Guide for members

Join your club and pay your dues

Your club collects dues through a Telegram bot. There's no app to install and no account to create — you join with one message and pay with a tap. It takes about two minutes.

1. Open your club's invite link

   Tap the link your club admin sent you. It opens your club's bot in Telegram and looks like t.me/…_bot?start=BARSQUAD24 — the part after start= is your club's join code.

2. Press Start

   Telegram shows a Start button at the bottom of the chat. Press it — that sends your join code to the bot for you.

   Got a code but no link? Open the bot, then type /start, a space, and the code — for example /start BARSQUAD24 — instead of pressing Start. Capitals don't matter. If you pressed Start already and the bot said That join code isn't right., wait 30 seconds before typing it.

   You should now see a welcome message with your plan and a Pay now 💳 button:

   Welcome! You're joining on the plan: Monthly dues — €15.00 per month. Tap below to pay your first dues and activate your membership.

   If your club has more than one plan, the bot lists them first. Reply with /join and the number of yours — for example /join 1 — and the welcome message follows.

3. Pay

   1. Tap Pay now 💳.
   2. A secure Stripe payment page opens. Enter your card and pay.

   You should now see Payment received 🎉. Close the page and go back to Telegram — your membership is now active.

   Payment links last about 24 hours. If your first one expires, send /start again for a new one. Your card is not saved, and you're never charged automatically — every payment is one you tap yourself.

4. Check your membership any time

   Send /status.

   You should see something like:

   Your membership status is ACTIVE. Plan: Monthly dues — €15.00 per month. Next payment due: 1 Nov 2026.

5. Book a session

   1. Send /sessions. The bot shows this week's sessions, with the spots left on each — and, if your club uses more than one room or area, which one. Tap Next › or ‹ Prev to see other weeks.
   2. Tap Book under the one you want. On a busy week, tap a day first to see its sessions.

   You should see something like:

   You're booked: Park session — Sat 17 Oct, 10:00. Send /bookings to see or cancel your bookings.

   Can't make it? Send /bookings and tap Cancel. You can cancel any time before the session starts, and your spot opens up again for others. If the club calls a session off, the bot tells you.

   You can book while your membership is active — and also while your dues are overdue, so a late payment link never locks you out. Your club opens sessions for booking a few weeks ahead; anything further out shows up once it's in range.

6. Pay again next time

   When your next dues are due, the bot messages you with a new Pay now 💳 button:

   Your club membership is due for renewal — Monthly dues — €15.00 per month. Tap below to pay and keep your membership active.

   Tap it and pay, just like the first time. If that link expires before you pay, ask your club admin to send you a new one. Paying in cash instead? Tell your club admin — they can record it for you. Once they have, don't use the earlier Pay now 💳 button, or you'll pay twice.

If the bot says…

The bot said	What it means
That join code isn't right.	Wait 30 seconds, then send /start, a space, and the code — for example /start BARSQUAD24. Still wrong? Ask your club admin for the code again.
You've tried that a few times just now	You can only try to join once every 30 seconds. Wait, then send /start and your code again.
This club can't take payments yet	Nothing's wrong on your side — your club admin still needs to finish setting up. Try again once they have.
The club hasn't configured any membership plans yet	Your club admin needs to add a plan. Try again once they have.
You already have an open payment link	Scroll up and tap Pay now 💳 on the earlier message.
Your membership is covered by the club	Your club is covering your membership — there's nothing to pay.
Your dues are overdue	Your paid period has ended. Tap Pay now 💳 on the bot's latest payment message. If there isn't one, or it has expired, ask your club admin to send you a new link.
Booking is for members with an active membership	You haven't made your first payment yet, or your membership was ended. Send /status to check, and /start to pay.
Sorry, … is full.	Every spot is taken. Send /sessions later — if someone cancels, the spot opens up again.
Booking for … opens on …	That session is further ahead than your club takes bookings for. Try again on the day it says.
That session isn't available any more	It was removed after the bot listed it. Send /sessions for an up-to-date list.
Sorry, something went wrong on my side	Try again in a moment. If it keeps happening, tell your club admin.

Running a club yourself? Read the club guide.