Help Centre
How can we help?
Find answers in our FAQs, or get in touch with our support team
Looking for fundraising ideas? Read our guides for clubs
Quick answers
Browse frequently asked questions by category
Bluefundr is a fundraising platform that enables sports clubs, charities, and organisations to run automated sports prediction competitions. Our primary focus is fundraising - helping organisations raise money for their causes through engaging sports competitions. We provide the technology, payment processing, and automation - you create and manage your competitions to support your fundraising goals.
No, we don't run competitions ourselves. Bluefundr is a platform where organisations and individuals create and manage their own competitions. You're the organiser - we just provide the tools, automation, and infrastructure.
Yes! It's completely free to create an account and set up public competitions. For pay-to-enter competitions and donation-based competitions, we deduct a small platform fee (typically 6.6%) from payments to cover payment processing, hosting, and automated services. There are no setup fees or monthly subscriptions.
In Ireland, you have two options for pay-to-enter competitions: 1. Small-scale exemption — If your entry fee is max €5, your prize pool is under €2,000, and you run no more than one draw every 3 months, you can self-declare under the exemption and start immediately. Learn more about exemptions on GRAI.ie. 2. Lottery licence or permit — For larger competitions, you'll need a lottery licence or permit. Print the application form, fill it in, and bring it to your local Garda station. Get the application form on Gov.ie.
You have two options: 1. Self-declare under exemption — If your competition qualifies for the small-scale exemption (max €5 entry, under €2,000 prize pool, one draw per 3 months), you can self-declare on Bluefundr and start immediately. No upload or approval needed. 2. Upload your lottery licence or permit — If you have a lottery licence or permit, upload a copy and our team will verify it. Once approved, you'll receive an email confirmation and can start creating pay-to-enter competitions.
Currently, pay-to-enter competitions are only available to organisations based in the Republic of Ireland. This is because pay-to-enter competitions require a valid lottery licence, and we can only support lottery licence verification for Irish organisations at present. We are actively working on expanding pay-to-enter competition support to the UK in the future.
As the competition organiser, you are responsible for managing the competition according to our Terms of Service. Bluefundr provides the platform, automatically processes results and winners, and handles payment processing, but you control the competition setup and prize distribution
Bluefundr offers multiple secure login options: log in with your email address or phone number (we'll send you a verification code via email or SMS), or use Google Sign-In for instant access. We're a fully passwordless platform following the latest security standards, so we never store passwords. This makes your account more secure and easier to access.
Passkeys are the most secure form of authentication available and the only method that is completely phishing-proof. After your initial login, you can create a passkey which uses biometric authentication (fingerprint, face recognition) or your device's security. We strongly recommend enabling passkeys for maximum security. Passkeys are faster, more secure, and eliminate the risk of phishing attacks completely.
Phone verification is required when you sign up to help keep the platform secure and prevent fraud. You'll receive a verification code via SMS during signup. Please note: we have SMS rate limits to prevent abuse - if you make too many verification attempts, you'll need to wait 24 hours before trying again.
Yes, you must use your real name on the platform to be eligible to claim prizes. This helps ensure fair competition and proper prize distribution. If you win a competition, the organiser will need to verify your identity, so using your real name from the start makes the prize claim process smooth and hassle-free.
To set up an organisation, click "Get Started" to create a competition and select "For Clubs & Organisations". You'll be guided through Stripe onboarding to verify your organisation and set up payments. Once complete, your organisation is created and you can manage it from your dashboard. You'll need a bank statement showing your organisation name, photo ID, and your organisation's bank account IBAN.
We use Stripe Connect for secure payments. When you create a competition, you connect your Stripe account. Participants pay entry fees directly to your Stripe account (minus our platform fee). Funds go straight to you - we never hold your money.
To receive fundraising proceeds, you need to complete the Stripe onboarding process. You'll need: 1. A bank statement showing your club/organisation name (this proves the organisation exists). 2. Photo ID (passport or driving licence) for the person completing the setup. 3. Your organisation's bank account IBAN for receiving payouts. During Stripe onboarding, when asked to upload a document to verify your organisation, select "Other" as the document type and upload your bank statement. When asked about business owners or directors, click "Continue with no owners" and "Continue with no directors" - this is correct for most sports clubs and unincorporated organisations.
Funds are collected directly in your Stripe account. Stripe automatically processes payouts to your linked bank account, typically within 2-7 business days depending on your country. Platform fees are deducted at the time of entry payment.
You (the organiser) handle prize distribution. Our system automatically calculates winners and sends notifications. We suggest distributing your prizes in person, however as the organiser, you are free to use your preferred method. This keeps you in control of prize fulfillment.
In the interests of fairness, refunds are not available.
Browse available competitions, click 'Enter Competition', make your predictions, and pay the entry fee securely via credit/debit card. You'll receive instant confirmation and can track your entry in your dashboard.
We'll send you an email notification when the competition closes. You can also check your dashboard or the competition page to see results. Winners receive detailed instructions about prize collection and payout timelines.
No, predictions are locked once submitted and payment is confirmed. This ensures fairness for all participants. Make sure to review your predictions carefully before submitting.
Your entry fee is split according to the competition's settings: a percentage goes to the fundraising cause, another percentage might possibly go to the prize pool, and the remainder covers platform fees. The exact breakdown is always shown before you enter.
Entry fees are non-refundable once submitted, as your entry contributes to the prize pool and fundraising total.
Yes. You can choose multiple entries in Golden Goal to get a discount. You can enter other competitions multiple times.
We support Golden Goal (have first goal minute), Super 8 (predict the final scores of 8 matches), Over the Bar (goals and points) and Perfect Strike (win/draw/win predictions). Each format works for different fundraising goals and audience sizes.
Share your unique competition link via social media, email, WhatsApp, or QR code. Participants click the link, make their predictions, and pay the entry fee (or donate) directly through our secure Stripe payment system. No app download required.
Sponsored prizes allow local businesses to provide prizes for your competition in exchange for promotional exposure. When you mark a prize as sponsored, the sponsor's details are displayed prominently on the competition page, giving them visibility to all participants.
Only Super 8 and Over the Bar competitions support sponsored prizes. These formats use skill-based scoring with smart tiebreakers, so they almost always produce a single winner who can be clearly promoted to sponsors. (In the rare event of a true tie on a fixed-prize competition, a random draw decides the winner.) This makes them ideal for sponsor partnerships, as sponsors can see exactly who won their prize and gain clear promotional value.
Golden Goal competitions can have multiple winners sharing the prize pot. Perfect Strike competitions have no guaranteed winner - if no one gets a perfect prediction, there's no winner at all. Sponsors need guaranteed individual winners to justify their prize investment and get promotional value.
The Consolation Goal is an optional secondary prize in Perfect Strike competitions. It's awarded when no participant achieves a perfect prediction. The participant with the highest score wins. If multiple participants tie for the top score, tie-breaker score is compared first (Home Win=1, Away Win=2, Draw=3). If still tied, the consolation prize is split equally between all tied players.
GAA uses a unique scoring system where Goals = 3 points and Points = 1 point. A score of 2-07 means 2 goals + 7 points = (2×3) + 7 = 13 total. In predictions: 3 points for exact (both goals and points correct for both teams), 2 points for both teams' total score correct (any goals/points split), 1 point for correct result only (win/draw/loss), 0 points for wrong result.
If no goal is scored in the match (0-0 draw), minute 0 wins. If no one predicted minute 0, the entry closest to 0 wins. This ensures there's always a winner even in goalless draws.
All minutes 90 and above are treated as minute 90. If the first goal is scored in injury time or extra time (e.g., minute 95, 120), all entries that predicted 90 or higher are considered equally close and share the prize pot.
Perfect Strike competitions have 3 alternate matches pre-assigned. If a primary match is cancelled, the system automatically replaces it with the next available alternate and your predictions for the alternate become active. If all 3 alternates are exhausted, the jackpot is disabled and you receive 0 points for any remaining cancelled matches. The competition continues with the remaining valid matches.
Single-event competitions (Golden Goal, Over the Bar) have 1 alternate match pre-assigned. If the primary match is cancelled, the system automatically replaces it with the alternate. For Golden Goal, your minute allocations remain unchanged - the same minutes apply to the alternate match. For Over the Bar, your predictions for the alternate become active. If the alternate is also cancelled, the winner is determined by random draw from all participants.
We automatically fetch match results from reliable sports data providers. Scores, goal times, and match events are updated in real-time. You never need to manually enter results - it's completely automated.
Winners are calculated automatically based on competition rules. For Golden Goal, the closest minute wins. For Super 8, points are awarded for accuracy. Our system updates results in real-time and notifies winners automatically via email.
Tie-breaker rules vary for each competition. Read the competition rules on the competition details page for more information.
We automatically fetch results from reliable sports data providers. If there's a delay or error, we'll detect it and either fetch corrected data or notify you. You can also contact support to manually verify results.
When a competition closes and winners are determined, all participants receive an email notification with the final results. Winners receive additional instructions about prize collection. Results are also displayed on the competition page.
Super 8: Highest points → Closest score difference → If still tied, pot-based prizes split equally / fixed prizes go to random draw
GAA: Highest points → Closest GAA total difference → If still tied, pot-based prizes split equally / fixed prizes go to random draw
Golden Goal: Exact minute → Closest minute (shared equally)
Perfect Strike: All perfect predictors share equally (NO tie-breaking)
Perfect Strike Consolation: Highest score → Tie-breaker score (Home Win=1, Away Win=2, Draw=3) → Consolation prize split equally if still tied
Finish Time: Highest points (closest to actual time)
GAA: Highest points → Closest GAA total difference → If still tied, pot-based prizes split equally / fixed prizes go to random draw
Golden Goal: Exact minute → Closest minute (shared equally)
Perfect Strike: All perfect predictors share equally (NO tie-breaking)
Perfect Strike Consolation: Highest score → Tie-breaker score (Home Win=1, Away Win=2, Draw=3) → Consolation prize split equally if still tied
Finish Time: Highest points (closest to actual time)
Match results are automatically fetched from sports data providers every 5 minutes. This means scores, match statuses, and competition results typically update within 5 minutes of real-world changes. You don't need to refresh the page - results update automatically in the background.
Yes, participants create a simple account using email, phone or social login (Google). This ties each entry to a real person, allowing them to track their predictions across competitions, and enables us to notify them of results and wins.
Absolutely. All payments are processed securely by Stripe, one of the world's most trusted payment platforms used by companies like Amazon, Google, and Shopify. Your full card number, CVV, and expiry date go directly to Stripe's secure servers - Bluefundr never sees or stores your complete card details. Stripe maintains the highest level of PCI DSS compliance (Level 1) and uses bank-grade encryption to protect your data.
Competition organisers (clubs and organisations) have very limited access to your payment information. They can only see: your name, the competition entered, the payment amount, the last 4 digits of your card (e.g., ••••4242), and the payment status. Organisers cannot see your email address, billing address, full card number, or any other personal details. This protects your privacy while allowing organisers to manage their competitions.
Results come directly from official sports data APIs - and other reliable sources. All prediction entries are timestamped and stored securely. Winners are calculated automatically by our system using transparent rules visible on every competition page.
Yes! We support WebAuthn/Passkey login for enhanced security and convenience. You can use Face ID, Touch ID, Windows Hello, or hardware security keys to sign in without passwords. This provides bank-level security while making login faster and easier.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard) through Stripe. Some regions also support Apple Pay, Google Pay, and local payment methods.
You can navigate to the my-entries in your dropdown menu
You can navigate to the my-competitions (for personal fundraising) or organisation-competitions (for organisation fundraising) in your dropdown menu
If you have set up an organisation account, you will have 2 profiles. You can switch between these profiles in the dropdown menu. Your options in creating competitions, viewing and entering competitions vary depending on the profile you have selected.
Details can be edited in the competition review page before it is published. However, once published, competition details cannot be changed. The competition can be removed and a new one created. However, if a competition has an entry, it cannot be removed in the interests of fairness.
Bluefundr uses an alternate match system to handle cancelled matches automatically. Single-event competitions (Golden Goal, GAA Correct Score) get 1 alternate, while multi-event competitions (Perfect Strike, Super 8) get 3 alternates. If a primary match is cancelled, the system automatically replaces it with the next available alternate. For single-event competitions, if all alternates are exhausted, the winner is determined by random draw. For multi-event competitions, if all alternates are exhausted, you receive 0 points for cancelled matches and the jackpot may be disabled.
Yes! You can reach us via the contact form below. We typically respond within 24-48 hours. For urgent issues with active competitions, please mark your inquiry as urgent.
Currently we support Football (Soccer) and GAA (Gaelic Football, Hurling). We're constantly adding new sports based on user demand.
Currently, direct messaging is not available. However, you can include important information in your competition description, and participants can contact you through the support system.
Please contact us immediately via the form below with details of the issue. We take complaints seriously and will investigate. If an organiser violates our Terms of Service, we may suspend their account and refund participants.
Club Lotto is a weekly online lotto your club runs itself. You set the format (how many numbers players pick and from what range), the draw day and time, and the prizes. Members pick their numbers and pay on their phone, the draw runs on your schedule, and we handle the entries, payments, winner matching and reports. It is the same idea as a traditional paper club lotto, run entirely online.
Yes. A club lotto is a lottery, so in Ireland it must be run under a lottery licence or permit. Club Lotto is available to clubs in the Republic of Ireland only. Get the lottery permit application form on Gov.ie. You are responsible for holding the correct licence for your lotto.
There are no setup fees and no monthly costs. A small platform fee is taken from each entry when money actually moves, alongside the standard card processing fee. Money goes straight to your club's own Stripe account, we never hold your funds. You only ever pay when your members play.
Members open your club page, pick their numbers for the current draw (for example 4 numbers from 30), or tap quick pick to have numbers chosen at random, and pay by card. They get an instant receipt and a record of their entry. There is no app to download, it all works in the browser.
Yes. Members can play a single draw, prepay a run of several draws upfront, or set their numbers to renew automatically each draw using a saved card, so they never miss one. Auto renewal can be cancelled at any time from their account. You choose which options to offer when you set up your deals.
You set the draw day, time and a sales cutoff. Entries close automatically at the cutoff, then you enter the official winning numbers and the platform matches every entry for you, including any bonus draw. Winners are flagged automatically, and the jackpot rolls over to the next draw if it is not won. The whole schedule runs on its own once it is set up.
A club lotto typically has a jackpot for matching all the numbers, which rolls over and grows when it is not won, plus optional smaller prizes such as a match three pot and a bonus draw drawn at random from that week's entries. You decide the prize amounts when you set up your lotto.
Your club pays winners directly, off the platform, in whatever way suits your club. For this reason Bluefundr never stores or handles prize amounts against winners, we simply tell you who won which prize. This keeps you fully in control of how and when prizes are paid out.
You can run your lotto weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Pick the cadence that suits your club when you set it up, and the platform creates each draw and opens it for entries automatically on schedule.
When sales close for each draw, a report pack is emailed automatically to your nominated recipients, with the entrants and the figures you need for the books. You can also download a draw name list to call names from at the draw, and view income, past draws and auto renewals, and export them, from your organiser dashboard at any time.
Yes. The winning numbers are the official numbers you enter for the draw, and every entry is matched against them automatically by the platform, so there is no manual counting. Any bonus draw winner is selected using a secure random process. Players can view past results on your club's public results page.
Yes. Memberships let your club collect its membership fees online instead of chasing cash and paper forms. You set up your membership options once, share a join link with your community, and members join and pay online. The money goes straight into the club's own bank account.
Members usually pay by card when they join through your link. They can pay the full amount up front, or use Pay your way to chip away at the balance in their own time. There is no fixed monthly plan and no card debited on a set date, the member stays in control until the balance is cleared.
Yes. With Pay your way, a member can pay part of the membership now and the rest over the weeks ahead, deciding how much to pay and when until it is cleared. This helps families who would hesitate at one large bill sign up today and spread the rest, without you setting up any fixed payment plan.
Yes. As well as card payments taken online, your club can record payments received offline, such as cash, cheque or bank transfer, against a member. That way every member's balance stays accurate in one place, no matter how they paid.
Yes. When a member still has a balance owing after the deadline, Bluefundr emails them automatically to let them know it is due. The chasing happens on its own, so you are not the one sending awkward reminders or keeping a mental list of who still owes.
Yes. Where it applies, your club can offer a family or youth discount on membership, so larger families or younger members pay a reduced rate. You set this up as part of your membership options.
There are no setup fees and no monthly costs. A small platform fee is taken from card payments when money actually moves, alongside the standard card processing fee. Money goes straight to your club's own account, we never hold your funds.
Facilities Booking is a club's own internal tool for managing bookings of its pitches and facilities, such as a main pitch, an astro pitch, or a hall. Club staff set up their facilities and then create and manage bookings on a calendar view. It is an internal tool for the club, not a public booking system, so members of the public do not book through it.
Bookings are managed by the club inside the dashboard. As well as the organisation's own admins, a club can invite booking managers, a dedicated role for people who only need to manage facility bookings and nothing else. When a booking is created or cancelled, the relevant people can be notified by email.
Facilities Booking is free to use and does not involve any payment through Bluefundr. It is simply a way for your club to keep its pitch and facility bookings organised in one place.
Still need help?
Can't find what you're looking for? Send us a message and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.