The problem
On match days the clubhouse bar is run by whoever is free, with a price list taped to the fridge and a cash tin. Prices get rung up wrong, nobody knows which lines sell, and the treasurer spends about an hour cashing up and recording each of 8 bar days a month: 8 hours.
What the AI does
Square for Restaurants has a Free plan at $0£0€0A$0C$0 a month plus card fees of 1.75% in person. Set up the drinks and snacks with fixed prices so a volunteer taps the item and the customer pays by card or cash. The Free plan includes basic sales reports, item counts that mark items unavailable when they run out, time tracking with clock in and out, and one set of permissions. Square Terminal is $198£149€177A$286C$280 plus VAT. The treasurer reads the day's sales from the report instead of counting and writing up the tin.
A worked example
A cricket club bar in Worcestershire opens on about 8 match and social days a month and takes about $1,596£1,200€1,428A$2,304C$2,256 a month, 60% of it by card. Volunteers take turns behind the bar.
Before
About 1 hour per bar day cashing up and recording takings: 8 hours a month
After
About 15 minutes per bar day checking the cash against Square's report: 2 hours a month
What it's worth
About $120£90€107A$173C$169 a month in treasurer time saved, against about $17£13€15A$25C$24 to $37£28€33A$54C$53 a month in costs. 6 hours a month saved (8 minus 2), valued at an assumed $20£15€18A$29C$28 an hour. Card fees are 1.75% of $958£720€857A$1,382C$1,354 about $17£13€15A$25C$24 a month; Square Terminal at $198£149€177A$286C$280 plus VAT ($237.80£178.80€212.77A$343.30C$336.14) adds about $20£15€18A$29C$28 a month if spread over the first year. Fewer pricing mistakes would add to the saving but aren't counted here.
How to set it up
- Sign up for Square for Restaurants Free and enter every drink and snack with its price.
- Buy the hardware you need, such as Square Terminal at $198£149€177A$286C$280 plus VAT, and test a sale and a refund.
- Give volunteers a 10-minute walkthrough and a laminated card showing how to ring up a round.
- After each bar day, check the cash in the tin against Square's cash sales figure.
- Look at the monthly report before ordering stock, and drop lines that don't sell.
What goes wrong
- The Free plan doesn't include full stock control. Inventory management is a paid add-on on Plus, so stock counts stay a manual job.
- Alcohol sales follow your club premises certificate or premises license and age checks; the till doesn't do that for you.
- One set of permissions on Free means every volunteer sees the same screens. Team Plus at $27£20€24A$38C$38 a month adds more control.
- If the Wi-Fi in the clubhouse is poor, test card payments on a busy day before relying on it.