short term but perhaps this is the nudge your club needs to look at a members card. They are so useful.

 

[fundy]

If you dont have the technology then its going to be a manual job, get people to bank tfr say £20 and then keep a spreadsheet of how much people have left each time they enter a comp. A lot easier with the tech obviously!

 

[rulefan]

Since golf resumed, all of our competitions have been just for fun, no entry fees and no prizes. We want to start charging a fee but don't want to use the 100% cash system that we used before.

We don't have the facility to accept card payments. We could ask players to do bank transfers, or use PayPal, or maybe there are other options that I haven't considered. Would just be interested to hear what you are doing at your club, what's worked and what hasn't.

Thanks in advance.
Shep

What company do you use for competition and handicap management?

 

[Orikoru]

Our club have not taken money yet for the comps we've entered - they've basically said it'll be sorted later. I imagine they'll tot up how much everybody owes and we'll send it by bank transfer at a later date. They prefer the yearly membership to be paid via bank transfer I think, that's how I do it anyway, so I already have the details saved on my banking app, so it'll be easy just to send that through.

 

[The Autumn Wind]

Our competition entry fees are deducted from our bar card balance, at the time of online booking. It’s a great system, and negates any need for cash transactions or putting money in envelopes for matchplay comps.

 

[HampshireHog]

Our pro shop have been there running weekend comps last 4 weekends £5 cash in bucket exact money only.
Club comps come off the bar card.
Prizes are vouchers. Up £140 since lockdown eased?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Another club that does everything off the club card. We've a pro shop competition on Sunday. Enter to the marshal as you drive in and get ticked off the start sheet and the club will automatically deduct £3 off your card via the office

 

[Rlburnside]

We have had 5/6 competitions so far and we just put cash in a envelope and put it in a box.

 

[LincolnShep]

What company do you use for competition and handicap management?

We use Club V1. Can that help us?

 

[Robster59]

We don't charge competition fees although the Pro runs a sweep every medal.

 

[Grant85]

I personally would encourage you to move into the current decade and look at a contactless payment system.

I think you'll find a basic card reader and system to be fairly affordable (under £30) and can also work off a 4G contract (£6 pm) if you don't have wifi in the starting area.

I'd imagine it will pay for itself within a few weeks if you can start taking a split of competition entry and will also save a huge amount of hassle in terms of having change (for both members and the club).

I've seen performers at the Edinburgh Festival putting on free shows with a request to make a donation on the way out. They are standing there with a contactless card reader for people to quickly tap £5 for the show.

As a golf club or any kind of commercial enterprise that wants to be taken seriously I feel it is not acceptable to not accept card payments.

 

[LincolnShep]

As a golf club or any kind of commercial enterprise that wants to be taken seriously I feel it is not acceptable to not accept card payments.

Wow, that's incredibly judgemental. I hope you're not crushed by knowing I'm not bothered whether you feel it's acceptable or not.

 

[Orikoru]

As a golf club or any kind of commercial enterprise that wants to be taken seriously I feel it is not acceptable to not accept card payments.

I don't know why, but kebab shops never take card around my way. It's like they all have a union where they decided none of them would.

 

[Papas1982]

I don't know why, but kebab shops never take card around my way. It's like they all have a union where they decided none of them would.

I'd say that's similar for quite a lot of smaller takeaways, I dependant shops etc.

The nice part of me says it's probably as they sell things at low cost and dont wanna pay for each transaction. The realist says its a lot easier to fiddle cash than card transactions......

 

[Orikoru]

I'd say that's similar for quite a lot of smaller takeaways, I dependant shops etc.

The nice part of me says it's probably as they sell things at low cost and dont wanna pay for each transaction. The realist says its a lot easier to fiddle cash than card transactions......

Yeah if they do take them there's normally a minimum order, be it £5, £10. I guess card companies are raking it in off micro-transactions, particularly at the moment. As a consumer part of me hopes that some good of all this is that cash is practically wiped out, since contactless card is so much easier for everything, but it might take all the banks reducing their card fees to shops, at least on cheaper items.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I don't know why, but kebab shops never take card around my way. It's like they all have a union where they decided none of them would.

Come on, it's not hard to work out. Do you really think the figures declared to HMRC match up? Apply this to a whole host of places, I'm not just highlighting kebab shops at this point.

 

[Green Man]

Come on, it's not hard to work out. Do you really think the figures declared to HMRC match up? Apply this to a whole host of places, I'm not just highlighting kebab shops at this point.

Exactly this. There’s only one reason why they don’t have card machines.
There’s a hardware shop near to me that if you want to pay by card you are actively encouraged to go to the cash machine next door. I wonder why?

I can also remember being in an Indian restaurant in East London who claimed they weren’t VAT registered when I asked for a VAT receipt. Place was full with about 50 covers.

 

[backwoodsman]

We've not started official comp's yet but our "virtual swindle" is being done on credit. You advise the organiser (in advance) if you are entering. And send him your score afterwards. He keeps a rolling total of who's played and who has won (or owes) what. There'll be a mass reckoning in due course - probably by bank transfer. (For anyone reluctant to settle, when its safe to do so, the boys will be sent round - cos by then, it will be safe for them to relieve you of hard cash...)