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Tournament Registration with Online Payments via Stripe

· 5 min read
Score7 Team
Score7 Team

Collecting entry fees should not be the hardest part of organizing a tournament. But somehow it always is. You send a message, half the teams pay, you send a reminder, three more pay, and on tournament day you are still chasing the last two for cash while trying to run the event. Score7's registration system with Stripe integration puts the payment inside the sign-up flow. Participants register and pay in one step. You see who has paid before the tournament starts.

How it works​

When you enable registrations on your tournament, you can set an entry fee. Score7 connects to Stripe — the same payment platform used by Shopify, Lyft, and thousands of other businesses — to handle the transaction. Here is the full flow:

For you (the organizer)​

  1. Open your tournament and go to the Registrations page
  2. Click Enable Registrations
  3. Set your max participants, registration deadline, and approval mode (automatic or manual)
  4. Choose Paid and select your currency
  5. Enter the entry fee amount
  6. Connect your Stripe account (one-time setup — Score7 walks you through it)

Once registrations are live, share your tournament link. Participants see a registration form with the entry fee displayed clearly.

For participants​

  1. Open the tournament link and click Register
  2. Enter their team name (or player name) and email
  3. Complete the payment through Stripe's checkout
  4. Receive a confirmation email with their registration details

That is it. No bank transfers, no "I'll pay you on the day," no spreadsheet tracking.

What you see in the dashboard​

The admin registrations page gives you a complete picture:

  • Registration status of each entry: pending, approved, rejected, or cancelled
  • Payment status: unpaid, pending, paid, refunded, or failed
  • Filter and search: narrow the list by status, payment status, name, or email
  • Bulk actions: approve, reject, or manage multiple entries at once

You can tell at a glance who has registered, who has paid, and who is still pending. If you chose manual approval mode, you review each entry before the participant is confirmed — useful when you want to vet teams or control the field.

Where the money goes​

Score7 does not hold your funds. Payments go directly to your connected Stripe account. Stripe handles the processing, security, and compliance. You receive the entry fee minus Stripe's standard processing fee (typically 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction, though this varies by country).

If you cancel registrations, Stripe handles refunds automatically where possible. You can also manage refunds directly from your Stripe dashboard.

Free vs. paid registrations​

Not every tournament needs an entry fee. You can enable registrations without payment — participants sign up with just their name and email. This is useful for:

  • Casual events where you want a headcount but no money changes hands
  • Internal company tournaments where departments register teams
  • School events where fees are collected separately

When you do want to charge, the Stripe integration activates seamlessly. Same registration form, same approval flow, with payment added to the process.

Approval modes​

Automatic approval confirms participants the moment they register (and pay, if there is a fee). Best for open events where anyone can join.

Manual approval creates entries as "pending" until you review them. Best for competitive events where you want to vet entries, cap certain categories, or ensure teams meet eligibility requirements. Participants are notified once you approve or reject their registration.

Best use cases​

Competitive leagues with entry fees. A local football league charges each team a seasonal fee. Teams register online, pay upfront, and the organizer knows exactly who is in before the schedule is generated.

Charity tournaments. Entry fees double as donations. Participants register, pay, and the money goes directly to your connected Stripe account. Clean, auditable, and no cash handling.

Esports tournaments with prize pools. Collect entry fees from 32 teams, fund the prize pool from the collected fees, and have a transparent payment trail.

Club days and social events. Even a small entry fee (to cover court rental or refreshments) is easier to collect online than in person. Participants pay when they sign up, not when they show up.

Practical tips​

Set the deadline a few days before the event. This gives you time to finalize the field, generate the schedule, and communicate logistics before tournament day. Last-minute registrations cause last-minute schedule changes.

Use manual approval for paid events. Even though the payment is handled automatically, manual approval gives you a final check before confirming the entry. If someone pays but is not eligible, you can reject and refund.

Share the registration link early and often. The registration page is a public URL. Post it on social media, send it in group chats, embed it on your website. The easier it is to find, the more sign-ups you get.

Good to know​

  • Registration with payments is a Premium feature.
  • Score7 supports the currencies available through Stripe, which covers most countries worldwide.
  • While registrations are open, the tournament's matches, standings, and stats are hidden from public view. This prevents participants from seeing the schedule before the field is finalized. Once you close registrations and generate the schedule, everything becomes visible.
  • Registration entries include name and email only. Custom form fields are not supported yet.

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