Knowledge BaseRenewals and payments
Recurring memberships renew on a billing cycle and charge the member's card automatically. Staff follow up unpaid renewals and change prices and renewal dates for current members.
A recurring membership renews at the end of each billing period, and the member pays for the next one. How long a member is bound to pay is set in the contract settings, and free and discounted periods in pricing and trials.
Billing cycle
A membership billed in months renews on the same day every month, the day the member joined or their trial ended. A member who joins on 10 January renews on 10 February, 10 March and so on. Choose months when you promise a monthly price. A membership billed in days counts days. It fits an offer counted in days, such as a ten-day pass that renews.
Automatic charging
With automatic charging on, each renewal is charged to the member's saved card. The member turns it on at checkout with Use my selected card for future renewals., or later in the app or on the web. Staff can turn on Charge renewals to the member's card under Manage member → Automatic charging for a member with a saved card.
Members who joined without a card payment, such as through a free trial, credits, an employee benefit, the POS or Add user to membership, start with automatic charging off. When a renewal falls due without automatic charging, or the card is declined, Thril sends the member a payment request by email and push notification, and they pay in the app. The members list shows Charge unpaid until then, and the member keeps their benefits.
A paid renewal grants any credits or session cards the membership gives on renewal.
Unpaid renewals
A renewal still unpaid a week after it fell due ends an open-ended membership without a notice period.
A member who still owes periods through a fixed contract, a minimum commitment or a notice period keeps the membership and the debt. Until they pay, they can't make reservations at the membership's venues, and door access through the membership pauses. The block covers a guardian and their other children when the guardian pays for the child's membership. Thril tells the member when the block starts and when it lifts.
To keep a member whose renewal failed, look for Charge unpaid in the members list and contact them within the week. The Failed renewal payment workflow template emails the member when their bookings are blocked and asks staff whether to offer credits. Grow memberships puts this together with trials and pauses.
Blocking events too
Ban members with an unpaid membership payment in Settings → Memberships also blocks events, classes, leagues and tournaments at the same venues until the member pays. Their upcoming bookings there are cancelled and the places go to the waiting list. Refund for canceled bookings decides whether the member gets their money back for them: not at all, to the original payment method, or as credits. It is one of the customer bans.
Invoicing unpaid periods
With Amili, a membership with a contract, a minimum commitment or a notice period can have Invoice unpaid periods on. A period still unpaid after a week is invoiced through Amili, with reminders and debt collection.
Changing the price or billing cycle for current members
Current members keep the price and billing cycle they joined with. Update existing members gives active and upcoming members the membership's current price and billing cycle from their next renewal. Before you confirm, it shows how many members change and who pays the new price in the next 30 days. A queued introductory or goodwill price is charged first.
A billing cycle change applies to members without a period-based pause or remaining contract periods. A price change reaches every member. Tell members about the new price before their next renewal.
| If you want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Change the price for new members | Edit the membership |
| Give all current members the new price and cycle | Update existing members |
| Change some members' price for good | Select them in the members list and choose Edit membership price |
| Give one member a free or cheaper period for a while | Goodwill pricing |
| Stop charging and stop benefits during an absence | A pause |
| Return money for a payment already made | A refund of the payment |
Changing the renewal date
Change renewal date in the member's details moves their next renewal to today or later, and every later renewal follows. On a monthly cycle, the new day becomes the member's renewal day. Let the member know about the new date.
Deferred payment
A one-time membership with Enforce payments later lets customers join before they pay. They get their benefits straight away, with the payment status Payment due later. To collect:
- Check the membership's price. Members pay the price the membership has when you make payments due.
- Turn off Enforce payments later on the membership.
- Select Mark payments as due. Every member's status changes to Payment due, and Thril asks them to pay in the app.
Members who still don't pay can be removed from the membership.
Reservation and event restrictions
Restrictions cap how many reservations and event registrations a member can hold, and decide whether a member past the limit is blocked or pays the standard price.
Contracts and cancellation
Recurring memberships can have fixed contracts, minimum commitments and notice periods. Members cancel in the app or through your venue, and Thril reminds them before the contract ends.