Memberships are subscription products that bill customers automatically on a recurring basis. They're perfect for ongoing access models like monthly unlimited plans, weekly class limits, or special membership tiers.
Quick Start#
- Go to Admin > Products > Create Product
- Select Memberships
- Set your Product Name and Category
- Configure Price and Billing Interval
- Set Usage Limit per billing period
- Choose Activation and Renewal settings
- Click Create Product
Step-by-Step Setup#
Basic Information#
Product Name: Clear, descriptive names work best.
- Good: "Monthly Unlimited", "Weekly 4-Class Plan", "Intro Membership"
- Avoid: "subscription_001", "membership_a"
Category: Choose the appropriate category:
- Membership: Standard recurring plans
- Class Pass: Subscription-style passes
- Workshop: Recurring workshop series
- Other: Custom membership types
Pricing & Billing#
Price: Amount charged each billing period.
Billing Interval: How often customers are charged:
- Weekly: Every 1 week
- Every 2 Weeks: Bi-weekly billing
- Monthly: Every 1 month (most common)
- Every 3 Months: Quarterly billing
- Every 6 Months: Semi-annual billing
- Yearly: Annual subscriptions
Pro tip: Monthly billing is most popular and familiar to customers. Weekly works well for limited-access plans. Quarterly/annual plans improve cash flow but require larger upfront commitments.
Usage Limits#
Usage Limit Per Period: Maximum classes customers can book per billing cycle.
- Unlimited: Leave blank (most common for "unlimited" memberships)
- Limited: Set a number (4 classes per month, 2 per week, etc.)
When to use limits:
- Budget-friendly tiers: "4 Classes Monthly - $80"
- Intro offers: "2 Classes Weekly - $60"
- Premium tiers: Unlimited for higher price point
Membership Behavior Settings#
When Subscription Starts#
Immediate: Membership activates when customer purchases (default).
- Best for: Standard memberships, ongoing plans
- Billing: Starts immediately upon purchase
First Use: Membership activates when customer books their first class.
- Best for: Intro offers, trial periods
- Billing: Starts when they attend first class, not when purchased
Scheduled Start: All customers start on a specific date.
- Best for: Cohort programs, seasonal memberships
- Billing: Synchronized start dates for all members
- Requires: Fixed start date selection
Who Can Purchase (Eligibility)#
Everyone - No restrictions: Anyone can purchase (default).
- Most flexible option
- Allows repeat purchases and multiple concurrent memberships
Once Per Customer - Can only buy once: Each customer can purchase only once.
- Best for: One-time intro offers, trial memberships
- Requires: Fixed end date (no auto-renewal)
- Cannot: Auto-renew (automatically disabled)
First Subscription Only - New subscribers only: Only customers who have never had any subscription.
- Best for: New member specials, first-time offers
- More restrictive than "once per customer"
Renewal Settings#
Auto-Renewal: Whether the subscription continues automatically.
Auto-Renewal ON (default):
- Continues billing until customer cancels
- Most common for ongoing memberships
- Cannot have fixed end date
Auto-Renewal OFF:
- Stops after one billing cycle
- Requires manual renewal/repurchase
- Can have fixed end date
- Good for: Trial periods, limited-time offers
Fixed Date Options#
Fixed Start Date: When scheduled activation is selected.
- All customers start their membership on this date
- Useful for cohort programs, challenges, seasonal memberships
Fixed End Date: When membership automatically ends.
- Only available when auto-renewal is OFF
- Required for "once per customer" eligibility
- Good for: Trial memberships, seasonal programs, limited-time offers
Common Membership Examples#
Monthly Unlimited#
- Name: "Monthly Unlimited Membership"
- Price: $150/month
- Billing: Monthly
- Usage Limit: Unlimited (leave blank)
- Activation: Immediate
- Auto-Renewal: ON
- Eligibility: Everyone
Intro Membership#
- Name: "New Member Special - 2 Weeks Unlimited"
- Price: $30
- Billing: Every 2 weeks
- Usage Limit: Unlimited
- Activation: First Use
- Auto-Renewal: OFF
- Eligibility: First Subscription Only
- Fixed End Date: 2 weeks after start
Limited Monthly Plan#
- Name: "Flexible 8 - Monthly"
- Price: $120/month
- Billing: Monthly
- Usage Limit: 8 classes
- Activation: Immediate
- Auto-Renewal: ON
- Eligibility: Everyone
Seasonal Membership#
- Name: "Summer Unlimited - 3 Months"
- Price: $400
- Billing: Every 3 months
- Usage Limit: Unlimited
- Activation: Scheduled
- Fixed Start Date: June 1st
- Auto-Renewal: OFF
- Fixed End Date: August 31st
- Eligibility: Everyone
Trial Membership#
- Name: "7-Day Trial Membership"
- Price: $20
- Billing: Weekly
- Usage Limit: Unlimited
- Activation: First Use
- Auto-Renewal: OFF
- Eligibility: Once Per Customer
- Fixed End Date: 7 days after activation
Membership Rules & Logic#
Key Rules to Remember#
- Once Per Customer memberships must have fixed end dates and cannot auto-renew
- Auto-renewal ON means you cannot set a fixed end date
- Scheduled activation requires a fixed start date
- Fixed start dates synchronize all customers to the same billing cycle
- First use activation delays billing until customer actually books a class
Billing Behavior#
Immediate Activation: Customer is charged immediately and can book classes right away.
First Use Activation: Customer can purchase but isn't charged until they book their first class. Once they attend, their subscription starts and billing begins.
Scheduled Activation: Customer can purchase but subscription doesn't start until the fixed start date. They're charged on the start date.
Membership Pricing Strategy#
Monthly Memberships#
- Basic: $80-120 (limited classes)
- Standard: $120-180 (moderate limits or unlimited)
- Premium: $180-250+ (unlimited + perks)
Intro Offers#
- Week trial: $15-25
- Two weeks: $25-40
- Month intro: $50-80 (vs. $150+ regular)
Annual Memberships#
- Typically 10-20% discount vs. monthly
- Better cash flow, higher commitment
- Example: $1400/year vs. $150/month ($1800)
Best Practices#
Membership Structure#
- Start with one simple unlimited monthly option
- Add limited tiers if you want budget options
- Create intro offers to attract new customers
- Consider family or student discounts as separate products
Naming & Communication#
- Be clear about billing frequency and limits
- Include key terms in the name: "Monthly Unlimited", "Weekly 4-Class"
- Explain activation and renewal terms in descriptions
Trial Strategy#
- Use "first use" activation for trials to reduce commitment anxiety
- Set appropriate trial lengths (1-2 weeks is common)
- Make trial conversion easy with auto-upgrade options
Eligibility Management#
- Use "first subscription only" sparingly - can frustrate returning customers
- "Once per customer" works well for genuine one-time intro offers
- "Everyone" gives maximum flexibility but requires careful offer design
After Creating Your Membership#
Once created, your membership will:
- Appear in your Products list
- Be available for customer purchase (if active)
- Handle recurring billing automatically through Stripe
- Track usage against limits (if set)
- Manage activation based on your settings
Next Steps#
- Share your memberships storefront with members using the public product guide
- Test the purchase flow yourself
- Configure class booking restrictions if needed
- Set up customer communication about membership terms
- Monitor usage patterns and adjust limits if needed
Troubleshooting#
Membership not appearing: Check it's set to "Available for Purchase" and "prod" environment.
Billing not working: Verify Stripe integration is properly configured.
Usage limits not enforcing: Ensure membership is properly connected to your class booking system.
Customer confusion about terms: Add clear descriptions explaining billing, limits, and renewal terms.
Wrong billing frequency: Double-check interval selection - "Every 2 Weeks" vs "Weekly" vs "Monthly".
Need help with one-time bundles instead? Check out the Creating Bundles guide.