Collecting money from thirty or forty club members for a tour abroad is often a difficult task for a treasurer. Here is how the payment process for sports tours typically works.
Staged Deposits and Instalments
Typically a tour operator will require a series of staged payments to cover the costs of the tour. Many tour operators require an initial deposit to confirm a booking with the balance of payment due at a later date. This can often coincide with the end of the season for clubs.
Fixing Currency Costs Early
Even exchange rate movements can no longer cause costs to rise between the time of booking and the start of travel. Your Group Price per person will be fixed at the time of booking and communicated to your club members.
Group Invoicing for Clubs
As outlined above the operator will raise an invoice to the club as a whole. The club treasurer can then collect the necessary funds from each club member separately, thus keeping the relationship with the specialist clean. See also Specialists in Sport Travel.
Handling Drop-Outs
Most clubs have some members pull out halfway down the payment schedule for their tour. It is essential that a club has a clear cancellation policy written and communicated to potential club members prior to payment by that club member. It is essential to request confirmation of a tour operator’s cancellation policy prior to committing to a tour operator.
Instalment Plans and Regulation
Where formal instalment arrangements are offered by the operator, the way they are set up may mean that they are covered by the rules on consumer credit and/or instalment agreements.
Knowing the payment structure prior to committing to a sports travel operator can help to prevent problems for the club later.
