Introduction

Overview

Members includes a full billing suite: invoices, payments, credit notes, and saved payment methods. Automatic subscriptions renewals and event bookings use this system, but you can also use it for anything else you need to bill or collect.

Create an invoice for any charge, not only product renewals. Ad-hoc fees, room hire, merchandise, or payments from external systems can go through the same invoice and payment flow, without having to create a product.

Payment methods can be saved securely for each member for automatic collection later, or confirm cash, bank transfer, and other offline tenders when staff take payment in person.

There is no limit on how many invoices, payments, or credit notes you can create. Work from the admin dashboard, or use the Invoices, Payments, Credit Notes, Payment Methods, and Custom Payment Methods APIs.

The building blocks

How a charge moves through Members

1. An action creates an invoice: a subscription renewal, a one-off product purchase, a booking, or a draft you create by hand for any other charge.
2. Any open credit notes can be applied to the invoice to reduce the amount due.
3. A payment attempts to collect the outstanding amount. This can be done automatically, via a processor like Stripe or PayPal, or manually using a custom payment method. New or saved payment methods can be used.
4. Invoice status updates and related objects are updated. A subscription invoice payment keeps the subscription active, or if the payment failed, the subscription will become past due. If the invoice was for a booking, the booking will be confirmed. Members and staff can view the invoice and download a receipt.

How subscription billing works

Subscription billing works no differently to other invoices, except that the invoice is created automatically when payment is due:

1. Whenever payment is due for a subscription, a new invoice will be created automatically.
2. A payment will be added to the invoice based on the default payment method set on the subscription.
3. The payment will be collected automatically, via a processor like Stripe or PayPal, or manually using a custom payment method.
4. If the payment is successful, the invoice will be marked as paid. If the payment fails, the invoice will become past ddue and the subscription will become past due. Benefits will be unavailable until all unpaid invoices are paid.

What members have access to

Members can:

• View and download invoices, receipts and credit notes, so that they have a full record of their charges and payments without having to rely on staff
• Make payments on open invoices
• Manage saved payment methods on their profile

Members cannot:

• Create invoices or credit notes, or apply them to invoices
• Remove payment methods which are actively used for a subscription

Ways to work with billing

Next steps

• Work with invoices to understand statuses, drafts, and overdue bills.
• Collect payments once invoices are open, including Stripe methods and offline confirmation.
• Issue credit notes when you need to correct a charge or leave credit on account.
• Configure custom payment methods for cash, cheque, bank transfer, or a custom processor.
• Create products and subscriptions if charges are not being generated yet.