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
- Under Classes, select Membership
- Set your Name and Membership Type
- Configure Price and Billing Frequency
- Set Usage Limit per billing period (or leave blank for unlimited)
- Configure Starts When and Who Can Purchase settings
- Click Create Product
Step-by-Step Setup#
Basic Information#
Name: Clear, descriptive names work best.
- Good: "Monthly Unlimited", "Weekly 4-Class Plan", "Intro Membership"
- Avoid: "subscription_001", "membership_a"
Membership Type: Choose the appropriate type:
- Unlimited: No class limits per period
- Limited: Capped number of classes per billing cycle
- Trial: Short-term intro offers
- Other: Custom membership types
Pricing & Billing#
Price: Amount charged each billing period.
Billing Frequency: 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
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: 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#
Starts When#
Controls when the membership activates and billing begins.
On Purchase (default): Membership activates when customer purchases.
- Best for: Standard memberships, ongoing plans
- Billing: Starts immediately upon purchase
First Class Booked: Membership activates when customer books their first class.
- Best for: Intro offers, trial periods
- Billing: Starts when they book their first class, not when purchased
Fixed Date: All customers start on a specific date.
- Best for: Cohort programs, seasonal memberships
- Billing: Synchronized start dates for all members
- Requires: Start date selection
Who Can Purchase#
Controls eligibility for purchasing this membership.
Everyone (default): Anyone can purchase.
- Most flexible option
- Allows repeat purchases and multiple concurrent memberships
Once Per Customer: Each customer can purchase only once.
- Best for: Limited eligibility campaigns where each person should only buy this membership once
- Membership still renews on its billing interval until cancelled
- For fixed-duration offers (for example "2 weeks only"), create a Bundle instead
New Members Only: Only customers who have never had any subscription.
- Best for: New member specials, first-time offers
- More restrictive than "once per customer"
Renewal behavior#
Memberships renew automatically by default. Customers keep their subscription until they cancel.
If you want a product with a fixed end date or a one-time access period, create a Bundle instead of a membership.
Date Options#
Start Date: When "Fixed Date" activation is selected.
- All customers start their membership on this date
- Useful for cohort programs, challenges, seasonal memberships
There is no end date field for memberships.
Common Membership Examples#
Monthly Unlimited#
- Name: "Monthly Unlimited Membership"
- Price: $150/month
- Billing Frequency: Monthly
- Usage Limit: Unlimited (leave blank)
- Starts When: On Purchase
- Who Can Purchase: Everyone
New Member Intro (Recurring)#
- Name: "New Member Special - First Month"
- Price: $59/month
- Billing Frequency: Monthly
- Usage Limit: Unlimited
- Starts When: First Class Booked
- Who Can Purchase: New Members Only
- Renewal: Recurs monthly until cancelled
Limited Monthly Plan#
- Name: "Flexible 8 - Monthly"
- Price: $120/month
- Billing Frequency: Monthly
- Usage Limit: 8 classes
- Starts When: On Purchase
- Who Can Purchase: Everyone
Annual Membership#
- Name: "Annual Unlimited Membership"
- Price: $1400/year
- Billing Frequency: Yearly
- Usage Limit: Unlimited
- Starts When: On Purchase
- Who Can Purchase: Everyone
Cohort Start Membership#
- Name: "Challenge Membership"
- Price: $119/month
- Billing Frequency: Monthly
- Usage Limit: 12 classes
- Starts When: Fixed Date
- Start Date: June 1st
- Who Can Purchase: Everyone
Membership Rules & Logic#
Key Rules to Remember#
- Memberships are recurring subscriptions and renew until cancelled
- Memberships do not support a fixed end date
- Fixed Date activation requires a start date
- Start dates synchronize all customers to the same billing cycle
- First Class Booked activation delays billing until customer actually books a class
- Use a Bundle for one-time or fixed-duration offers
Billing Behavior#
On Purchase: Customer is charged immediately and can book classes right away.
First Class Booked: Customer can purchase but isn't charged until they book their first class. Once they book, their subscription starts and billing begins.
Fixed Date: Customer can purchase but subscription doesn't start until the 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 to reduce commitment anxiety
- Offer a discounted first month with clear renewal terms
- Use bundles for short fixed-duration trials
Eligibility Management#
- Use "first subscription only" sparingly - can frustrate returning customers
- "Once per customer" works well for limited eligibility recurring offers
- "Everyone" gives maximum flexibility but requires careful offer design
Legacy products#
If you created non-recurring memberships in the past, migrate those offers to bundles. Memberships now follow recurring subscription behavior.
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.