# Membership pauses (/en/businesses/shop/memberships/pauses)

A membership pause suspends one member's benefits without ending their membership, for a holiday, an injury or a season away. There are two types:

- A **date-based pause** suspends benefits for exact calendar dates. It works on recurring and one-time memberships, and it can also pause recurring payments or extend the membership.
- A **period-based pause** skips whole billing periods of a recurring membership. Benefits and charges pause together.

Choose the type by what you agreed with the member. Staff schedule pauses with **Pause by dates** or **Pause upcoming periods** on the **Pauses** tab under **Manage member**, which also shows the member's pause history. Members see the pause and when it ends in the app and on the web. Tell them what you agreed.

<Cards>
  <Card
    title="Date-based pauses"
    href="/businesses/shop/memberships/pauses/date-based"
    description="Pause benefits for exact dates, with separate choices for recurring payments and membership extension."
  />
  <Card
    title="Period-based pauses"
    href="/businesses/shop/memberships/pauses/period-based"
    description="Skip complete recurring billing periods and decide how they count toward a fixed contract."
  />
</Cards>

## Exact dates or whole billing periods [#exact-dates-or-whole-billing-periods]

| If you want to...                                           | Use                                                                      | Why                                                                   |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Pause a membership for exact calendar dates                 | **Date-based pause**                                                     | The pause begins and ends on the selected dates                       |
| Pause a one-time or seasonal membership                     | **Date-based pause**                                                     | It works on every membership type                                     |
| Keep charging but suspend benefits                          | **Date-based pause**                                                     | Payment pausing is a separate choice                                  |
| Skip charges whose due dates fall within an absence         | **Date-based pause** with **Pause recurring payments**                   | A renewal due inside the pause is skipped                             |
| Skip the next one or more complete billing periods          | **Period-based pause**                                                   | The pause follows the membership's billing periods                    |
| Give a fixed-term member extra contract periods             | **Period-based pause** with **Extend the contract**                      | Skipped periods are added back to the contract                        |
| Waive complete periods without lengthening a fixed contract | **Period-based pause** with **Count paused periods toward the contract** | The periods are free and still count toward the contract              |
| Waive periods a member owes as a minimum commitment         | **Period-based pause** with **Minimum commitment effect**                | The skipped periods either serve the commitment or move its end later |

A member on a notice period can have a date-based pause that stops benefits only. A member has one pause at a time, and a new one can start when the previous one ends.

## During a pause [#during-a-pause]

While a pause lasts, the member gets no member prices or member-only bookings, and door access through the membership stops. Credits and session cards the member already has stay usable. A renewal during a pause grants no credits or session cards. Benefits and door access return when the pause ends.