European Customer Case: Smart Tennis Racket Rental Locker Vending Machine Equipped at a Tennis Club

Client Background

A well-established tennis club in Europe offering court bookings to both members and casual players. With a steady flow of players throughout the day, the club had long recognized that racket rental was a service worth offering — but the reality of managing it manually was quietly becoming a burden.

The Challenge

Every racket rental meant a staff member at reception handling deposits, logging equipment out, chasing returns, and reconciling payments at the end of the day. During peak hours, this pulled staff away from more meaningful guest interactions. Outside of staffed hours, rental simply wasn't available — leaving players who forgot their racket with no option but to cut their session short or leave entirely.

How the Pre-Authorization Rental Works

Step 1 — Select Your Racket Players browse available tennis rackets on the touch screen and confirm their preferred option.

Step 2 — Authorize Payment Payment is made by card or mobile wallet. A deposit is pre-authorized and temporarily frozen in the account — no charge is made at this stage.

Step 3 — Collect Your Racket The corresponding locker compartment unlocks automatically. The player collects their racket along with a receipt containing a unique return code.

Step 4 — Return Your Racket After the session, the player enters the return code on the touch screen and places the racket back into the designated compartment.

Step 5 — Automatic Settlement The system calculates the final rental fee and settles accordingly. Any remaining deposit balance is refunded automatically — no staff involvement required at any stage.

Results at a Glance

Instant Self-Service Rental — players select a racket on the touch screen, authorize a deposit via card or mobile payment, and collect their racket from the locker compartment in seconds — no reception visit, no waiting.

Pre-Authorization Deposit Protection — deposits are held automatically before the locker opens and settled upon return, eliminating manual deposit handling and protecting the club's equipment inventory without staff involvement.

24/7 Availability — the rental vending machine serves players at any hour, capturing rental revenue during evenings and weekends when reception is closed or understaffed.

Hassle-Free Returns — players return their racket using the unique code on their receipt. The locker opens, the racket goes back in, and the deposit is settled automatically — clean, simple, and accountable.

Remote Management — rental activity, locker availability, and transaction records are all monitored through the cloud dashboard, giving club management full visibility without being on-site.

The Outcome

Since installation, the club has eliminated manual deposit handling, freed reception staff from rental logistics, and extended rental availability to all hours of the day. Player satisfaction has improved, and rental revenue — previously capped by staffed hours — now flows consistently throughout the week.