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Membership Fees

If your group charges for membership, this guide explains how to set up and manage membership fees, billing cycles, and member payments.

Setting Up Membership Fees​

Enable Paid Membership​

When creating or editing your group:

  1. Go to Settings > Membership
  2. Select Paid Membership
  3. Configure your pricing options

Pricing Options​

Price

  • Set the amount members pay
  • Consider your group's expenses and value provided

Billing Cycle

Choose how often members are charged:

CycleBest For
MonthlyGroups with ongoing expenses, members who prefer smaller payments
AnnualGroups wanting predictable income, members who want to pay once

You can offer both options and let members choose.

Annual Discount​

Encourage annual subscriptions by offering a discount:

  • Annual price should be less than 12x monthly
  • Example: $10/month or $100/year (saves $20)
  • Provides more predictable income for your group

How Member Billing Works​

Initial Payment​

When a member joins:

  1. They see your membership options (monthly/annual)
  2. They select their preferred billing cycle
  3. Payment is processed immediately
  4. Membership begins right away

Automatic Renewals​

Memberships renew automatically:

  1. System charges the member's saved payment method
  2. Membership continues uninterrupted
  3. Member receives a receipt via email

Renewal Reminders​

Before renewal:

  • Members receive a reminder email (typically 7 days before)
  • They can update their payment method if needed
  • They can cancel before being charged

Managing Member Payments​

View Payment Status​

See which members have paid:

  1. Go to Members
  2. View membership status for each member:
    • Active - Current on payments
    • Past Due - Payment failed or overdue
    • Cancelled - Membership cancelled

Handle Failed Payments​

When a payment fails:

  1. The member is notified via email
  2. Stripe automatically retries the charge
  3. After multiple failures, membership may be paused
  4. Member can update payment method and retry

Grace Period​

Consider offering a grace period for failed payments:

  • Allows members time to fix payment issues
  • Prevents immediate access loss
  • Configure in your group settings

Changing Membership Prices​

Raise Prices​

To increase your membership fee:

  1. Go to Settings > Membership
  2. Update the price
  3. Choose how to apply:
    • New members only - Existing members keep current rate
    • All members at renewal - Everyone pays new rate at next renewal
Communicate Price Changes

Notify members before changing prices. Good practice is 30 days notice for increases.

Lower Prices​

To decrease your membership fee:

  • Update the price in settings
  • New members pay the new lower rate
  • Consider whether to apply to existing members

Membership Tiers​

Multiple Membership Levels​

Some groups offer different membership tiers:

Example:

  • Basic - $5/month - Access to events
  • Standard - $10/month - Events + member directory
  • Premium - $20/month - All features + priority registration

Currently, Homeschool Hive supports a single membership fee per group. For multiple tiers, consider:

  • Creating separate groups for different levels
  • Using event pricing to differentiate access
  • Contacting support about your specific needs

Member Experience​

What Members See​

When joining a paid group:

  1. Group page shows membership price
  2. "Join" button starts the payment flow
  3. They select billing cycle (if you offer both)
  4. Enter or select payment method
  5. Complete payment
  6. Immediately gain access

Managing Their Membership​

Members can:

  • View their membership status in the group
  • See their next renewal date
  • Update their payment method
  • Cancel their membership

Cancellations​

When Members Cancel​

If a member cancels:

  • They retain access until the end of their paid period
  • They won't be charged again
  • They can rejoin later if they choose

Refund Policy​

Decide your refund policy:

No Refunds

  • Member cancels but keeps access until end of period
  • No money returned

Prorated Refunds

  • Calculate remaining time
  • Refund that portion
  • Good for annual memberships

Full Refunds

  • Return entire payment
  • Usually within a time window (e.g., first 7 days)

Configure your policy and communicate it clearly to members.

Processing Refunds​

To refund a membership:

  1. Go to Members
  2. Find the member
  3. View their membership details
  4. Click Refund
  5. Enter refund amount
  6. Confirm

Reporting​

Membership Revenue​

Track your membership income:

  1. Go to Settings > Payments or Analytics
  2. View:
    • Total active memberships
    • Monthly recurring revenue
    • Payment history
    • Failed payment count

Export Data​

Download membership data:

  • Member list with payment status
  • Payment history
  • Export to CSV for your records

Free Trial Periods​

Currently, Homeschool Hive doesn't support automatic free trials. Workarounds:

  • Set group as free initially, then change to paid
  • Manually add members for a trial period
  • Create a separate "trial" group

What's Next?​

  1. Manage members - Handle member requests and roles
  2. Generate scholarship invoices - For scholarship families
  3. View analytics - Track group performance