How to choose court booking software
SportZentra is court booking software for sports clubs and venues, and its buyer's guide sets out the ten questions to ask any booking system before a club signs up.
Start with where players book and under whose name, who receives the money, and what each booking costs once card fees are added. Then check setup, listing and contract terms, whether memberships carry a commission, and whether classes run in the same system instead of one tool for courts and another for classes.
Finish with data export, languages, hosting and AI. SportZentra answers all ten. Players book under your club's name, with a free listing on app.sportzentra.com, and online payments go straight to your own Stripe account. Growth, Pro and Business have no per-booking fee, the published plans have no setup fees, memberships carry 0% commission and monthly plans have no lock-in; Stripe's standard card fees apply. The primary database and servers are in Frankfurt, and the software runs in English and German.
No extra fees
Software got cheaper. Your bill should too. AI cut the cost of building software, and we pass that saving on to your club.
See plans and pricesMarketplace listing, Free
Your open venue is listed on app.sportzentra.com by default. Switch it off any time.
Bookings on paid plans, No per-booking fee
Growth, Pro and Business include unlimited bookings. Starter has no monthly fee and charges €0.99 per booking.
Setup, No setup fees
On Starter, Growth, Pro and Business. Every club gets guided setup.
Membership sales, 0% commission
No commission on memberships you sell online, from Growth. Stripe's card fees still apply.
Contract, No lock-in on monthly plans
Pay yearly for a lower price.
Online card payments carry Stripe's standard processing fees, as with any payment provider. Anna, our AI assistant, is part of the Business plan.
Ten questions to ask any booking system
Each question comes with why it matters, what to look for and SportZentra's answer.
- 01 / 10
Where do players book, and under whose name?
Why it mattersPlayers remember where they booked. If the booking page carries your name, the customer relationship stays with your club.
What to look for- A booking page under your club's name
- Your own domain, or a clear address on the provider's
- A listing for discovery that you control
SportZentra's answerPlayers book on your club's own booking page, under your name. Your open venue is also listed free on app.sportzentra.com, the SportZentra marketplace, and you can switch the listing off. From Pro, we build a marketing website around your booking page, on your own domain if you like.
Free marketplace listing - 02 / 10
Who receives the money?
Why it mattersWhere the money lands decides how fast you're paid and who handles disputes.
What to look for- Payments into your own account
- Refund rules you set
- Card fees stated up front
SportZentra's answerOnline payments go straight to your club's own Stripe account, and SportZentra never holds your revenue. Your club owns the Stripe account, including refunds and disputes. Stripe's standard processing fees apply.
Your own Stripe account - 03 / 10
What does each booking cost you?
Why it mattersPer-booking fees grow with your success. Work out what a busy month costs, not just the monthly price.
What to look for- The monthly price and any per-booking fee
- Whether players pay an extra fee
- Card processing fees, listed separately
SportZentra's answerGrowth, Pro and Business are flat-priced plans with unlimited bookings and no per-booking fee. Starter has no monthly fee and charges €0.99 per booking. Stripe's standard card fees apply to online payments.
- 04 / 10
Are there setup, listing or contract costs?
Why it mattersOne-off fees and long contracts make it expensive to change your mind later.
What to look for- Setup fees, and what setup includes
- Fees for being listed or found
- Contract length and notice period
SportZentra's answerThere are no setup fees on Starter, Growth, Pro and Business, and every club gets guided setup. The marketplace listing is free. There is no lock-in on monthly plans. Pay yearly for a lower price.
No setup feesNo lock-in on monthly plans - 05 / 10
Does it take a cut of your memberships?
Why it mattersMembership income is your most predictable revenue. A commission on it adds up every month.
What to look for- Commission on memberships sold online
- Member prices applied automatically at checkout
SportZentra's answerSportZentra takes 0% commission on memberships you sell online, from the Growth plan; Stripe's card fees still apply. Membership tiers apply their discount automatically at checkout.
0% commission - 06 / 10
Can it run classes and coaching, not just courts?
Why it mattersCourts in one tool and classes in another means two calendars, two customer lists and twice the admin.
What to look for- Class series and terms with online enrolment
- Waitlists and attendance
- One calendar for courts and classes
SportZentra's answerYes. Class series and academy terms run with online enrolment and payment, waitlists that promote automatically, coach rosters, attendance and makeup credits, in the same calendar as court bookings.
- 07 / 10
Can you take your data with you?
Why it mattersIf you ever leave, your bookings, customers and finances should leave with you.
What to look for- Export of bookings, customers and financial records
- Deletion on request
- No lock-in on monthly plans
SportZentra's answerYes. You can export your bookings, customers and financial records and request full deletion. Monthly plans have no lock-in. Coming in, we help you bring your data across, and clubs with memberships can import members from a spreadsheet; bank details aren't imported.
- 08 / 10
Which languages does it speak?
Why it mattersPlayers and staff should use the system in their own language.
What to look for- Booking pages in your players' languages
- An admin your staff can read
- Prices in your currency
SportZentra's answerBooking pages and the admin are available in English and German. Venues in the UK pay in pounds, the rest of Europe in euros.
- 09 / 10
Where is it hosted?
Why it mattersHosting affects speed and which privacy rules apply. Ask for specifics.
What to look for- Where the main database and servers are
- Which other services process data
SportZentra's answerSportZentra's primary database and application servers are in Frankfurt (AWS eu-central-1). Some services, such as email delivery and card payments, run with other providers.
- 10 / 10
What does AI do, and on which plan?
Why it mattersAI should save your team time with answers from your own data, and you should stay in control.
What to look for- Answers backed by your own numbers
- Which plan includes it
- Nothing changes without your say
SportZentra's answerAnna, SportZentra's AI assistant, is part of the Business plan. She answers plain-English questions about bookings, revenue and trends from your venue's live data and shows the numbers behind each answer. Nothing changes in your venue unless you decide it.
Business plan
Switching to SportZentra
How a club moves from its current booking system or spreadsheets, step by step.
- 01
Walk us through your setup
In a 30-minute demo you show us how you run bookings today, with your current booking system or spreadsheets, and we agree a plan together.
- 02
Bring your members across
We help you bring your members, memberships and upcoming bookings across, so you don't start from an empty calendar. Clubs with memberships can also import members from a spreadsheet; bank details aren't imported.
- 03
Set up courts, prices and payments
Add your courts, opening hours and prices, and connect your own Stripe account. Every club gets guided setup.
- 04
Open for bookings
Share your booking page with your players. Once you're open, your venue is listed free on app.sportzentra.com, and from Pro we build a website around your booking page.
No setup fees on Starter, Growth, Pro and Business.
What SportZentra costs
Plan prices come straight from our pricing page, excluding VAT. Venues in the UK pay in pounds, the rest of Europe in euros.
No lock-in on monthly plans. Pay yearly for a lower price. No setup fees on these plans.
Compare all plansChoosing booking software: common questions
Short answers for club owners comparing booking systems.
What should I ask before choosing court booking software?
Ask where players book and under whose name, who receives the money, what each booking costs, whether there are setup, listing or contract costs, whether memberships carry a commission, whether classes are included, and how data export, languages, hosting and AI work. SportZentra publishes its answer to each.
Is SportZentra free?
Partly. Starter has no monthly fee and charges a fee per booking. Growth, Pro and Business are flat-priced plans with unlimited bookings and no per-booking fee. The marketplace listing, setup on the published plans and membership sales carry no extra charge, and Stripe's standard card fees apply to online payments.
Does SportZentra charge setup or listing fees?
No. The published plans have no setup fees, every club gets guided setup, and the listing on app.sportzentra.com is free. Every open venue is listed by default, and a club can switch the listing off.
Does SportZentra take a commission on memberships?
No. SportZentra takes 0% commission on memberships a club sells online. Memberships are available from the Growth plan.
Who receives the money from online bookings?
The club does. Online payments go straight to the club's own Stripe account, and SportZentra never holds the club's revenue. Stripe's standard processing fees apply.
Can we move from our current booking system?
Yes. We help you bring your members, memberships and upcoming bookings across, so you don't start from an empty calendar. Clubs with memberships can also import members from a spreadsheet; bank details aren't imported.
Can I export my data if I leave?
Yes. You can export your bookings, customers and financial records and request full deletion. Monthly plans have no lock-in.
Does SportZentra include AI?
Yes, on the Business plan. Anna, SportZentra's AI assistant, answers plain-English questions about bookings, revenue and trends from your venue's live data, and nothing changes in your venue unless you decide it.