Cash free options for bake sale?

[InBetweenDays]

DD's high school lacrosse team is having a bake sale during a game this week. It's pretty small - 50 brownies were donated by a local bakery and we're selling them for $5 each. So many people don't carry cash so it would be nice to have a cash free payment option. The team doesn't have a Venmo account. I looked into using my personal Venmo account and having the bake sale volunteers just keep track of who paid cash and who paid via Venmo (for transparency) and then I'd give the program cash equivalent at the end. But seems like that isn't "allowed" by Venmo (although I don't know if they even monitor that).

We're not technically a school team because it's a club sport in our state. So we aren't supported financially by the school but also don't have the same fundraising restrictions as school sports. But we also don't have non-profit status so can't set up a non-profit Venmo account.

Anyone have experience or suggestions?

[dochas]

Is there a way to get the word out that there will be a cash bake sale? That seems like it would be the easiest thing.

[calamity]

Where is the bake sale? Maybe people can get cash back if it's near a store?

Venmo is probably the most popular app that people would have. The kids seem to use CashApp but you may run across the same situation.

[jinkies]

I would have no reservations about going with your original idea to offer your venmo. It's going to be a very small number of transactions, and you don't have to advertise it-- just offer it if someone approaches and wants to buy but doesn't have cash.

For transparency I would have a paper at the table with two columns-- one for cash, one for venmo, and have another volunteer mark the paper for each brownie purchased.

[InBetweenDays]

dochas, yes, they're advertising it as such on Instagram, etc. But that reaches a pretty limited audience (especially for the away team). But we could just stick with that and assume enough people will have cash that we'll still sell out.

calamity, the sale is during the JV and Varsity game. So at the field. There are stores nearby that probably have ATMs but my guess is once people are at the game they wouldn't head back out to get cash.

[InBetweenDays]

Mar 28, 2023 13:47:40 GMT -5 jinkies said:

I would have no reservations about going with your original idea to offer your venmo. It's going to be a very small number of transactions, and you don't have to advertise it-- just offer it if someone approaches and wants to buy but doesn't have cash.

For transparency I would have a paper at the table with two columns-- one for cash, one for venmo, and have another volunteer mark the paper for each brownie purchased.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Just a simple tally mark keeping track.

[BlondeSpiders]

When I bought GS cookies a few weeks back, one of the moms just had me use her personal Venmo. It should be fine!

[sonrisa]

How much money are you personally willing to donate to the team if they use your venmo and the numbers aren't coming out right?

I've found families who try to do venmo for our troops cookie sales often end up feeling like the numbers don't add up - but of course they are still accountable for the cost of the cookies. If you are willing to chip in an extra $25 or whatever if the tally marks don't square, go for it. 

Otherwise, just let people know in advance it's cash only. People will find a way to make it work.

(I've found we get a lot of pushback about cash only cookie sales. But the second we pull out the GS app to help them pay electronically, they find it slow and pull out cash/go get cash anyways. lol.)

[litskispeciality]

My college just had a yard sale where you could pay one personal Venmo. I trust the person was going to transfer all of that money back to the group doing the fundraising. What was really helpful was a little card with the person's Venmo name and last 4 of the number, because I find Venmo super hard to use.

Other than that as everyone as has said, you just have to advertise cash only, with plenty of notice.

[Poppy]

I would do the Venmo plan.

We were at a performance the other day where the gym performing had people Venmo it for concessions. They had printed out the little QR code thingy that helps you look up the account and had the username below.

[fn2187]

Definitely Venmo. QR code is best. Post it everywhere. Also, just a suggestion. If I saw the QR code and an option to “save yourself the calories, donate $5”, i’d jump on this. I often don’t like to buy sweets but would donate.

[Wines Not Whines]

I’d do Venmo. Print out the QR code and have it on the table. I bought Girl Scout cookies with Venmo and it was great to have that option.

[VillainV]

Another vote for Venmo. Just make sure you see the transaction go through before you hand over the brownie (or let them leave the table)! I’ve used Venmo at small bake sales and craft tables, and more than once I’ve walked away before noticing that I didn’t complete the transaction. Of course I made sure the money did eventually transfer, but I don’t know how many people would walk away and never notice, or not be honest enough to make sure you got paid.

[snowpants]

Could you bring a stack of five dollars bills and let people venmo you $5, hand them a $5 bill as the transaction clears, then they could use the cash to buy the brownie?

[puppylove64]

Mar 28, 2023 16:44:15 GMT -5 fn2187 said:

Definitely Venmo. QR code is best. Post it everywhere. Also, just a suggestion. If I saw the QR code and an option to “save yourself the calories, donate $5”, i’d jump on this. I often don’t like to buy sweets but would donate.

A friend did this the other day for our school selling donuts and she got way more sales than I did!! 😆

[puppylove64]

I vote Venmo. I keep my balance there $0, so it would be easy to keep track of the sales

[InBetweenDays]

Mar 28, 2023 17:25:41 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Another vote for Venmo. Just make sure you see the transaction go through before you hand over the brownie (or let them leave the table)! I’ve used Venmo at small bake sales and craft tables, and more than once I’ve walked away before noticing that I didn’t complete the transaction. Of course I made sure the money did eventually transfer, but I don’t know how many people would walk away and never notice, or not be honest enough to make sure you got paid.

Very good point. I was hoping to not have to stand at the table but we will want to make sure all the transactions go through. So if we decide to use my venmo I'll be sure to be there.

[InBetweenDays]

Mar 28, 2023 18:02:04 GMT -5 snowpants said:

Could you bring a stack of five dollars bills and let people venmo you $5, hand them a $5 bill as the transaction clears, then they could use the cash to buy the brownie?

That's a good idea too. Like a human ATM

[akayf]

The marching band parents organization does have a Venmo and we tell people and when someone pays at concessions or for entrance to a competition we have them put it in the note. For example, last month we hosted a winter guard comp. We accepted Venmo at admissions, concessions, the bake sale, and for candy grams. They just scanned the code, typed what it was for and showed us the phone so we could see the transaction went through. Then we just added up everything so we could see how much $$ we made in each area.

If they put a note for bake sale, you won’t have to keep a tally sheet to record how many Venmo payments were made.

[litskispeciality]

Mar 28, 2023 18:07:50 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

Mar 28, 2023 18:02:04 GMT -5 snowpants said:

Could you bring a stack of five dollars bills and let people venmo you $5, hand them a $5 bill as the transaction clears, then they could use the cash to buy the brownie?

That's a good idea too. Like a human ATM

Love this idea as well!