You might be thinking, “How can something like StadiumRoar be free?”. We realize it’s difficult to believe. People are shocked to learn we don’t charge them a dime. We are sure you’ve experienced other services in the past that may look free on the outside, but really are far from it. They may be free for a month, or free for only a limited number of features, etc. But before long you’re asked for a credit-card number.
StadiumRoar is always 100% free.
Why StadiumRoar Websites and StadiumRoar Scheduling Are Free
The reason these two features are free is because they’re supported by ads. Every now and then, while you’re on a StadiumRoar website or using our scheduling software, you’ll notice a small ad. These ads are never annoying or distracting. We make sure of that. This ad-based system is the same reason other sophisticated sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google can be 100% free as well.
Why StadiumRoar Online Registration Is Free
The reason this feature is free is because it’s supported by a small convenience fee. This fee is never paid by you, but instead, paid by the people signing up for your programs. As part of StadiumRoar’s online registration feature, you can allow people to pay you registration fees for programs with credit cards online. A small convenience fee of 1% is added on top of the program cost.
For example, let’s say you are conducting registration for “Program ABC”, and it costs $40 to sign up. When people sign up, they can pay you the $40 online. An additional 1% convenience fee will be added on top of the $40; in this case, that fee is 40 cents. As a total, people will pay you $40.40. You keep $40 and StadiumRoar keeps 40 cents.
Convenience fees are very common in the world of online payments. People don’t mind paying these fees because online payment is so much easier, safer and cheaper than other forms of payment (mailing in checks, paying over the phone, paying in-person, etc). For instance, in the example above, someone would only be paying 40 cents to StadiumRoar. That additional 40 cents is definitely worth the convenience of paying quickly and safely from the comfort of one’s home. In addition, with online payment, people can avoid non-essential costs such as postage, checks and gas.
Finally, StadiumRoar does not keep these convenience fees as pure profit. Instead, StadiumRoar uses this money to “give back” to the world of recreation-and-sports. We give away half of our convenience fee profits as donations. Online registration is much better for the environment than paper registration, and as a result, StadiumRoar has taken a stand against paper registration. We financially reward programs for using online registration by paying them donations at the end of the season. To learn more, check out our Go Paperless Fund.