How to Collect Fees at a Sports Club: Practical Guide

The problem with manual collections

If you manage a sports club, you probably know this scenario all too well: the end of the month arrives and it is time to collect fees. You start reviewing transfers, chasing late payers and reconciling accounts. A process that should be automatic turns into hours of administrative work.

Clubs that collect fees manually have an average non-payment rate of 15-20%. That means for every 100 members, between 15 and 20 do not pay on time each month.

Fee collection methods for sports clubs

1. SEPA direct debit

The most efficient method for recurring charges:

• Advantage: Collection is automatic, with no action required from the member
• Non-payment rate: Less than 3%
• Requirement: SEPA mandate signed by the member

2. Credit/debit card

Ideal for one-off payments and new sign-ups:

• Advantage: Instant collection and confirmation
• Commission: Typically 1.5-3% of the amount
• Best for: Registrations, tickets, merchandise

3. Bank transfer

Still common but difficult to automate:

• Advantage: No commissions
• Disadvantage: Hard to reconcile, requires manual review
• Tip: If you use it, require a standardized payment reference

How to automate fee collection

Step 1: Define clear fee plans

Before automating, you need well-defined plans:

• Standard monthly fee: The most common
• Quarterly or annual fee: With a discount for upfront payment
• Family fee: For households with multiple players
• Team-based fees: Different prices by category

Step 2: Digitalize your member registry

To automate collections you need complete data:

• Full name and ID number
• Bank account (IBAN) or card
• Email and phone for notifications
• Assigned team and fee plan

Step 3: Set up automatic billing

With a platform like OneClub:

1. Create your fee plans with price and frequency
2. Assign each member to their plan
3. Set the monthly billing date
4. The system charges automatically and generates invoices

Step 4: Handle non-payments

Even with automation, some payments will fail. A good system should:

• Retry charges automatically after a failure
• Notify the member via email and/or SMS
• Escalate if the issue persists (admin alert)
• Log the full history of attempts

Strategies to reduce non-payments

1. Offer a discount for annual payment: Encourage long-term commitment
2. Support multiple payment methods: Not everyone wants direct debit
3. Communicate transparently: Notify members before each charge
4. Act quickly on missed payments: Do not let months go by

Conclusion

Automating fee collection is not a luxury — it is a necessity. A club with 200 members that switches from manual to automatic billing can save over 20 hours per month in administrative work.

Ready to automate your fees? Discover how OneClub's fee module works.