A common request is to support groups or individuals who want to play at the same time on a repeating schedule, for example every Wednesday at 18:00. Alba does not yet have a built-in feature for managing repeat bookings automatically. This is an area we are actively working to improve.
Below is the recommended setup depending on whether the booking is for an individual customer or a group.
Individuals
For individual customers who want a fixed weekly time, this can be handled directly in Alba using manual bookings combined with payment links.
How it works
You can create bookings for the customer ahead of time one by one for future dates.
When creating bookings on behalf of a customer, you can choose between:
- Request payment immediately, or
- Leave the booking unpaid and send a payment link later, for example on the day they are playing or week by week
Payment links allow you to control exactly when payment is collected, while still keeping the booking visible in Alba with full access control and SimLock support.
This setup works well for individuals, since each booking is connected to a customer and can be paid for directly through Alba.
The customer will see all upcoming bookings in their Alba profile for easy access. If access control is enabled, they will automatically receive an SMS one hour before the booking with a key to enter the venue.
Groups
Since there is no single customer connected to all participants, recurring group play is best handled using blockings.
Recommended setup
- Create a recurring blocking for the desired time slot.
- Select the bays the group will use.
- Set the blocking to repeat at the requested interval, for example weekly.
Creating a recurring blocking ensures that:
- No other customers can book the bays during that period
- SimLock is deactivated for the blocked time, so simulators are available for the group
Access control for groups
A blocking does not have an access key attached, meaning doors will not unlock automatically for participants.
To handle access, venues typically use their external access control system.
A practical approach is:
- Add the group host as a guest in your access control system
- Limit access to the specific days and times the group is playing
- Align the access schedule with the recurring blocking in Alba
This provides predictable access for the group, without any bookings appearing in Alba’s booking grid.
Payments for groups
Because a blocking is not connected to a booking, payments cannot be handled inside Alba.
Most venues choose to:
- Invoice the group monthly, or
- Settle payment directly at the venue