Everything clubs and parents ask us
If your question isn't here, write to hello@playnowclub.co.uk and a human will answer.
Running a club
For the person who does the admin on a Sunday evening.
Is PlayNow only for football clubs?
No. Football, rugby, netball, cricket, tennis, basketball, athletics, gymnastics, swimming, dance, martial arts, drama, scouts: if you run activities for children and take payments for them, PlayNow fits. You pick your activity when you sign up, and you can run seasons, school years, or all year round.
How long does setting up actually take?
About three minutes. Your club's name and activity, your own details, when your year runs, and what parents pay. Everything else — age groups, coaches, your logo, your bank — comes later, when it matters.
Why does PlayNow check our club before we can take registrations?
Because parents are about to share their children's medical details and emergency contacts with you. We verify every club against its governing body or its own paperwork first, usually within one working day. It is the reason families trust a code they were sent in a group chat.
Do we need a bank account set up before we start?
No. You can build your club, run the sample family through it, and be verified without connecting anything. We ask for your bank when your first family is ready to pay, and payouts go to the club's own account.
Can we charge monthly subscriptions rather than one season fee?
Yes. A charge can be one-off or monthly. Monthly charges are collected by Direct Debit, which is how most dance schools, dojos and swim schools run, and parents authorise it once.
What happens to our existing spreadsheet?
Keep it while you move over. Nothing about PlayNow depends on it, and you can add members as they register. Importing a spreadsheet directly is on our list, not built yet, and we would rather say so than promise it.
Who can see a child's medical information?
Your club's admins and coaches, and nobody else. Every time anyone at PlayNow views a member's medical detail, that access is written to an audit log the club can be shown. We designed it this way because it is children's data.
Do coaches get their own accounts?
Yes. Coaches join with a separate staff code, log their hours, and you approve them. They never see the club's money, and you decide who has admin access.
Registering a child
For parents and carers signing up with a join code.
What is a join code and where do I get one?
It is a short code your club shares, usually in the team WhatsApp group or an email. You type it once when you register, and it puts your child in the right club. If you haven't got one, ask whoever runs the team.
Does PlayNow charge parents anything?
No. You pay exactly what your club asks for and not a penny more. PlayNow's fee comes off the club's side of the payment.
Can I pay with Klarna?
Klarna sits at every checkout alongside paying by card or Direct Debit. Klarna is the lender, not PlayNow — we do not provide or arrange credit. Klarna sets its own terms, runs its own checks, and shows them to you before you agree to anything. Whichever way you pay, your club is paid in full straight away and PlayNow never charges you a fee.
Why do I have to set up two-step sign-in?
Because your account holds your child's medical details and emergency contacts. Two-step sign-in means a stolen password on its own is not enough to reach them. It takes about a minute with any authenticator app.
Can I register more than one child?
Yes. Add each child to the same account, and you'll see all of them, their payments and what's due, in one place.
How do I cancel a Direct Debit?
From your PlayNow home page, or with your bank under the Direct Debit Guarantee. Tell your club too, so they know the place is free.
Can I get my child's data removed?
Yes. Email hello@playnowclub.co.uk and we'll action it. Some records attached to payments have to be kept for accounting, so those are anonymised rather than deleted, and we'll tell you exactly what stayed and why.
Plans and fees
What PlayNow costs, and who pays it.
Is £50 a month really the whole price?
Yes. Club is £50 a month and Academy is £149, and that's the full amount — no VAT is added, because PlayNow isn't VAT-registered. If that ever changes, we'll tell you before it costs your club a penny more. Starter is free.
Who pays the transaction fees, parents or the club?
The club, and there are two lines: PlayNow's flat rate shown on this page, and Stripe's own processing fee, which Stripe bills to your club the same as any card machine. Both come off before the payment settles to your account. Parents pay exactly the price you set and never pay a fee to PlayNow.
Can we start free and upgrade later?
Yes. Every club starts on Starter, free, with up to 50 members. When you need more seats or coach timesheets, email hello@playnowclub.co.uk and we'll move you up the same day. No contract either way.
Can parents pay with Klarna, and what does it cost us?
Klarna is at every club's checkout as standard — it is part of how PlayNow works, so families always have an alternative to paying a season fee in full. Klarna is the lender — PlayNow does not provide or arrange credit — and Klarna sets its own terms, runs its own checks, and shows them to the family before they agree to anything. Your club is paid in full on day one, whichever way the family pays. PlayNow's fee is the same flat rate as any other payment, and Stripe prices Klarna at its own published rate, billed to your club like the rest.
When does money reach the club's account?
Payments settle to your club's own bank account on a payout schedule you choose, weekly by default. Your dashboard always shows what's collected and when the next payout lands.
Can we leave whenever we want?
Yes. There's no annual contract and nothing to cancel beyond the month you're in. Your registrations and payment history stay yours.
Still comparing? The three plans and the cost calculator are on the pricing page, and card, Direct Debit and Klarna are set out side by side with what each means for your club.
Still deciding?
Set your club up free and run a sample family through it. Nothing goes live, and nobody needs a card.