More information

Linked Memberships and Subscriptions

Member Type

Member types are used to identify the different types of memberships within an association. Member types may have different dues rates, benefits, discounts, and other privileges associated with them. Member types are often set-up from the Association Profile of the Association that will manage them.

Example: Full member, associate member, affiliate member, student member, honorary member

Adding a Member Type

Note: In addition to the method described below, you can add Member Types from the Association Profile page, member type child form.

To Add a Member Type:
  1. Go to the Membership Setup page.
  2. On the member types child form, click the Add Record button. The Add—Member Type form displays.
  3. Enter or select the Member Type Information:
    • association: You must select the Association that you are creating the Member Type for. (Required)
    • member type: The name of your new Member Type. (Required)
    • description: Used to describe your new Member Type if desired. In the example above is used to further explain the membership and its purpose, for example. (Optional)
    • customer type: What type of customer may purchase the Membership the Member Type will be used for. If blank, both organizations and individuals may purchase any Membership Package the Member Type is included in. (Optional)
    • receives members benefits check box: Defaults to selected

      Note: selecting this box automatically entitles the customers to all of the benefits you have added to the membership package.

    • benefit flow down check box: Selected if benefits flow down should apply for this Member Type. For example, if an organization is a member of this Member Type, the individuals affiliated with the organization will receive the same benefits the organization does through the relationship.
  4. Enter or select Chapter Use Only Information. (Optional)
    • chapter member type check box: Selected if the Member Type will also be a Chapter Type. This will then make this Member Type a Chapter Type as well and enable you to create Chapter Memberships with it.
    • chapter: Select the Chapter the Chapter Type will be associated to. Note: If you have not created your Chapter Type, this drop-down will be blank. Further, if you intend this Chapter Type to be linked with a National member type, you must ensure that the Membership Dues Information section of each matches. That is, that both are calendar type memberships, etc. For more information on linked memberships, view the topic on Linked Memberships and Subscriptions.
  5. Enter or select Membership Dates Information. (Required)
    • update dates when: When a member joins or updates his/her membership to your association, you need to decide how the membership dates are updated within netFORUM. You do this through the value you assign in the update dates drop-down field. Depending upon what value you enter here, the member's join, effective, and expiration membership dates are affected accordingly as described below:
    1. First Payment: The member dates are updated when the member makes a payment toward the invoice created for member dues.
    2. Percent Paid: The member dates are updated when the member pays the percentage that you specify in the percent paid field toward the invoice created for member dues.
    3. Invoice Created: The member dates are updated when the invoice created for member dues is processed (even if not paid). The invoice must be a terms invoice, and not a proforma invoice.
    4. Invoice Batch Closed: The member dates are not updated until the invoice created for member dues is placed into a batch and the batch is closed and posted.
    • percent paid: This field is used in addition with the update dates drop-down when you use percent paid as a value. Use the percent paid field to dictate what percent must be paid by the member before the membership dates are updated. Values may be:
      • Total Invoice Amount: The percentage paid must be a portion of the total invoice amount. For example, 100% of the total invoice amount must be paid before the member dates are updated. View the Installment Payments for Memberships section below for full details.
      • First Installment Amount: If Installment Payments have been set-up, then the percentage paid must be a portion of the first installment amount paid. For example, 100% of the first installment must be paid before the member dates are updated.
    • invoice type: The invoice type drop-down field is also required and specifies what type of invoices you want your association to generate when dealing with memberships. Specifically:
    1. prepaid: Selecting prepaid means that payment is received with the invoice (immediately).
    2. terms: Selecting terms for your invoice type means that payment must be made within a specified time period such as 30 or 60 days from the date the invoice.
    3. proforma: Selecting proforma means that the invoice will be provided in advance without guarantee of payment. This also means that Accounts Receivables will not be updated immediately since a proforma invoice can only turn into a "hard" invoice and be counted as revenue only after a payment is made. Proforma is generally the default invoice for renewals.
    • grace period: This field enables you to specify a period of time that you would like to give members to pay their dues beyond their expiration date while keeping their membership status set to active. The grace period is the time period after a membership expires and before a payment is made. During this time the member continues to receive benefits. When the grace period is up, if the member has not renewed, the membership will be canceled.
  6. Enter or select the appropriate Membership Dues Information.

    To set-up calendar-based dues:

    1. Select the calendar checkbox.
    2. Start month: Enter a numerical value for the month you want your dues to start. For example, enter 01 for January.
    3. Sell for next year after month: This field is used to designate the cut-off month per year when membership sales should be rolled to the next year. For example, you may decide that after the 10th month of every year (October), all membership sales will be sold for the next year. For this scenario to occur, a 10 is placed in this field. This means that your association would sell next year [memberships] after month 10.
    4. Sell for next year after day: Once you have designated what month your next year's memberships will begin, you can then specify what day to begin as well. Using the example above, entering a 31 (if you want to make sure the entire month of October is completed) will begin the next year's sales exactly on November 1st.

    To set-up anniversary-based dues:

    1. Clear the calendar year checkbox (if selected).
    2. Sell next month after day: This field is used to designate the cut-off day per month when membership sales should be rolled to the next month. For example, you may decide that after the 15th of every month, all membership sales should be effective on the 1st day of the following month. For this scenario to occur, a 15 is placed in this field. This means that your association would sell next month [memberships] after day 15 of the current month.
    3. Set dates based on payment date checkbox: Select this checkbox if you would like for the new membership term to be based on the date the member paid (instead of when they are invoiced)
  7. Complete the Calendar and Anniversary Dues start day and month which is an optional value and is the membership effective date. This field selects the day and month to start a new cycle depending upon if you use calendar or anniversary based dues. So, for example, if a 1 is placed here, new membership dates will be the 1st of every month for anniversary-based dues. For calendar-based dues, specify both the day and month numerically for a new cycle by placing a 1, for example, if you want the cycle to begin on January 1st.

    Note: As mentioned above, if you intend this for this Member Type to be linked with a National Member Type (if it is a Chapter), you must ensure that the Membership Dues Information section of each type matches. That is, that both are calendar type memberships, etc. For more information on linked memberships, view the topic on Linked Memberships and Subscriptions

  8. Click Save to save the Member Type.

Managing a Member Type

Navigating to a Member Type Profile

The Member Type Profile is displayed once you have entered a new Member Type into the netFORUM application. If you want to navigate to and view a specific profile page:

  • Click on the Membership module from the Module Menu drop-down.
  • On the Group Item menu, click Overview. You can then choose to List Member Types.

Depending upon which Member Type you choose, its Member Type Profile will display.

The Member Type Profile

Adding a member type creates the Member Type Profile. The Member Type Profile page displays:

  • Association name
  • Member type (name)
  • Customer type
  • Whether or not this is a chapter member type, whether or not there is a benefit flow down, and whether or not member benefits are received
  • Dues information (calendar or anniversary based start and sell dates)
  • Dates information (When member dates update and grace period information if applicable)

The Member Type Profile has two tabs, Members and Setup that enable you to view a list of members of that member type and set-up member type dependencies. Both are discussed in more detail below.

The Members Tab and Child Form

The Members tab and child form lists all members of that member type. Also included are Member Status, Customer Type (i.e., if the member type is an individual/organization Member Type or Chapter Member Type or all of the above), the Join Date, the Effective Date, and the Expire Date of the Member Type. The screen shot below demonstrates a sample members child form on a Member Type Profile.

The Setup Tab and Member Type Dependencies Child Form

The Setup tab contains the member type dependencies child form. On this child form you are able to specify a dependency for this Member Type. A relationship is called a member type dependency when the membership depends on being a member of another membership group. To add a dependent Member Type, click the Add Record button and select the dependent Member Type in the resulting drop-down menu. For more detailed information on this subject, view .

Installment Payments for Memberships

Membership dues can also be set up as installment payment transactions. The steps to purchase a membership using the installment payments option are the same as listed COE>Setting Up Installment Payments.

When a membership is purchased using the installment payments type of payment, the organization must decide when they want the membership to become active. The organization can choose to change the status to active when the entire balance is paid off, a percentage of the entire balance is paid off, or a percentage of the first installment is paid.

To set the status change for a member type when a percentage of the first installment is paid, complete the following steps:

  1. Expand the Module Menu to see a list of all netFORUM modules.
  2. Click the Membership link to open the Membership module.
  3. Click the Membership Setup link to open the Membership Setup page.
  4. Expand the member types child form.
  5. Click the Goto go to icon next to the member type that will allow the status change to active once a percentage of the first installment is paid.

    This will open the member type profile page.

  6. Click the Edit button located in the Membership Dates Information section of the profile page.

    This will open the Edit - Member Type pop-up window.

  7. Expand the updates dates when drop-down menu.
  8. Choose the Percent Paid option. This will make the percent paid fields visible.
  9. Enter the required percentage of the first payment amount to be paid, before the membership will become active in the percent paid field.
  10. Expand the % of 1st Invoice Total or drop-down menu.

    There are two choices available in the % of 1st Invoice Total or drop-down menu.

    • Total Payment Due - dates will flip when the percentage of the total amount due on the membership is paid.
    • First Payment Due - dates will flip when the percentage of the amount due on the first schedule is met.
  11. Select the desired option from the % of 1st Invoice Total or drop-down menu.
  12. Click the Save button.

    In the example shown above, you can see that after 100% of the first installment is paid, the membership dates will update and the membership will become active.

FAQ

  • When setting up Member Type in the Membership module why can't I see the List - Member Types page?

This is a bug in netFORUM as of 2006.02.01. However, the work around is to change the user preference option 'Auto redirect from lists with only 1 record:' to 'No'. Then after adding at least two member types, you can change it back to 'Yes'. Once more than 1 record exists in the Member Types table you should be able to get to the List - Member Types page

Terminology

Join Date

The date the member submits the membership application and payment.

Example: a membership term might run from January 1 through December 31, but if the member submits the application and payment on May 10, the member's join date is May 10. The join date conditions are defined while setting up a member type (membership is valid when certain conditions are met).

Drop Status

The drop status is used to indicate that a member type has been dropped or terminated.

To add a drop status:

1. Go to the Member Type Profile.

2. Click the Edit button.

3. Select the drop status check box.

Membership Activation Terms

The accounting condition that determines when the membership is officially "active" (the update dates when drop-down list).

  • Invoice Batch Closed - the membership will be activated when the batch the membership is in is closed.
  • First Payment - the membership will be activated when any payment amount is received and entered into the system.
  • Percent Paid - the membership will be activated when the specified percentage of the balance due, or first installment is paid.
  • Invoice Created - the membership is activated when the invoice is created.

If none of these is appropriate, a custom procedure can be created using the FlipMembershipDatesMethod system option.

Member Benefits

Selecting the receives member benefits check box indicates that the person is a member (this is also the Individual Profile page). An example of when this check box would NOT be selected is for a trial membership.

Benefits Flow Down

A member is receiving member benefits because the organization they are associated with is a member.

Membership Flow Down, also known as inherited membership or proxy membership, is configured based on having the benefit flow down checked on the member type.

Membership flows down in the following way:

  • Organization to Organization Relationship - this will enable a subsidiary to inherit membership from a parent organization, as long as the relationship type code has the membership flow down checkbox checked.
  • Individual to Individual Relationship - this will enable an individual to inherit membership from another individual, as long as the relationship type has the membership flow down checkbox checked.
  • Individual to Organization Relationship - this will enable an individual to inherit membership from an organization to which they have an active relationship, so long as the relationship type has the membership flow down checkbox checked.

Example: The General Motors organization purchases membership with a member type that has membership flow down enabled. Buick has an Organization Relationship to GM with a relationship type that has membership flow down. John Doe has an Individual Organization Relationship to Buick with a relationship type has has membership flow down. Based on this setup, John Doe will receive member benefits by way of Buick, which receives member benefits by way of GM. Meanwhile, Jane Smith also has a relationship with Buick, but her relationship code does not have membership flow down checked. Jane will not receive member benefits (unless she is a member herself or receives member benefits from some other customer). Similarly, Hummer has an Organization Relationship to GM, but with a relationship type that does not have membership flow down checked. Hummer, therefore, will not receive member benefits, nor will its employees.

Note that if individuals or organizations have multiple relationships, where both relationship types allow benefit flowdown, to the same organization, and the organization has one or more memberships that allow benefit flowdown, then the child ind/org will receive flowdown memberships for each relationship with that organization. For example, HisOrg has a membership to Mem1, and that membership allows benefit flowdown. John Smith has two relationships to HisOrg, and both relationship types allow benefit flowdown. John Smith will receive 2 memberships to Mem1 through membership flowdown - one for each relationship to HisOrg. If HisOrg adds a new membership, like Mem2 which also allows benefit flowdown, John Smith will receive 2 additional memberships for Mem2 through membership flowdown.

Invoice Types

Proforma is the default for renewal invoices.

  • Prepaid - payment is received with the invoice (i.e., payment is immediate).
  • Terms - payment must be made under certain terms. For example, a terms invoice might require that payment be received within 30 days of the date on the invoice.
  • Proforma - invoice is provided in advance, without a guarantee of payment. Only after payment is made, can a proforma invoice turn into a "hard" invoice and be accounted for as revenue. Proforma is the default for renewal invoices.

Calendar-based Dues

Memberships that run for 12 months e.g. January through December. Calendar-based dues may be prorated.

Anniversary-based Dues

Memberships that begin the month a person joins and end the same month a year later (or if it is a two-year membership, the same month, two years later). Anniversary-based dues can NOT be prorated.