Memberships Best Practices & Example Setups

Practical guidance and ready-made patterns for using Memberships in Connection Card Pro.

The Memberships module in Connection Card Pro is flexible enough for gyms, childcare, community centers, and partner/supporter programs. Use these best practices and example setups so you don’t have to “figure it out as you go.”

📌 Who is this for? Admins and finance/operations staff using the optional Memberships module.

1) When to Use Memberships (and When Not To)

2) Plan & Tier Design Best Practices

Keep It Simple

• Aim for one plan per category (e.g., “Yearly Gym Membership”) with 2–4 tiers (Limited / Unlimited, Bronze / Silver / Gold).
• Avoid many similar plans—use tiers inside a plan instead.

Name Clearly

• Plan: broad category (e.g., Yearly Membership Plan, Organization Membership, Pay as you Go).
• Tier: specific level (e.g., Unlimited Plan for 1 Year, Limited Yearly Plan, Bronze/Silver/Gold).

📝 Include a short description like: “Unlimited facility access for 12 months. Includes all group classes and open gym.”

3) Accounting & Financial Best Practices

• Use separate income accounts for membership dues vs. donations (e.g., “Membership Dues – Gym” vs. “General Contributions”).
• If visit revenue matters, keep a distinct income account for Visit Fees/Overages.
• Consider a dedicated fund (e.g., “Gym Ministry” or “Community Center”) for clean reporting.

⚠️ Once live, avoid frequent changes to account mappings. Plan ahead.

4) Visit Pricing Best Practices

Only When Needed

• No per-visit charges? You can skip Visit Pricing entirely.
• If needed, start with one simple all-day price, then add rules.

Make Rules Understandable

• Use clear names: Single Visit Price, Weekday Childcare, Evening Overages.
• Avoid overlapping rules for the same days/times unless very intentional.

Align with Limits

• If a tier includes 10 visits/month, set Non-Member Price to your drop-in rate and Member Overage Price slightly lower.
• Communicate clearly: included visits, and what overages cost.

5) Billing, Cancellations & Grace

• Cancellation always takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle.
• Decide internal policy: grace period for Past Due? manual access restrictions?
• Encourage members to update payment methods in the Personal Hub.
• For payments outside Connection Card Pro (cash/check), record the income and Mark Current Billing Cycle as Paid on the membership.

6) Using the Manager Field Wisely

• Assign a Manager when a parent/admin/leader is responsible for billing or communication.
• Makes follow-up easy when a membership becomes Past Due.

7) Let Members Self-Serve (While You Keep Control)

🔧 Example Setups

Copy these patterns and tailor to your ministry.

Example 1 — Church Gym / Fitness Center

Plan: “Gym Membership”

1. Unlimited Plan – Monthly
   • Type: Subscription | Billing: Monthly | Price: $49.00
   • Included visits: Unlimited
2. Limited Plan – 10 Visits/Month
   • Type: Subscription | Billing: Monthly | Price: $29.00
   • Included visits: 10/month
3. Pay-as-you-Go
   • Type: Pay-as-you-go (or $0 tier); charges come from Visit Pricing

Financials: Register “Gym Checking” • Fund “Gym Ministry Fund” • Income “Membership Dues – Gym”

Visit Pricing: “Gym Single Visit Price”

• Days: Mon–Sun | Valid: All day
• Non-Member: $10.00 • Member Overage: $8.00

Non-members pay $10/visit. Limited members pay $8 after 10 visits/month. Unlimited members have no overages.

Example 2 — Weekday Childcare Drop-in

Plan: “Family Childcare Membership”

• Family Membership – Monthly: Subscription, $40/month, includes 8 visits/month.
• Use Manager to assign the parent/guardian.

Visit Pricing: “Childcare Weekday Drop-in”

• Days: Mon–Fri | Valid: All day
• Non-Member: $12.00 • Member Overage: $6.00 (after 8 visits)
• Financials: childcare-specific accounts/fund

Example 3 — Organization Membership (Bronze / Silver / Gold / Platinum)

Plan: “Organization Membership”

• Bronze: $49/mo • Silver: $99/mo • Gold: $149/mo • Platinum: $299/mo (all Subscription/Monthly)
• No Visit Pricing if benefits are not visit-based.
• Financials: Income “Organization Membership Dues”
• Use Manager for the partner org’s primary contact.

Example 4 — Free Volunteer Membership (No Billing)

Plan: “Volunteer Access Membership”

• Tier “Volunteer Membership”: Prepaid or Subscription at $0.
• Transactions post as $0; still maps to your fund/income if desired.

Optional Visit Tracking

• Either set $0 visit pricing for volunteers, or
• Apply normal visit pricing only to non-volunteers while recording volunteer visits at $0.

8) Final Tips

• Start with one or two simple plans and iterate.
• Document policies: cancellation timing, grace periods, Past Due handling.
• Review regularly:
  • Membership counts by plan/tier
  • Visit usage & overages
  • Revenue by income account/fund