Season Plan Admin Guide — GoClubPro

Training Module 44 | Setting Up, Pricing, and Managing Season Plans

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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

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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)

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SECTION 1: CONFIGURING SEASON PLANS

Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Season Plan

1. Settings → Fee Configuration
2. Find the competition you want to offer a Season Plan for
3. Look for the Season Plan field (below the match fee field)
4. Enter the Season Plan price
5. Optionally set a cutoff round — the last round by which a member can purchase a Season Plan
6. 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.

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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:

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)

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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

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Offering Season Plans for Multiple Grades

You can set different Season Plan prices per grade:

Tip: Don't offer Season Plans for grades with fewer than 10 rounds — the math rarely works out favourably for either party.

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SECTION 2: MEMBER EXPERIENCE

How Members Purchase a Season Plan

1. Payments → Fees tab
2. A Season Plan option appears alongside the individual registration fee
3. Member clicks Buy Season Plan
4. Bank Transfer declaration (or wallet credit) for the Season Plan amount
5. After payment: all future match fees for that grade show as $0 (pre-paid)

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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

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Communicating Season Plans to Members

Members need to understand:

1. What it covers (match fees only, not registration)
2. The price and what they'd pay per-game instead
3. 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.

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SECTION 3: MANAGING ACTIVE SEASON PLANS

Tracking Who Has a Season Plan

Currently, Season Plan holders are tracked in the ledger:

1. Treasurer → Accounting → filter by "Season Plan" payment type
2. This shows every member who has purchased a Season Plan this season
3. 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.

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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."

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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:

1. Calculate remaining match fees (rounds left × match fee)
2. If this is less than the Season Plan price: Season Plan makes no sense; decline
3. If it's more: create a manual ledger entry for a "Late Season Plan — [Member name]"
4. Mark all remaining match fees as $0
5. Note: this is all manual; the system doesn't support post-cutoff Season Plan purchases directly

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Season Plan Refunds

If a member on a Season Plan leaves the club mid-season:

Refund policy options (club decides):

1. No refund — Season Plan is a non-refundable upfront payment (simplest; lowest admin)
2. Pro-rata refund — Refund the value of unplayed games: (remaining rounds × match fee)
3. Full refund — Only in exceptional circumstances (e.g., medical withdrawal)

Implementing a pro-rata refund:

1. Calculate remaining rounds × match fee
2. Issue refund for that amount via Treasurer → Accounting → Issue Refund
3. Document the reason in the ledger note

Communicate your policy clearly in the pre-season broadcast so members know before purchasing.

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SECTION 4: SEASON PLAN ANALYTICS & REPORTING

Measuring Season Plan Uptake

At the end of the cutoff period:

1. Treasurer → Accounting → filter "Season Plan" payments
2. Count: How many members bought Season Plans per grade?
3. 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

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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]

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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

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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.

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COMMON MISTAKES

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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."

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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

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Training Module 44 | See also: 04 Payments · 07 Treasurer · 09 Settings · 42 Registration & Eligibility