THE NOTTINGHAM BRIDGE CLUB
CASHLESS SYSTEM – YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What is it for?

It’s the way that we collect table fees and annual subscriptions. We also use it to credit hosts and reimburse people who provide milk etc.

How much are the table fees and annual subscription?

Our table fee is £2.50 for our face-to-face drives and the annual subscription is £10 for the calendar year.

How does it work?

You get a statement each month saying how much you owe, or how much you are in credit. You can pay into the system at any time. We much prefer bank transfers! If you haven’t used the system before, please make sure you are using the correct account. We have set up a special one for the cashless system:

          Account Name: THE NOTTINGHAM BRIDGE CLUB
          Sortcode: 40-35-19
          Account number: 51248219

Also add your EBU number as your reference.  Just the number, don't put the letters EBU, your name or anything else at all.
The system can only cope with one person at a time! So, if you want to pay for two people, you must make separate transfers for each person, using their EBU number.

If you can’t use bank transfers, you can deliver a cheque to the club made out to The Nottingham Bridge Club, with your EBU number on the back. The trouble with cheques is that we have to input the information manually … and have been known to be human and make errors. We do not accept cash: that’s even more prone to human error!

How often should I pay?

Some people make quite a large payment and wait until it runs out, then make another. Others pay what they owe each month. It’s up to you. We do keep an eye on balances and if the amount you owe looks like it is building up, then we’ll send you a reminder that it’s time to make a payment but otherwise are happy for you to be always paying in arrears.

What is in a statement?

The main thing to look for is the line that says Balance and whether it is in black, i.e. in credit, or red, i.e. to pay.

The statement is not like a credit card statement, showing new table fees and new payments since the last statement. Instead, it is always a “year to date” statement showing all fees due and all payments made. The “to date” part of it will show bank transfers made to the sixteenth of the month (that’s when the bank issues its statements to us) and table fees incurred to the date the statement is issued. Statements will sometimes be a few days after the sixteenth of the month because we only access the bank account from the club.

What about annual subscriptions?

Our Tuesday tournaments on BBO are “members only”, so by playing you will have agreed to be a member and your statement will show the annual subscription. Similarly, members playing in our face to face drives will also be charged their annual subscription the first time they play in the year. If you are not playing in this way, but wish to pay your subscription, let us know and we’ll bill you via the cashless system.

How does this work for visitors?

We are happy for visitors to play with us up to three times each calendar year, free of charge. After that, you will start to pay table fees and be billed for your annual membership subscription.

How can I check that the statement is correct?

You can check how many times you have played over the year, by clicking here to visit the club's web site. If you click on your name, in that list you can even see which drives you played in.

I don't seem to receive emails with my statement?

Since a lot of emails are sent from the email account, your email system may be placing them in a bulk email, or even a junk, folder. Check there for them and, if necessary, use your email controls to set the email address as one that should go straight into yor inbox.

Finally, why have we moved to a cashless system?

The main reason is to reduce the work of the treasurer: and this has proved very successful. Keeping track of payments and banking the cash were quite a chore – as well as the risk of carrying large sums of money. Our bank has also introduced charges for paying in cash which we can now avoid. We also no longer have to have someone visiting all the tables and working out the change at the start of a drive. Add in the move away from cash in the pandemic, cashless seemed the way to go.