Member Dues Collection, Renewals, and Notifications

How to Collect Member Dues with Membership Levels

Collecting dues through membership levels allows you to offer paid and lifetime/one-time payment memberships with the option to set up automatically recurring payments. This is ideal for annual club dues, monthly services, and other ongoing membership-related payments.

Create a paid membership level

Create a one-time/lifetime membership payment level

Prorate new-member dues

Assign existing members to a membership level/record offline payments

Create a paid membership level

1. Click Membership on the left navigation bar
2. Select Manage Membership Levels from the submenu
3. Use the dropdown menu to select My Group Has Membership Levels
4. Click Add a Membership Level near the bottom left

5. Title your level (Example: "Platinum")

6. Use the dropdown menu to select if level is Free or Paid
7. If paid, use the dropdown menu to select the interval of membership billing 
8. Set a price

• If you decide to have your members, rather than your group, absorb the transaction fees, you will need to calculate the total fee and add it to the price of your membership level. Learn more: How to Calculate the Total Transaction Fee

9. Set billing date by selecting an option from the dropdown in the Period column

• The billing date can be based on a member's join date (Ex. A member joined on the 3rd of the month, and will be billed membership dues every 3rd of the month) or a specific date (Ex. Members will be billed on the date you specify, regardless of their join date).

10. Check Pro-Rate if you intend to prorate the join period to sync with standard billing dates

• For details on prorating new membership, see Prorate New-Member Dues.

11. In the Renewal column, select the dropdown to choose whether members are enrolled in auto-pay or manual pay for each renewal period:

• Auto-Pay or Manual: Selection gives members the option to auto-pay or manually opt in each renewal period.
• Manual Only: Members must opt in each renewal period.
• Auto-Pay Only: Re-enrolls members each renewal period.

12. Add a description for your level

• This is a good place to educate members about how this level differs from other options. Click Add/Edit to include a description or images.

Recommended: Add membership reminders by clicking the gear icon on the row of the level you wish to edit, then select Edit in the dropdown menu.

Scroll down to the Reminders section, then click Edit on any of the fields that specify a time frame to customize the action to be automatically taken.

Note: All notifications are set to the default No Actions Selected, except for the renewal confirmation, meaning that you must enable an action.

In your Late & Missed Renewal actions, you have the option to automatically change members’ type, change members’ level, and change member’s status to lapsed by clicking the applicable checkboxes. You can also choose to notify the member and group leaders of these changes.

14. Click Save and Close when finished

• Repeat steps 4 - 14 to add another membership level.

15. When you've added all member levels, click Save & Close

Create a one-time/lifetime membership payment level

To set up a one-time joining fee, simply create a one-time payment membership level. Some groups call this a lifetime membership.  

1. Create a paid membership level (steps 1 - 6 listed above)
2. Use the dropdown menu under Period and select One-time Payment
3. Add a description for your level

• This is a good place to educate members about how this level differs from other options.

4. Click Add/Edit to include images
5. Click Save & Close or Add a Membership Level to create another option
6. When you've added all member levels, click Save & Close

Prorate new-member dues

You have the option to prorate members' dues for their first payment period upon joining your group. Normal billing will resume for all subsequent periods. Prorating only applies to the joining period; it does not apply to the last period if a member decides to terminate membership early.

If you are creating a new membership level:

1.  On the left navigation bar, click Membership
2.  Click Membership Levels
3.  Use the dropdown menu to select My Group Uses Membership Levels
4.  Select Add a Membership Level

• Follow the steps listed in Create a Paid Membership Level for more detailed information.

5. In the second dropdown menu in the Period column, select specific date

• Options to specify the date and prorate payments will appear.

6. Select the specific date for your membership join period
7.  Click the checkbox to Prorate Payments

If you are editing an existing membership level:

1. Click Membership on the left navigation bar
2. Select Manage Membership Levels
3. Click the gear icon to the right of the membership level
4. Select Edit in the dropdown menu

5. Select Specific Date and click the Prorate Payments box

Assign existing members to a membership level/record offline payments

When you’re getting your group set up on memberplanet, you may have members who have already made their membership payments. You may also have those who prefer to make cash or check payments for their membership. You can record offline payments for your members, or assign them to membership levels. As an admin you are also able to omit offline payments when generating reports. This is helpful if you want to separate the two types of payments and keep online payment reports accurate.

To assign a level (which will NOT show in your payment reports)

1. Click Membership in the left navigation bar
2. Select Assign Membership Levels

3. Click on Assign Without Payment

4. Select a membership level that the member(s) will be assigned to
5. Enter the paid through date (MM/DD/YYYY)
6. Choose the member(s) that will be assigned to the level you chose, or click All Members for it to be assigned to everyone
7. After you’ve finished either recording your offline transaction, or assigning a level, click the Assign Level button

To record an offline transaction while assigning a level (which will show in payment reports)

1. Click Membership on the left navigation bar
2. Select Assign Membership Levels in the submenu
3. Select a membership level that the member(s) will be assigned to (your selection will automatically populate the amount)
4. Choose a payment method
5. Enter the payment date (MM/DD/YYYY) and the paid through date
6. Add a memo (optional)
7. Choose the member(s) that will be assigned to this level that you want to record the offline payment for, or click All Members for it to be assigned to everyone

How to Edit Automatic Renewal Notices

Custom renewal notices allow admins to remind members of either upcoming renewal payments, or to notify them of a missed renewal payment. These notices are available for each member level in your group and are based on each member’s join date. Admins can enable and tailor these notices for a greater impact.

To enable and edit custom renewal reminders:

Note: your group must have membership levels set up in order to send automatic renewal and payment reminders.

1. Hover over Membership in the left-hand navigation bar
2. Click on Manage Member Levels
3. Click the gear icon beside the member level you want to enable or edit renewal reminders for
4. Select Edit from the dropdown menu

• You can send up to 3 automated reminders before a member’s renewal date.

5. Click Edit on the reminder you want to enable or update

• The default reminders are set to 14 days, 7 days, and on the member's renewal date. You can customize each of them to your preferred number of days away by clicking Edit on each reminder box and changing the number.
• You can also choose to send the reminder notice to the specific member.
• The day of renewal is not counted - I.e. If a notice is set to be sent out 14 days before renewal date of the 15th of the month, the notice would be sent on the 1st of the month. 

6. Once you’ve completed your date and delivery selections click Save & Close

To enable and edit renewal reminders for late and missed renewals:

1. Click on Edit beside the If not renewed within box you want to edit

• The day of renewal is not counted - I.e. If the notice/action is set to be sent/taken 7 days after renewal date on the 20th of the month if a member has not renewed, it will be sent/taken on the 27th of the month.

2. Add the number of days after missed payment you want the notice to be sent
3. Check the box beside the action you want to take place after that many days have passed the member's renewal date

4. Click Save & Close when complete

• Admins can send up to 2 late and miss payment renewal notices.

How to Record an Offline Payment for Membership Dues

You can easily collect offline payments for your group to ensure they're recorded accurately and will reflect in your online accounting.

1. Hover over Membership tab in the left-hand navigation bar
2. Click on Assign Membership Levels
3. Select the level you're collecting offline funds for and the payment type

4. Enter the payment date, paid through date, as well as any additional memos
5. Click the box beside the name of the member you're recording a payment for
6. When complete, click Assign Level