The Smartspace Membership Module can be used by clubs and/or associations either as an integrated website tool or a standalone administration area for membership management.

One of the features of the module is the ability to make special offers to new and existing members at the start of their membership and, for fixed term memberships, at the end of the membership.

This article explains how to use the Introductory Offers feature to take care of existing members and entice new members.

This article assumes that you are familiar with setting up a membership (membership type). Click here for more information on setting up membership types.

Intro Offer Features

• Offer a special price for Membership for those who have no previously recorded memberships
• Offer the special price for a limited period
• Configure the offer for the start and end dates of your choosing
• Use the "Specials" feature in Price Codes to further refine the offer for certain fixed periods
  • Please note that the offer will only be made to any person who does not have a previous membership record with you  in the system.
  • This offer will be shown when someone attempts to join online and is logged in.
• Set when (before the end of the membership) your members can renew for the next membership period, prior to the end of the current period
• Use the "Specials" feature in Price Codes to further refine a renewal price (eg early bird offers)
  • This feature will apply to anyone who is attempting to purchase the applicable membership during the defined period.

Configure Your Membership Offer

Navigate to Control Panel > Database Manager > Memberships > [your selected membership type] after logging in.

To use any of the features above, tick the Introductory Offer field. This will expose further settings.

Please note: Introductory Offers only apply to fixed term memberships at present.

• To offer someone the membership at a special price, you need to consider
  • When the offer will start relative to the start of the membership period.
  • The period in which the offer will be active.
• Once you have decided that, insert the number of periods after the start of the membership and select the period type which it refers (after Start)
  • Insert the number of periods and the type of period during which the offer will run.
• You will need to consider when you intend to start offering the next period's membership as this setting may affect the introductory offer period.

Early Renewal

As a default, any membership that lasts for 3 months or more will have an early renewal period set at one month and one day prior to the end of the membership (this applies to both fixed term and floating term memberships)

This means that if a current member goes online to renew a membership, say 3 weeks, prior to the end of the membership, they will automatically be signed into the next period's membership.

You can change this default by simply adding a number (greater than 0 or zero) to the Early Renewal field and selecting the period to which it refers.

Once you are satisfied with the changes you have made, update (or save) the membership type.

IMPORTANT!! Please be aware that if you have configured an introductory offer, it will not work until a valid price code has been attached to the offer. See below.

Manage, Add or Change Price Codes

Once you have changed the membership offer settings, you will probably need to add or in some way manage price codes.

It is important to note that payment for Membership for online sales is calculated on the day it is purchased, not for when the membership will apply. Therefore price codes need to accurately reflect prices at any point in time.

You can set up most price codes well in advance of changes of date, the only exception being that only one "Special Price" can be stored in the system at any one time (this can be configured in advance of the applicable dates).

Codes for Introductory Offers

If you have not already got a Price Code in the system that you want to apply to your Intro Offer (you may need to set one up for each membership option), you need to do so at Control Panel > Prices > New Price Code

Please click here to view more on setting up Price Codes.

This video may also help.

Be aware that early renewal will override Introductory Offers which are offered late in the membership period.

You will also need to be careful with any "Specials" you have in the system as these Specials work across price periods. If you have a price change scheduled to take effect at the beginning of the new price period, ensure that the dates of the Special are correct.

Note that Specials of your introductory offer (if you have any which will apply) will only work with the introductory offer, not the normal membership fee.

Please also ensure that if you are changing prices of any of these services, that you use the "Carry Price Forward" button of the most advanced price, to create a new price instance, rather than just editing the old price.

Set up or manage as many of the Price Codes as is necessary  to fully fund any changes you have made to the membership type. Return to the membership type to finalise the settings.

Finalise Settings

• Navigate back to the membership type at Database Manager > [selected membership type]
  • When you open the membership type to edit, you will see a new set of selectors in the Membership Options area. Against each of the the options you offer, you can select from a list of available Price Codes.
  • Note that you should not have to change any of the existing Price Codes for the membership options.
  • In the Introductory Price Code column, simply select the code you have previously set up for each of the options.
    • If you are not offering all the options you previously offered, you should change the number in the Activate column to 0 (zero).
    • Do not deselect the option as if the option is deleted, it will prevent you from fully being able to report on past memberships
• Update the Membership Type once you are satisfied that the settings are correct.
• Test that the settings you have created are working, by carrying out the necessary processes as needed.