Offer Settings Overview

Offer settings allow you to tailor how and when members are billed and when their membership begins. These settings are particularly useful for aligning billing cycles, managing proration, and supporting region-specific requirements.

Payment Timing Settings

These settings impact when a member is first billed and how future billing aligns.

Standard Setup (No Special Settings Applied)

If no payment or date settings are used and a member joins on October 6, the key dates would be:

• First Payment Due: October 6, 2023
• Membership Start: October 6, 2023
• Expiration: October 6, 2024
• Optional Renewal Start: October 6, 2024 (if renewed on time)
• Optional Renewal Payment Due: October 6, 2024

If a member renews after the expiration date, their new membership begins from the renewal date and billing starts from that date.

Aligned Billing with Prorated Dues

Use when: You want all members billed on the same day each month, starting with a prorated charge at sign-up.

Example:

• First Full Payment Day: 1st of the month
• Join Date: October 6
• First Full Payment Due: November 1, 2023
• Start Date: October 6, 2023
• Expiration: November 1, 2024
• Prorated Charge: Covers October 6 – October 31
• Renewal Start: November 1, 2024
• Renewal First Payment Due: November 1, 2024

This setup ensures the member pays for their initial access upfront and aligns with a standard billing cycle moving forward.

Calendar Billing (No Proration)

Use when: You want billing to always happen on a specific date of the month, with no prorated dues at sign-up.

Example:

• Fixed Billing Day: 15th of each month
• Join Date: October 6
• First Payment Due: October 15, 2023
• Start Date: October 6, 2023
• Expiration: October 6, 2024
• No prorated charge
• Renewal Start: October 6, 2024
• Renewal First Payment Due: October 15, 2024

This approach is often used in regions with specific billing regulations (e.g., Quebec), where only 12 full payments per year are permitted.

Payment Date Offset

Use when: You want to delay the first payment to avoid billing members for sign-up fees and dues in the same month.

Example:

• Offset Applied: 30 days
• Join Date: October 6
• First Payment Due: November 5, 2023
• Start Date: October 6, 2023
• Expiration: October 6, 2024

This setup is often used in sales-driven environments. The first month's dues can be collected separately at point of sale, helping with employee commissions and simplifying first payments.

Fixed First Payment Date

Use when: You want to start billing on a specific calendar date, often for pre-sales or seasonal memberships.

Example:

• Fixed First Payment Date: October 31, 2023
• Join Date: October 6
• First Payment Due: October 31, 2023
• Start Date: October 6, 2023
• Expiration: October 6, 2024

This is ideal when sign-ups happen ahead of a future gym opening, class start, or seasonal term. It also ensures all members are billed on the same future date, regardless of when they join.

Membership Start Date Settings

These settings affect when the membership officially begins, separate from when billing occurs.

Start Date Options

• Fixed Start Date: Membership begins on a specific calendar date (e.g., June 1) regardless of sign-up date.
• Start Date Offset: Membership begins a certain number of days after sign-up (e.g., 7 days later).

Using Multiple Settings

Keep in mind that it is not recommended to use more than one of the following at the same time, as they may conflict:

• First Full Payment Day
• Fixed First Payment Date
• Payment Date Offset

Each setting is designed to solve a specific billing need, so selecting the one that aligns best with your business goals will provide the clearest results.