Season Plan Admin Guide — GoClubPro
Training Module 44 | Setting Up, Pricing, and Managing Season Plans
What This Guide Covers
Season Plans are the upfront, season-long payment option that benefits both clubs (predictable cash flow) and players (potential savings). This guide covers everything admins and treasurers need to know about configuring, communicating, and managing Season Plans.
Primary audience: Treasurers, Club Admins Secondary audience: Players considering whether to purchase a Season Plan
WHAT IS A SEASON PLAN?
A Season Plan is a single upfront payment that covers all match fees for a specific competition (grade) for the entire season.
What it covers:
- All match fees for the player's grade for the full season
- Even if the player misses games, they pay the same amount
What it does NOT cover:
- Registration fees (these are separate, always)
- Training session fees (if applicable)
- Fines
- Expense claims (that's the opposite direction — money out)
Financial model:
Player A: Plays all 20 rounds at $22 = $440 in match fees
Season Plan price: $380
Saving for Player A: $60
Player B: Plays 15 of 20 rounds at $22 = $330 in match fees
Season Plan price: $380
Cost difference for Player B: -$50 (Season Plan costs more for part-time players)
SECTION 1: CONFIGURING SEASON PLANS
Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Season Plan
- Settings → Fee Configuration
- Find the competition you want to offer a Season Plan for
- Look for the Season Plan field (below the match fee field)
- Enter the Season Plan price
- Optionally set a cutoff round — the last round by which a member can purchase a Season Plan
- Click Save
Fields:
- Season Plan Price — the fixed upfront amount (e.g., $380)
- Season Plan Cutoff — which round members must purchase by (e.g., "by Round 3"). After this round, the Season Plan option disappears from the payment screen and members pay per-game.
Pricing a Season Plan
Formula for pricing:
Season Plan = (Total rounds × Match fee) × Discount factor
Example:
20 rounds × $22 per match = $440 total
Discount: 15%
Season Plan price: $440 × 0.85 = $374 → round to $380
Factors to consider:
| Factor | Effect on Price |
|---|---|
| Average games played per season | Lower average = lower Season Plan savings |
| Expected weather cancellations | Fewer games played = refund decisions |
| Club cash flow needs | Higher upfront price = more initial cash |
| Competitive season length certainty | Unknown finals = harder to price |
Common approaches:
- Break-even at 80%: Season Plan = 80% of total possible match fees. A player who plays 80%+ of games saves money.
- Flat discount: Season Plan = total match fees minus flat discount ($50–$100 off)
- Round number: Price the Season Plan at a psychologically attractive number ($349, $399, $499)
Season Plan Cutoff Round
Why set a cutoff?
Without a cutoff, members can buy a Season Plan in Round 18 of a 20-round season — paying less than 2 rounds' worth of fees while the club has already absorbed their costs for the first 17 rounds.
Recommended cutoff: Round 3–5, or approximately the first 3–4 weeks of the season.
What happens after cutoff?
- The Season Plan option disappears from the member's payment screen
- They pay per-match as normal going forward
- Members who purchased before cutoff continue on their Season Plan
Offering Season Plans for Multiple Grades
You can set different Season Plan prices per grade:
| Grade | Match Fee | Season Rounds | Season Plan | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Grade | $25 | 20 | $420 | Round 4 |
| B Grade | $22 | 20 | $370 | Round 4 |
| Under 18 | $15 | 18 | $240 | Round 3 |
| Under 14 | $10 | 18 | $160 | Round 3 |
| Under 12 | $0 | 18 | N/A | — |
Tip: Don't offer Season Plans for grades with fewer than 10 rounds — the math rarely works out favourably for either party.
Early Bird Offers (Registration Discounts & Freebies)
Not to be confused with the Season Plan Cutoff Round above — that controls when the Season Plan purchase option disappears mid-season. An Early Bird Offer is a separate incentive for members to register early, before the season even opens for fixtures.
Where to set it up: Treasurer → Payment Setup → open Season Settings → Early Bird Offer.
Three things you can configure, independently:
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Join by | The cutoff date. Leave blank to turn the whole offer off. |
| Discount off the registration fee | A flat dollar amount taken off what the MEMBER pays, applied automatically the moment they join — no code to enter. |
| Freebie (optional) | Free text — a club jersey, a cap, chocolates, a pack of balls, whatever you're giving away. Not tied to any fixed list. |
| What it costs the club | Only shown once you've entered a freebie. What the item actually costs the club — separate from the discount above, and NOT shown to members. |
How it applies: the moment a member joins before the cutoff date, the discount is locked into their registration fee and the freebie is recorded against their registration — nothing for you to apply by hand. Members already registered before you turn the offer on are not retroactively affected.
Tracking who's owed a freebie: go to Treasurer → Registrations. Anyone who earned a freebie shows a badge (amber = not given yet, green = given) with a small shirt icon in the Actions column — click it to toggle once you've physically handed the item over.
Accounting — read this before turning on a costed freebie: if you fill in "What it costs the club," marking a freebie as given posts a real expense to your ledger (General Expenses, settled through Accounts Payable like any other bill) — see the Treasurer & Accounting guide for exactly what that entry looks like. Do not also record the bulk purchase of the freebie items as a separate expense claim or bill — the app has no way to detect that you've done both, and doing both will double the recorded cost. If you're not sure which approach fits your club's books, check with whoever does your accounting before you start marking freebies as given.
Second-Tier (Secondary Discount) — a Smaller Discount After Early Bird Closes
A second, independent discount window that opens the moment the Early Bird offer closes — typically used for a smaller "last chance" incentive rather than a freebie.
Where to set it up: same screen as Early Bird — Treasurer → Payment Setup → Season Settings → Secondary Discount Tier (Post-Early Bird).
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Join by (Tier 2 Deadline) | The cutoff date for this tier. Leave blank if you only want a single Early Bird period. |
| Percentage discount (%) | A percentage off the registration fee — recalculated against each grade's own price, so a 5% discount is a different dollar amount for a $450 grade than a $600 one. |
| Or fixed dollar discount ($) | A flat amount instead of (or on top of) the percentage — whichever is larger wins if both are set. |
| Freebie (optional) | Same free-text field as Early Bird, independent of it — you can offer a freebie on Tier 1 only, Tier 2 only, both, or neither. |
A member can only ever be on one tier at a time — miss the Early Bird cutoff and they drop straight into Tier 2 (if you've set one up); miss Tier 2's cutoff too and they pay full price. Exactly like Early Bird, this applies automatically the moment a member joins, locks into their registration, and is unaffected by later changes to the offer.
Temporary Grades — Selling Season Plans Before Real Grades Exist
If registration needs to open before your season's actual grades are known — before trials, or before the association syncs its draw — open with a temporary, club-only grade instead of waiting. Members can join and pay a Season Plan against it immediately; once the real grade is announced, merging folds every registration across and automatically re-prices each Season Plan against the real grade's fee (crediting or charging the difference as needed). See Module 06 — Admin Panel for the full walkthrough ("Creating a Temporary Grade Before Real Grades Are Announced").
SECTION 2: MEMBER EXPERIENCE
How Members Purchase a Season Plan
- Payments → Fees tab
- A Season Plan option appears alongside the individual registration fee
- Member clicks Buy Season Plan
- Bank Transfer declaration (or wallet credit) for the Season Plan amount
- After payment: all future match fees for that grade show as $0 (pre-paid)
What Members See Post-Purchase
After purchasing a Season Plan:
- Payments → Matches tab shows each fixture with a fee of $0 (covered)
- A "Season Plan" badge may appear on their payment history
- They still receive RSVP requests and squad notifications — Season Plan doesn't affect selection
Communicating Season Plans to Members
Members need to understand:
- What it covers (match fees only, not registration)
- The price and what they'd pay per-game instead
- The cutoff date — they must decide early
Template broadcast for Season Plan launch:
Season Plan Now Available — Save up to $[Amount]
Pay upfront for the whole season and save $[X]:
• A Grade Season Plan: $[Price] (vs $[per-game × rounds] per-game total) • B Grade Season Plan: $[Price] (vs $[per-game × rounds] per-game total)
Season Plans must be purchased before Round [X] ([Date]).
To purchase: Payments → Fees → Buy Season Plan.
Season Plans cover match fees only. Registration fee is separate.
SECTION 3: MANAGING ACTIVE SEASON PLANS
Tracking Who Has a Season Plan
Currently, Season Plan holders are tracked in the ledger:
- Treasurer → Accounting → filter by "Season Plan" payment type
- This shows every member who has purchased a Season Plan this season
- Export this list at the start of the season and keep it handy
Why this matters: Coaches sometimes ask "does this player owe match fees?" If they're on a Season Plan, the answer is no — but they still must pay their registration fee.
Season Plan + Registration: Common Confusion
The most common member confusion: "I bought the Season Plan, why am I still being asked to pay?"
Answer: The Season Plan covers match fees. Registration fee is always separate. Both must be paid.
Admin response template:
"Hi [Member name],
Your Season Plan covers all match fees for the season — great choice!
However, the registration fee ($[Amount]) is a separate charge that covers your club membership. You'll see this in Payments → Fees → Registration.
Once that's paid, your account will be fully settled."
Handling Mid-Season Season Plan Requests
After the cutoff, members will sometimes ask to purchase a Season Plan late. This is a committee/treasurer decision:
Option A: Decline — Policy is clear; cutoff is cutoff. (Recommended if the club has many late requests — it creates unfairness.)
Option B: Allow manually — Treasurer manually adjusts the ledger:
- Calculate remaining match fees (rounds left × match fee)
- If this is less than the Season Plan price: Season Plan makes no sense; decline
- If it's more: create a manual ledger entry for a "Late Season Plan — [Member name]"
- Mark all remaining match fees as $0
- Note: this is all manual; the system doesn't support post-cutoff Season Plan purchases directly
Season Plan Refunds
If a member on a Season Plan leaves the club mid-season:
Refund policy options (club decides):
- No refund — Season Plan is a non-refundable upfront payment (simplest; lowest admin)
- Pro-rata refund — Refund the value of unplayed games: (remaining rounds × match fee)
- Full refund — Only in exceptional circumstances (e.g., medical withdrawal)
Implementing a pro-rata refund:
- Calculate remaining rounds × match fee
- Issue refund for that amount via Treasurer → Accounting → Issue Refund
- Document the reason in the ledger note
Communicate your policy clearly in the pre-season broadcast so members know before purchasing.
SECTION 4: SEASON PLAN ANALYTICS & REPORTING
Measuring Season Plan Uptake
At the end of the cutoff period:
- Treasurer → Accounting → filter "Season Plan" payments
- Count: How many members bought Season Plans per grade?
- Calculate: Season Plan income vs. what they would have paid per-game if they attended every game
This tells you:
- Whether Season Plans are generating more or less revenue than per-game fees
- Which grades have highest uptake
- Whether your pricing is attractive
Example analysis:
A Grade Season Plans sold: 8 of 18 players (44%)
Season Plan price: $420 each
Total Season Plan income: $3,360
If those 8 players had paid per-game (assuming 85% attendance):
8 players × 17 games × $25 = $3,400
Difference: -$40 (Season Plans cost the club $40 for A Grade)
→ Club subsidised season plan buyers by $40 total — a reasonable retention investment
VISUAL: Season Plan Decision Flow for Members
"Should I buy a Season Plan?"
How many games do you expect to play this season?
│
┌───────────┼───────────┐
All/Most Some Not sure
(15+ of 20) (8-14) (can't tell)
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
Calculate: Calculate: Wait until
All games Your games Round 2 to
× match fee × match fee see how the
────────── season is going
If < Season If > Season (but decide
Plan price Plan price by cutoff!)
→ BUY → PAY PER
SEASON PLAN GAME
Do the maths: [Total rounds] × $[match fee] = $[per-game total]
Compare to Season Plan: $[Season Plan price]
TOOLTIPS & HINTS
- Registration ≠ Season Plan — these are always two separate charges; communicate this clearly pre-season
- Set a cutoff — without a cutoff, members game the system by buying Season Plans late
- Price at 80% of max — a member who attends 80%+ of games saves money; this is usually your most engaged players
- Season Plan option disappears after cutoff automatically — no manual intervention needed
- Late requests are judgment calls — have a committee policy in advance so the Treasurer has a clear answer
FAQ
Q: Can a Season Plan cover multiple grades if a player plays in two teams? A: No — Season Plans are per-competition. A player in both A Grade and B Grade needs a separate Season Plan for each (if desired). They can buy one and pay per-game for the other.
Q: What if the season is cut short (e.g., COVID, weather)? A: If the season is cancelled or significantly shortened, consider a pro-rata refund to Season Plan holders. Treasurer → Accounting → Issue Refund for the appropriate amount per player.
Q: Can we change the Season Plan price mid-season? A: Yes — updating the price in Settings only affects future purchases. Existing Season Plan holders are not affected.
Q: A player bought a Season Plan for the wrong grade (A Grade instead of B Grade). Can we fix it? A: Treasurer must manually: (1) refund the A Grade Season Plan, (2) create a B Grade Season Plan ledger entry manually, (3) mark A Grade match fees as unpaid again. It's manual — contact platform support if needed.
Q: Does a Season Plan affect the player's RSVP or selection? A: No — Season Plan is purely financial. It has no effect on availability, selection, or RSVP.
Q: Can I run an Early Bird Offer without a freebie, just a discount? A: Yes — the discount and freebie fields are independent. Set a cutoff and a discount amount and leave the freebie field blank; nothing about cost tracking applies since there's no item to track.
Q: A member joined right on the cutoff date — did they get the discount? A: The cutoff is exclusive — joining exactly on the cutoff date/time does not qualify, only strictly before it. If it's close, check the member's registration to see what was actually locked in.
Q: Can I change the Early Bird discount amount after some members have already joined? A: Yes, and it only affects members who join from that point forward — anyone who already joined has their discount locked into their registration and is unaffected by later changes to the offer.
Q: Do I have to run a Second-Tier discount, or can I just use Early Bird? A: Entirely optional — leave the Tier 2 "Join by" date blank and only Early Bird applies. Many clubs run Early Bird alone; Tier 2 is for clubs who want a smaller "last chance" nudge after the main offer closes.
Q: A club has two grades priced differently (e.g. $450 and $600) and both run the same 5% Tier 2 discount — will the dollar amount be the same for both? A: No — the percentage is calculated fresh against each grade's own fee, so a player in the $450 grade sees $22.50 off and a player in the $600 grade sees $30.00 off, even though the settings are identical. This is also true for temporary grades that later get merged into a real one.
COMMON MISTAKES
| Mistake | Consequence | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| No cutoff set | Members buy Season Plans in final rounds | Always set a cutoff (Round 3–5) |
| Season Plan priced too low | Club loses money vs. per-game | Calculate break-even point before setting price |
| Not communicating that registration is separate | Members think they're "fully paid" | Pre-season broadcast + Email 1 of onboarding sequence |
| No refund policy in place | Ad-hoc decisions create precedents | Set policy before selling Season Plans |
| Season Plan uptake not tracked | Can't evaluate financial impact | Export Accounting data at cutoff; analyse uptake |
| Recording the freebie bulk purchase AND marking each one given | Freebie cost counted twice in the ledger | Pick one method — bulk purchase as a single expense, OR let the app post cost-per-item on fulfilment, never both |
SHORT ONBOARDING SCRIPT
"Season Plans are priced in Settings → Fee Configuration, one per grade. Set the price at roughly 85% of the total match fee cost for a full season — members who play most games save money. Set a cutoff (Round 3–5) — after cutoff, the option disappears automatically. Communicate to members that Season Plans cover match fees only, NOT registration. Track Season Plan holders via Treasurer → Accounting → filter by Season Plan payment type. Have a refund policy in writing before the first Season Plan is sold."
MICRO-TRAINING QUICK TIPS
- Settings → Fee Configuration → Season Plan field + cutoff
- Price at ~85% of full season match fees (15% discount for commitment)
- Cutoff at Round 3–5 — prevents late gaming
- Season Plan ≠ registration — always two separate charges
- Track uptake: Treasurer → Accounting → filter Season Plan
- Refund policy: decide BEFORE you sell the first Season Plan
- After cutoff: option disappears automatically — no manual intervention
- Second-Tier discount is optional and independent of Early Bird — percentage recalculates per grade's own fee
- No real grades yet? Open with a temporary (club-only) grade and merge it later — see Module 06
Training Module 44 | See also: 04 Payments · 07 Treasurer · 09 Settings · 42 Registration & Eligibility