Support Around Managing and Preventing Automation Bots on Clubspark Booking Systems

As online bookings become more popular, some users may attempt to use automated software (bots) to unfairly secure peak court times or session slots. This creates an uneven playing field for your members and players. 
 

This guide outlines the immediate steps you can take within Clubspark and your Stripe dashboard to block bots, identify offenders, and protect your booking system.

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1. Update Your Terms and Conditions

The first step is establishing a clear legal ground to penalise users who use bots. If you use the membership module, you should explicitly ban automated booking tools in your club’s Terms and Conditions. Members must accept your T&Cs when they first sign up or pay for a membership, giving you full leverage to take action. 

🛠️ Admin Navigation Path:

 

1. Log in to the ClubSpark Admin Area.
2. Select the Membership module from the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Click the Settings button located on the left side of the screen.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to the Terms and Conditions section.
5. Click Browse to upload your updated T&C document, then click the blue Save settings button. 

Copy and paste the following statement into your policy:

"The use of automated software, bots, scripts, or third-party extensions to monitor, reserve, or book courts, sessions, or facilities on this platform is strictly prohibited. Any member or user found utilising these tools to gain an unfair advantage will have their bookings cancelled immediately, and their membership or booking privileges may be suspended or terminated without a refund."

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2. Display a Warning Above the Booking Sheet

Make this policy highly visible to deter bot usage before a booking is even made. You can add a custom warning message directly to your booking interface or within the confirmation screens so players know you are actively monitoring it. 

🛠️ Admin Navigation Path:

 

1. Go to the Website Module on the left side of your screen within the Admin area. - select the Booking tab. 
2. In the content section you can add the message below:  We recommend putting this above the booking sheet for clear visibility. 
   
   
    
3. • “Important: The use of automated booking bots or scripts is strictly prohibited. Bookings detected via these methods will be cancelled automatically.”
4. Click the blue Save button at the bottom of the page. 

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3. Spot the Warning Signs in Stripe

Bot users often book multiple slots and cancel the ones they don't want, or use multiple accounts tied to a single payment method. You can identify these patterns inside your Stripe Dashboard: 

 

• High Refund Rates: Look for accounts with an unusually high volume of refunds or cancelled transactions. This is a primary indicator of bot activity. You can see this by using the below filters in the stripe dashboard.  https://dashboard.stripe.com/ 
  
  

• Multiple Emails, One Card: Check the payment metadata. A major red flag is seeing multiple different names or email addresses all linking back to the exact same bank account or credit card.

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4. Email Players, Cancel Bookings, and Revoke Memberships

Once you have identified a player violating the rules, you can use the Clubspark system to contact them, cancel their bookings, and terminate their membership access. 

🛠️ Admin Navigation Path to Email & Manage the Player:

 

1. Navigate to the Contacts module on the left-hand side.
2. Find the offender by using the search bar or selecting View all members in the top right-hand corner.
3. Select the check box next to the user's name, then click the Email (Envelope) icon at the top of the list.
4. Paste the template below into the email overlay and send it. This will be held in the email log to view if they have read it or not. 
5. To cancel bookings: Head to the Booking module, click on the unfair bookings, and select Cancel / Delete booking.
6. To revoke membership: Open the player's profile, click Options, and change their membership status to suspended or cancelled.

✉️ Suggested Email Template to Send Suspected Bot Users:

Subject: Notification of Account Review – [Insert Club Name]

Dear [Player Name],

As part of our commitment to fair play and equal court access for all members, we regularly review booking patterns and transaction logs on our platform.

Our system has flagged your account for activity that violates our updated Terms and Conditions—specifically regarding high cancellation/refund frequencies and patterns associated with the use of automated booking tools or scripts.

Per our club rules, the use of bots or automated extensions is strictly forbidden. As a result, we have cancelled your upcoming affected bookings. Please be advised that continued violation of this policy will result in the immediate and permanent termination of your membership privileges without a refund.

If you believe this flag is an error, please reply directly to this email so a club administrator can review your case manually.

Kind regards,

[Insert Club Name] Management Team

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5. Enable Stripe Radar Prevention

To stop bots at the payment stage, you can utilise Stripe’s built-in security tools. This is an additional cost to the organisation and you would need to speak directly to Stripe to enable this. Further information is here: https://stripe.com/gb/radar  and  https://stripe.com/guides/radar-rules-101#commonly-used-radar-rules 

You can set rules up, so someone can only have 3 email accounts linked, or they can only make one payment from an IP address within an hour, or checking bank accounts that may be linked to fraudulent accounts etc. 

By installing or enabling Stripe Radar, you add an AI-driven layer of fraud prevention. To learn more about 

Radar detects high-speed, repetitive, or anomalous purchasing behaviors typical of automated scripts. It will automatically block suspicious payments before the booking can be confirmed by Clubspark. 

Pricing for Radar starts at £8 per month : https://stripe.com/gb/radar/pricing 

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6. Report Repeat Offenders to the Authorities

If a user continues to disrupt your system, bypass blocks, or manipulate your digital infrastructure maliciously, it may constitute unauthorised computer access.

You can report persistent, disruptive offenders to the non-emergency police number by calling 101 (or reporting via Action Fraud online) to ensure the activity is officially logged and investigated.

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We are here to support you as much as possible, please do reach out to clubspark support if you have any further questions.