Bank payment specialist GoCardless has announced a collaboration with Total Grassroots and sportswear brand Kelme to simplify payments for grassroots football clubs while providing teams with new kits.
The partnership introduces Direct Debit capabilities to eliminate unpaid subscriptions and high card fees, allowing clubs to streamline their payment processes and enhance financial visibility through an intuitive online platform.
This system ensures automatic payment collection and reconciliation, enabling clubs to recover lost income from unpaid fees. Additionally, the transparent fee structure, which can be up to 54% cheaper than card payments, helps reduce operating costs and maximise funds for football clubs. By reducing administrative burdens, volunteers and staff can dedicate more time to growing their organisations.
To incentivise adoption, GoCardless is offering football clubs that sign up and start collecting payments through its platform by summer 2025 a £300 Kelme gift card. This can be redeemed in the exclusive GoCardless club shop for high-quality kits and apparel. Kelme’s football partnerships include Championship side Watford and La Liga’s Espanyol, reflecting the brand’s commitment to supporting the sport at all levels.
Total Grassroots founder and Hemington Hammers commercial development officer Colin Bowden highlighted the transformative impact of GoCardless on his club. “GoCardless has literally been a game-changer for our club. We went from spending hours each week chasing unpaid subs and thousands of pounds in lost income to collecting an extra £300-400 a month in previously missed revenue. Card fees were also eating into our budget but by switching to Direct Debit, they’re no longer an issue. Coaches handling cash is also a very welcome thing of the past!
“We’ve been able to redirect all of the time and money we’ve saved into growing our club. Over the past 5 years we’ve grown from having one adult men’s team, to having a whole junior section with well over 150 members because we’re a financially healthier organisation. And because GoCardless is all digital and automatic, we can continue to grow with confidence knowing that our payments can scale with us.”
The partnership also opens opportunities for grassroots clubs to innovate new revenue streams. “Enterprising clubs could use this system for monthly supporter memberships or lotteries,” Bowden added. He also praised Kelme for subsidising the VIP club shop, noting the financial relief this brings for clubs managing kit expenses.
Kelme UK partner Rob Lowe said, “Grassroots clubs are the heart and soul of football, and we’re proud to play our part so every team can train and play with high-quality kit. By working with Total Grassroots we can grow our footprint in the UK and support even more clubs.”
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