Royal Calcutta Golf Club ran event food and drink on paper coupon booklets, which meant members counting coupons, vendors counting stacks late into the night, and finance spending days on reconciliation. We replaced the coupons with a digital vCard and QR payment system. Members load funds on entry, staff scan a QR to charge, and each member gets a WhatsApp update of spend and balance. Vendor settlement dropped from days to minutes and reconciliation disputes stopped.
What was slowing down event payments?
The scene was familiar to anyone who has attended a club event. Members clutched booklets of paper coupons, counting them out while balancing a plate and a drink. Behind that visible friction sat a bigger problem. Every event night ended with vendors huddled over tables counting stacks of coupons, and the finance team then spent days reconciling the numbers. Discrepancies were common, and they led to disputes and delayed settlements.
What we built: a vCard and QR payment system
As software developers we tend to trust the simplest solution. We did not need to reinvent the process, only to remove the friction from one that already worked. So we built a digital vCard system with QR codes, and the real work went into fitting it to the club's culture rather than fighting it. Members still load value at the start, exactly as they used to buy a coupon booklet. Everything after that is where it changes.
How a member pays during an event
At a food or drink counter, a quick scan of the QR code completes the transaction. The member gets an instant WhatsApp notification showing what they spent and what balance is left. Running low is a quick top-up. When the event ends, the member drops the vCard in a collection box and any remaining balance credits back to their club account on its own, with no form to fill and no waiting period.
For vendors the change was the biggest. The late-night counting and the disputed totals are gone, replaced by real-time access to collection data and the transparency that brings. The finance team, freed from manual reconciliation, spends its time on the event rather than on the arithmetic. This is the kind of custom software that earns its place by removing a daily cost, not by adding features.
What changed for vendors and finance
The numbers tell the story. Processing time for vendor payments fell from days to minutes, and reconciliation discrepancies became close to non-existent. The most satisfying result was one we had not planned for: club staff were noticeably happier once they no longer had to manage the logistics of a paper system. One member put it simply, saying they were glad the club used modern technology to make life at the club easier.
What this taught us about digital change in a traditional club
Success was not really about the technology. It was about understanding the ecosystem we were working in. Before proposing anything we spent time watching how members, vendors and staff used the existing system. We also learned that resistance melts when people feel genuine convenience. Within weeks, members who had been sceptical were advocating for the new system, because it was more convenient than paper at every single touchpoint.
Run effortless payments at your next event
If your club or venue still runs on coupons or cash, we can show you how a QR payment system would fit your events. We start by watching one, then propose a system built around how your members already behave.
Talk to us about event paymentsQuestions clubs ask about this
Do members need to install an app?
No. Members carry a digital vCard and pay by letting staff scan a QR code. Spend and balance updates arrive on WhatsApp, so there is nothing to download and nothing to learn.
What happens to a member's unused balance?
At the end of the event the member drops the vCard in a collection box, and any remaining balance is credited back to their club account automatically. There is no paperwork and no waiting.
How quickly do vendors get paid now?
Vendors see their collection data in real time, so settlement that used to take days now takes minutes. The late-night counting sessions and disputed totals are gone.
Can this be adapted for our own club or event venue?
Yes. The system was built around the club's existing habits rather than replacing them, so it adapts to how your members, vendors and finance team already work. We would start by watching a real event before proposing anything.