magicbooking

What magicbooking does

MagicBooking is a UK-based cloud SaaS platform, operated by MyPlayService Limited (founded 2013/2016 in Witney), that automates bookings, payments, registers, safeguarding, and parent communication for primary schools, Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), out-of-school clubs, and childcare providers. The product is built as a modular all-in-one system comprising core modules (Bookings, Payments, Communication, Registers, Safeguarding, Paper-free) and optional add-ons (E-Shop, MIS Integration, Website Branding), hosted on Microsoft Azure with UK and Ireland data residency.

The platform's technical differentiators are its integration ecosystem rather than any AI layer: native connectivity to UK school MIS systems (SIMS, Arbor, Bromcom, ScholarPack and others) via Wonde, a direct HMRC Tax-Free Childcare API integration (2024) that automates TFC reconciliation, and Open Banking payments via TrueLayer, supported by a proprietary payment gateway (MagicBooking Pay) and Unipaas for card processing. Compliance scaffolding includes Cyber Essentials, BESA Approved Supplier status, GDPR alignment, and documentation compatible with Ofsted, Care Inspectorate, Estyn, and ETI inspections.

The company operates a hybrid sales-led and community-led GTM: free personalized demos and self-serve free trials for schools and clubs, with a published Clubs Pro tier at £59/month and quote-based pricing for schools (volume discounts, MIS integration at £250 setup + £12/month, branding at £399 one-off), plus transaction fees on card payments. Go-to-market is augmented by association partnerships (OOSA, Children's Activities Association, Morton Michel, BESA), a £100-per-referral scheme, and a content/case-study marketing engine. Scale signals include 2,000+ schools and clubs, 600,000 registered children, 400,000 parents, 20 million cumulative bookings, and £330 million in cumulative payments processed. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding and 11-50 employees.

Name

magicbooking

Legal name

MyPlayService Limited

Website

https://magicbooking.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Witney

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Monthly subscription fees from schools and clubs for access to the MagicBooking platform. Schools pricing is quote-based/customized; Clubs Pro is published at £59/month.
2. Transaction Fees: Card payment processing fees charged on each transaction processed through the MagicBooking Pay gateway. Fees are published per pricing page.
3. Integration Services: One-off fees for School MIS integration (£250 setup + £12/month) and custom website branding integration (£399 one-off).
4. Training Services: Online and onsite training services provided during onboarding - online training in hourly slots, onsite training with four-hour in-person session plus screen-sharing support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MagicBooking is an all-in-one cloud-based SaaS platform that automates bookings, payments, registers, communication, and safeguarding compliance for UK schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, and out-of-school clubs. The platform combines a unified booking engine with payment processing (card, Tax-Free Childcare, Open Banking, vouchers), digital registers, parent communication tools, and document generation, plus optional add-ons for MIS integration and website branding.

Product overview

MagicBooking is a unified all-in-one cloud-based platform for school and club management, combining core modules for Bookings, Payments, Communication, Registers, Safeguarding, and Document Generation. The platform operates on a modular architecture where the core MagicBooking platform provides essential booking and payment functionality, with optional add-ons including E-Shop for merchandise sales, MIS Integration for school data synchronization, and Website/Branding customization. For schools, dedicated module bundles cover wraparound care, clubs, trips, and school dinners. For clubs and classes, the Clubs Pro plan at £59/month includes unlimited children, activities, and settings with optional branding integration add-on. The platform integrates with MIS systems via Wonde and offers automated Tax-Free Childcare processing through the HMRC API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MagicBooking Platform Cloud-based, all-in-one booking, payment, communication, and management system for UK schools and out-of-school clubs. Combines online bookings, automated payment processing and reconciliation, digital registers, parent email/SMS communication, safeguarding/compliance data management, and paper-free document generation in a single unified web platform.
• MIS Integration School Management Information System integration service (£250 one-off setup + £12/month) enabling automated transfer of pupil data, parent details, medical information, allergies, and discount entitlements from major MIS platforms including SIMS, Arbor, Bromcom, ScholarPack, SchoolBase, Compass, Horizons, Integris, IRIS, Schoolpod, and Advanced via the Wonde integration.
• Website Integration and Branding Custom branding integration service (£399 one-off, may vary with additional design requests) that skins the MagicBooking parent portal to match the provider's existing website, including logo placement and theme color customization at no additional cost.

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WondecoreTechnology or IntegrationMagicBooking works with Wonde to allow seamless import of data from MIS systems onto MagicBooking. Wonde enables integration with leading MIS platforms including SIMS, Arbor, Bromcom, and many more, automatically synchronizing pupil information and parent details.
• Morton MichelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMagicBooking is an approved partner of Morton Michel, a leading provider of insurance, risk management and service solutions for the childcare and education sectors. Morton Michel policyholders can claim a 10% discount off MagicBooking subscriptions.
• Out of School Alliance (OOSA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMagicBooking is a proud member of OOSA, the 'one stop shop' for all information needed for out-of-school club businesses. OOSA members receive 1 month free on their first year of MagicBooking subscription.
• Children's Activities AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMagicBooking is a proud supplier of the Children's Activities Association, an industry-led, not-for-profit association for children's activity providers working with over 2,000+ members to ensure safety and well-being of children in sessions.
• BESAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMagicBooking is approved by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), demonstrating commitment to quality services for the education sector and enabling visibility through BESA channels.
• TrueLayercoreTechnology or IntegrationMagicBooking Pay uses TrueLayer for Open Banking payment processing and regulated Account Information Services. TrueLayer is Authorised and Regulated by the FCA under Payment Services Regulations 2017 and Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (Firm Reference Number: 901096).
• Unipaas Financial Services LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline payments are processed securely by Unipaas Financial Services Limited using SSL technology. Credit card numbers are protected with P2PE (point to point encryption) when transmitted over the Internet.
• Smart HorizonsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a MagicBooking partner. Nature of partnership appears in the context of collaborative relationships alongside other named partners.
• Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a MagicBooking partner. Nature of partnership appears in the context of collaborative relationships alongside other named partners.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationMagicBooking is hosted on Microsoft Azure Cloud infrastructure, utilizing global data centers backed up, hyper-encrypted, and always accessible. Azure has been carbon neutral since 2014.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Weduc: Weduc is a UK school communication, payments, and booking app targeting primary schools and MATs, overlapping MagicBooking on parent comms, trip/clubs payments, and wraparound care functionality.
• iPAL (Hieda): iPAL is a UK out-of-school club and childcare booking, registration, and payments platform — directly comparable to MagicBooking's Clubs Pro proposition for activity providers and wraparound care.
• Class Charts: Class Charts is a UK school management platform covering behaviour, seating, safeguarding, and parent communication — overlapping MagicBooking on safeguarding, communication, and school admin workflows.
• Teachers2Parents (T2P): T2P provides UK schools with parent SMS, email, app-based communication, and payments — overlapping MagicBooking in primary school comms, clubs, and trip payments.
• Famly: Famly is a childcare and nursery management platform covering bookings, payments, registers, and parent communication — directly comparable to MagicBooking for nurseries, wraparound, and clubs.
• SchoolGateway: SchoolGateway is a UK parent communication and payments platform for primary and secondary schools, competing head-to-head with MagicBooking on messaging, payments, and parental engagement.
• ParentPay Group (ParentMail): ParentPay/ParentMail is the dominant UK school payments and parent-comms platform, directly competing with MagicBooking in primary schools, MATs, and clubs on bookings, payments, and messaging.

Broad incumbents

• SIMS (Capita): SIMS is the largest UK school MIS, deeply embedded in primary schools and MATs. As a broad incumbent, it could expand into bookings and payments, putting MagicBooking's MIS-integrated modules at risk.
• Arbor Education: Arbor is a leading UK school MIS used by many primary schools and MATs. While broader than MagicBooking, it is a natural horizontal expansion vector into wraparound care, clubs, and payments.
• Brightwheel: Brightwheel is a US-leading childcare management platform with bookings, payments, and communication. It is a comparable vertical-SaaS model and an indicator of how the category can scale globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/magicbooking
• Facebookfacebook.com/magicbookingsystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newmagicbooking

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about magicbooking