At a Glance • Key Takeaways
- Automated Efficiency: Streamline online bookings, live availability scheduling, and customer communication without manual intervention.
- Live Capacity & Conflict Prevention: Prevent double-booking across staff, rooms, activity sessions, or rental fleet assets in real time.
- 0% Platform Booking Fees: SmartBookings does not charge transaction fees or take percentage cuts of your ticket sales or customer payments.
1. Why Terms & Conditions are Crucial
Clear Terms & Conditions protect your business by establishing legal expectations with customers before they finalize payment. Customers must agree to your terms on the checkout screen before completing their transaction.
Standard Clauses by Venue Type:
- Soft Play Centres: Grip sock requirements, age & height restrictions, sick child cancellation rules, outside food & drink policies, and supervision ratios.
- Mini Golf & Adventure Golf: Putter damage fees, lost golf ball rules, weather and rain-check cancellation policies, and pram accessibility advice.
- Laser Tag & Activity Arenas: Footwear requirements (closed-toe trainers only), minimum age rules, liability waivers, and behavioural codes of conduct.
- Birthday Party Bookings: Non-refundable deposit terms, final guest number confirmation deadlines (e.g. 7 days prior), and outside birthday cake policies.
Ready-to-Use Terms Templates (52 Industry Examples)
Don't start from scratch! We have created over 50 complete, legally vetted Terms & Conditions templates tailored for soft play centres, trampoline parks, mini golf courses, climbing gyms, farm parks, laser tag, and activity venues.
Browse 50+ Terms Templates →
2. Step-by-Step: How to Edit Your Terms
1 Go to Settings > Web content in the left sidebar menu (opens MyContent.aspx).
2 Ensure the Edit content navigation tab is selected at the top.
3 In the Select content dropdown, choose Terms (or Terms & Conditions).
4 The rich text WYSIWYG editor loads your current terms content.
5 Use the formatting toolbar to edit clauses, add subheadings, format bullet points, or paste updated legal text.
6 Scroll down and click the green Save Content button.
Instant Update: The moment you click Save, the revised terms are immediately reflected across your online booking checkout agreement!
3. What to Include in Your Booking Terms
Recommended Checklist of Key Clauses:
- 1. Cancellation & Rescheduling: How much notice is required to reschedule (e.g. "Bookings may be rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice").
- 2. Refund Policy: Clear explanation of whether ticket sales are non-refundable or eligible for credit vouchers.
- 3. Arrival & Check-In: Instructions to arrive 10 minutes prior to session start times to maximize playtime.
- 4. Dress Code & Footwear: Mandatory grip socks for play equipment or flat trainers for golf and laser tag.
- 5. Parental Supervision: Clarification that parents/guardians retain responsibility for children in their care at all times.
- 6. Refusal of Entry: Right to refuse admission to anyone failing to adhere to safety rules or exhibiting antisocial behaviour.
4. Reusing Content with Dynamic Placeholders
In MyContent.aspx, you can also define custom reusable snippet placeholders (e.g. {Terms}, {CancellationPolicy}, or {FootwearPolicy}). You can drop these placeholders into any webpage, event description, or confirmation email template to automatically inject the same standardized terms everywhere without re-typing!
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enforce mandatory acceptance of venue terms and conditions at online checkout?
In Settings > Web Content (MyContent.aspx), select 'Terms'. Enter your venue conditions of entry. The booking system automatically requires every customer to tick their agreement to your terms before payment can be processed.
Where do I edit the terms and conditions in the SmartBookings admin portal?
Navigate to Settings > Web Content > Edit Content > Select 'Terms' (or 'Terms & Conditions'). Use the rich text editor to insert your rules and click the green 'Save Content' button.
What essential legal clauses should every soft play centre and trampoline park include?
Crucial clauses include: 1) Adult supervision responsibilities, 2) Footwear rules (no shoes; grip socks mandatory), 3) Prohibited items (no food, drinks, or silly string on equipment), 4) Medical and injury liability waivers, and 5) Cancellation and weather policies.
How does the {Terms} dynamic placeholder work in automated confirmation emails?
Inserting the {Terms} placeholder into your email templates automatically pulls your live website conditions into customer confirmation emails, providing an auditable proof of agreement.
Can I set up different terms and conditions for general admission versus birthday parties?
Yes. You can specify standard general admission rules in your global terms and place party-specific conditions (such as deposit forfeiture and outside catering restrictions) directly into your Birthday Party category descriptions.
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