Member benefits and mixed groups: Who pays what on the track?

"Let's see... court rental is 30 euros. You two are members, so that's free. But there are four of you playing. Should I charge the other two 15 euros? Or 7.50 each? And how do I book that at the box office?" Before you know it, five minutes have passed. The line behind the group is growing, the coffee is getting cold, and the discussion about what's "fair" is flaring up.

Sound familiar? Probably. Mixing members (with playing rights) and guests (who pay) is an administrative headache for many tennis, squash, and padel centers. You want to be flexible and welcome guest players, because they are your potential new members, but you don't want to lose revenue or cause hassles at the front desk.

Fortunately, there's a smarter way to do this. Much smarter. In this article, we explain how i-Reserve takes over your calculator and automatically determines the correct price for every configuration on the track.

The fair calculation formula

The root of the problem is simple: a membership is personal, but court rental is property-specific. How do you reconcile the two?

Many systems take the easy route: the booker pays. Is the booker a member? Then the court is free, even if they bring three non-members. Is the booker not a member? Then they pay full price, even if they play with three members. In either case, it feels unfair to someone, either to you as a business owner (loss of revenue!), or to the player.

i-Reserve takes a different approach. We believe in a dynamic calculation based on who is actually on the court. The system follows a logical step-by-step process to arrive at the price, without you having to do anything.

How does the sum work?

It might sound like rocket science, but the logic is actually quite simple. The system looks at the ratio of the total number of players to the number of registered members.

It works in three steps:

1. The Base Price: The system first takes the standard price for the job at that specific time (for example €20 on a Tuesday evening).
2. The Count: The system counts how many players are registered and how many of them have a valid membership.
3. The Discount: The percentage of members determines the percentage discount on the total price.

Concrete examples

Let's make it tangible with two real-world examples. Suppose the basic rent for a job is €10.

• Situation A: The fair mix
  . There are 4 players scheduled. 2 are members, 2 are guests.
  Calculation: 2 of the 4 players are members. That's 50%.
  Result: The group receives a 50% discount on court rental. The price is therefore €5. The guests pay their share, and the members play "for free."
• Situation B: Full House.
  There are two players scheduled to play (for example, in squash). Both are members.
  Calculation: Two of the two players are members. That's 100%.
  Result: The discount is 100%. The total price is €0.

Small disclaimer: We generally only apply this clever calculation to court rentals. If the group also rents four rackets, they simply pay for those.

No Names, No Discounts: The Invitation Process

Now I hear you thinking: "That calculation is nice, but how does the system know who those other players are?" That's exactly where the process often goes wrong in simple scheduling tools. In i-Reserve , we turn it around: transparency is the key to discounts.

The ball is in the booker's court

The process begins with the lead booker. When a member books, i-Reserve asks them: "Who are you playing with?" The booker has two options:

• Find a known player (fellow member).
• Add a guest (non-member).

The clever trick: Confirm = Save

To prevent members from wrongly claiming discounts, i-Reserve uses a watertight invitation system:

1. The booker adds a fellow member.
2. The system immediately sends an email to this member with an acceptance link.
3. As long as the member doesn't click the link, the system counts them as a "guest." The price therefore remains higher.
4. Only once the member confirms will the system recognise the membership and the discount will be definitively deducted.

What's in it for you?

• No more discussions: The system is objective and removes emotion from the transaction at the counter.
• Control your income: Never give away unwarranted discounts again; non-members always pay their share.
• Clean membership administration: Your database is used more actively and you gain insight into who is actually on the court.
• Scalability: The formula works for any racquet sport and any group size.

You have the experience, we have the mathematics

Running a sports venue is all about hospitality. Let i-Reserve take over the role of calculator. We'll do the math in the background, ensure the invitations are sent, and that the price is correct.

Try i-Reserve free for 30 days

Are you also tired of calculating at the counter? Experience the peace of mind that comes with having your system take over the logic for you. Try i-Reserve free for 30 days . No obligations, no hassle. Just turn the knobs and watch your administration take care of itself.