How to grow your payments app with bowling alleys and escape rooms
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
Bowling alleys, escape rooms and similar leisure venues live on group bookings: birthdays, stag and hen dos, and work outings. Groups often want to split the cost, and venues need a deposit to stop no-shows. A payments app that takes deposits by link and lets each person pay their share can win these venues, and every visitor who pays sees your app.
Talk to venues
Ask local bowling alleys, escape rooms and leisure venues:
- How do groups pay for bookings today?
- How do you take deposits and stop no-shows?
- Do groups ask to split the cost?
- What would make taking payment easier?
Take deposits by link
A payment link sent when a group books secures the slot and cuts no-shows.
Let groups split the cost
Sending each person a link for their share saves the organiser collecting money from everyone.
Grow through groups
Every booking brings a group of people, many of whom will organise their own outing next. One venue on your app can reach all of them.
Build it
Create your own financial platform.
Pick a template, name it, brand it, preview every page before you pay. Your brand, your users, your fees.
Build my platform →Questions people ask
What about play centres?
The play centres guide covers entry fees and children's parties.
Play centres →Can I call it a bank?
In most countries "bank" is a protected word you can only use with a banking licence. Call it an account, a wallet, an app or a platform. The accounts and payments behind a SendPay Business platform are powered by licensed partners.
Is there a step-by-step plan I can follow?
Yes. The free launch checklist takes you from picking your people and naming your app to setting fees, going live and winning your first ten customers.
Digital bank app launch checklist →How do I start?
Pick a template, name it and preview every page before you pay. Your platform can be live on your own domain within 24 hours of confirmation.
Build my platform →Read next
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. PayPal, Patreon and Substack are named as reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.