How to Take Online Bookings for Your Play Centre Without Paying Commission

If your play centre takes online bookings through a third-party platform, you may be paying a percentage of every booking you generate.

That cost can look manageable when booking numbers are low. As your venue grows, however, commission can become a significant annual expense, particularly across birthday parties, open-play sessions, memberships, private hire and seasonal events.

The short answer is yes: you can take online bookings without paying booking commission by using a direct booking system connected to your own website.

For PALI members, commission-free booking software from Myk Baxter Marketing charges 0% booking commission. You retain more of the revenue your marketing and customer relationships generate, while keeping greater control over your booking information and customer data.

What does commission-free booking software mean?

Commission-free booking software allows customers to book directly through your website without the software provider taking a percentage of each sale.

You may still have:

• A software build or support cost
• Hosting and maintenance costs
• Standard card-processing charges from your selected payment provider
• Optional costs for additional features or integrations

The important difference is that your booking software provider does not take 1%, 3%, 5% or more from every booking.

This creates a clearer commercial model. You pay for the system and support you need, rather than allowing the cost to increase automatically every time your play centre sells more.

0% booking commission means MBM does not charge a percentage of your bookings. Standard payment-processing charges from the selected payment provider may still apply.

How to take bookings without commission

There are five practical steps involved in moving from a commission-based platform to a direct booking system.

1. Review what customers currently book

Start by listing every product, session and service that needs to be managed online.

For a play centre, this may include:

• Open-play sessions
• Toddler mornings
• Birthday parties
• Party packages
• Private venue hire
• School visits
• Camps and seasonal events
• Gift vouchers
• Memberships
• Additional food or activity options

This review matters because your booking system should reflect how your venue operates in real life. A simple appointment tool may not be suitable if you need capacity limits, party deposits, multiple locations, timed sessions and different booking rules.

2. Choose a booking system with no commission

Look for a system that allows customers to book directly from your website and clearly explains its pricing model.

The right booking software for a play centre should support:

• 0% booking commission
• Mobile-first booking journeys
• Session capacity management
• Party availability and deposits
• Online payments
• Customer confirmations
• Gift vouchers and memberships
• Multiple venues or locations
• Custom booking rules
• Staff administration
• Reporting and customer data access

The system should also be configured around your business rather than forcing your team to change the way they sell sessions and parties.

See how our commission-free booking software works for Irish leisure venues.

3. Connect your website and payments

Your booking system should sit within, or connect directly to, your own website.

This gives customers a straightforward route:

1. 1Find your play centre through Google, social media or a recommendation.
2. 2View the relevant activity, party or session.
3. 3Check availability and pricing.
4. 4Pay a deposit or the full amount.
5. 5Receive an automatic confirmation.

The payment itself will normally be processed through a payment provider. This may involve a standard transaction charge, but that is different from a booking platform taking a percentage as commission.

Your website should also make the booking option easy to find. Useful locations include:

• The main navigation
• The homepage
• Individual activity pages
• Birthday party pages
• Google Business Profile
• Facebook and Instagram profiles
• Email campaigns
• Post-visit communications

A booking link hidden behind several pages creates unnecessary friction. A clear “Book now” route helps customers move from interest to purchase more efficiently.

4. Move your booking rules into the system

A good booking system should reduce administration, not add another layer to it.

Configure the rules your team already uses, including:

• Maximum capacity per session
• Age restrictions
• Arrival and changeover times
• Deposit requirements
• Cancellation terms
• Rescheduling rules
• Party add-ons
• Minimum party numbers
• Location-specific availability
• Automatic customer emails
• Staff access permissions

These details help prevent double bookings, reduce avoidable phone calls and give customers clearer information before they pay.

Your team should be able to see what is happening from a secure administrative dashboard without relying on several disconnected spreadsheets, inboxes and booking accounts.

5. Measure the commercial impact

The purpose of changing booking software is not only to remove commission. It is also to improve control, administration and customer retention.

Track:

• Monthly online booking value
• Commission previously paid
• Payment-processing costs
• Average booking value
• Booking completion rate
• Mobile conversion rate
• Cancellation and no-show levels
• Repeat bookings
• Gift voucher sales
• Email-driven bookings
• Revenue by activity or location

A simple calculation can show what commission is costing your business.

For example, if your play centre processes €150,000 in online bookings each year and pays 4% commission:

• Annual commission: €6,000
• Monthly average commission: €500
• Three-year commission cost: €18,000

This is an illustration only. Your actual position will depend on booking volume, current rates, fixed platform fees, payment costs and the investment required for a new system.

Why direct bookings give you more control

A commission-free system is not just a pricing decision. It changes where your customer relationship sits.

When bookings are controlled through a third-party platform, access to customer information and reporting may be limited. You may also be dependent on the platform’s customer experience, rules and pricing changes.

With a direct booking system, you can build a more connected process around your own business.

Keep more booking revenue

The percentage you no longer pay can be retained for:

• Staff investment
• Venue improvements
• Advertising
• New activities
• Customer service
• Maintenance
• Cash-flow support

The saving is more valuable as your booking volume increases because it is directly related to the revenue you generate.

Own your customer data

Your customer data can support more useful and relevant communication, subject to appropriate consent and data protection practices.

This may include:

• Birthday reminders
• Seasonal campaigns
• Post-visit follow-ups
• Membership renewals
• Gift voucher promotions
• Quiet-period offers
• Repeat-visit incentives

The objective is not to send more emails for the sake of it. It is to create sensible follow-up opportunities based on what customers have actually booked.

Reduce day-to-day administration

A well-configured system can bring availability, payments, confirmations and reporting into one place.

That can help your team spend less time:

• Checking separate booking platforms
• Manually confirming payments
• Responding to basic availability queries
• Updating spreadsheets
• Managing duplicate customer records
• Correcting avoidable booking errors

Simpler administration creates capacity for the work that requires your team’s attention.

Improve the customer journey

Parents often book play sessions and parties from a mobile phone, between other tasks.

They need to see:

• What is available
• How much it costs
• What is included
• Which dates and times remain
• Whether a deposit is required
• What happens after payment

A mobile-first journey with clear information can remove uncertainty and make it easier for customers to complete their booking directly.

A real example: removing commission for Jungle Den

Jungle Den operates family activity venues in Naas and Newbridge. Myk Baxter Marketing delivered a custom website and multi-location booking platform around the way the business trades.

The system included:

• A custom website
• Booking management for two locations
• 0% booking commission charged by MBM
• Online deposits and payments
• Gift vouchers
• Mobile-first booking
• Customer-data ownership
• SEO and digital marketing support

In August 2026, Jungle Den recorded:

• 371 confirmed bookings, compared with 221 in August 2025
• 68% year-on-year booking growth
• €1,038.80 saved in one month compared with its previous 1% booking-platform fee
• €12,465.60 potential annualised saving if the same monthly volume continued

These figures compare specific August periods and are not a guarantee of future performance. The annualised saving assumes the August 2026 booking volume continues for 12 months. Standard payment-processing charges may still apply.

Read the full Jungle Den success story.

Is booking software with no commission worth it?

For many play centres, the answer depends on three figures:

1. 1How much revenue comes through online bookings.
2. 2What percentage and fixed fees your current platform charges.
3. 3What investment is required to build, configure and support a better system.

The more bookings you process, the more important the calculation becomes.

A direct system may require an initial investment, but it can provide a more predictable cost structure over the longer term. You are paying for a system built around your venue instead of paying an ongoing percentage on every successful booking.

The decision should also consider more than cost. Review the impact on customer data, administration, mobile usability, reporting, support and future growth.

How the changeover process works

A practical implementation normally follows four stages.

Review

We look at your current website, booking platform, fees, products, customer journey and administration requirements.

Recommend

You receive clear, prioritised recommendations covering the system structure, required features, integrations and likely investment.

Build and configure

The website and booking software are set up around your sessions, parties, locations, deposits, payments and booking rules.

Launch and improve

Once live, the system can be reviewed alongside booking data, customer feedback and marketing performance.

The process is designed to reduce unnecessary complexity. You do not need to decide on a generic package before anyone understands how your play centre operates.

How much does commission-free booking software cost?

There is no single price for every play centre.

Costs can vary based on:

• Number of locations
• Number of activities and booking types
• Party and event requirements
• Membership and voucher functionality
• Payment integrations
• Customer-data migration
• Website design and development
• Reporting requirements
• Ongoing hosting and support

The important comparison is your total cost against the commission and administration burden of your current setup.

For PALI members, we provide preferential pricing and a free, no-obligation conversation about the likely commercial impact.

Calculate what commission could be costing your play centre.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take bookings without paying commission?

Yes. A direct booking system can allow customers to book through your own website without the software provider charging a percentage of each booking. Standard payment-processing charges may still apply.

What is booking software with no commission?

It is booking software that charges a fixed build, subscription or support cost rather than taking a percentage from every online booking. The exact pricing model varies by provider.

Can commission-free software take deposits for birthday parties?

Yes, a suitable system can be configured to take deposits or full payment for birthday parties, open-play sessions, private hire and other activities.

Do I keep my customer data?

With a system built and managed for your business, you can retain greater control over your booking and customer information. Data must still be handled in line with applicable privacy and data protection requirements.

Is commission-free booking software suitable for more than one venue?

Yes. Multi-location booking systems can manage availability, products, payments and reporting across multiple play centres or activity venues from one administrative dashboard.

Do I need a new website?

Not always. A booking system may be integrated with your existing website where the structure and technology support it. If your current site is slow, difficult to use or not designed around bookings, a website rebuild may provide a stronger foundation.

Keep more of the revenue your bookings generate

If you are searching for how to take bookings without commission, the first step is to understand what your current platform costs each month and each year.

We can review your booking setup, calculate the potential difference and explain what a direct 0% commission system would involve. You receive clear recommendations and realistic investment guidance ; with no obligation to proceed.

Book a free consultation about commission-free booking software.

Myk Baxter Marketing provides custom websites, booking software and commercially focused digital marketing exclusively for PALI members across Ireland. We bring more than 22 years of digital and eCommerce experience to projects for play centres, activity venues, visitor attractions and family entertainment businesses.