Apple Pay is Quietly Transforming Leisure Bookings - Here's What We're Seeing

We all expect things to be fast now. We’re used to ordering food in a couple of taps, unlocking doors with our phones and paying for a coffee without ever touching a wallet. At Ez-Runner, we see the same expectation play out in digital bookings every day. Whether someone is reserving a trampoline session, a gym class, soft play visit or water park ticket, they want the whole journey to feel just as effortless.

And over the past year, as more of our partners have enabled Apple Pay within their Ez-Runner booking platform, we’ve seen something impossible to ignore: speed boosts bookings, and trust at checkout drives revenue.

Faster Checkouts = More Bookings

One of our trampoline parks messaged us after switching it on and said, “We didn’t realise how much time people were wasting typing card numbers. Bookings are now done faster than it takes to read our T&Cs!”

Before Apple Pay, a typical payment step meant typing card details, searching for a card, navigating extra pages and rechecking numbers. Now it’s two taps and Face ID. No typing. No hesitation. No time to get distracted.

Across venues, we’ve seen checkout time drop by up to 60% simply by removing that little moment of admin from the customer’s brain.

How Different Venues See the Benefits

Gyms: The Power of Instant Commitment

For gyms, it’s the casual drop-in class booking - someone sits in the car after work, finds a spin or HIIT class with two spaces left, and they don’t overthink it.

Tap. Confirm. Done.

One leisure gym partner saw weekend class bookings spike after Apple Pay was switched on, simply because people were able to commit instantly instead of searching for their card or abandoning the idea until “later”.

Soft Play: Helping Busy Parents Complete Bookings

Parents have no time to type card numbers while juggling a snack, a buggy or a toddler trying to escape.

Making payment instant doesn’t just feel convenient; it reduces abandoned bookings. One soft play centre saw a 15% uplift in completed mobile bookings after enabling Apple Pay, all because mums and dads don’t need to stop what they’re doing to pay.

Water Parks: Capturing Weather-Driven Bookings

Water parks love it too, for a different reason. Their customers book when the weather forecast shifts.

When the sun appears for the weekend, people rush to book, but only if the journey is fast enough. Apple Pay lets them secure their spot before the weather changes again or someone else grabs their time slot.

Why Apple Pay Builds Instant Trust

Typing card details into a mobile website still gives people pause, especially when they’re on the go. One leisure manager told us, “People trust Apple Pay more than they trust typing a card number into a website. The logo alone makes them relax.”

That tiny moment of reassurance matters. A trusted payment method removes doubt at the exact point someone is ready to buy, and doubt is the number one reason bookings are abandoned.

From Confidence to Conversions

We’ve watched this confidence turn directly into conversions.

• Trampoline parks see fewer abandoned “party cart” bookings.

• Gyms see more late-evening class sign-ups.

• Soft play centres see parents completing purchases without waiting until they’re home.

• Water parks catch those weather-driven impulse bookings before they disappear.

One venue summed it up perfectly: “Apple Pay took the admin out of the customer’s mind. They don’t have to think anymore, they just book.”

Why Apple Pay Isn't Optional Anymore

Payment has quietly become one of the most important parts of customer experience. When paying feels safe, fast and familiar, people complete their purchase.

Apple Pay isn’t a “nice to have” anymore; it’s becoming one of the smartest ways for venues to increase conversions, boost mobile bookings and remove friction from the moment customers say yes.

Because when booking feels effortless, visiting becomes the natural next step.