Convert calendar year membership to 1yr durational (from whenever they join)

[coabirder]

We currently have 500+ members and membership at all levels starts on Jan 1 and ends Dec 31. We’ve been thinking that we’d like to convert to a 1yr membership from whatever date one joins. I suspect that I’d simply make new offered membership levels with 1yr durational expiration and replace what is displayed in our store.

We may also want to convert our existing memberships to this method using whatever date they joined. Is there an easy way to convert the existing members too?

Related to that, if one wants to renew before their membership expires will the system simply add 365 days to their existing membership from whenever it ends?

Same question if we simply left the existing calendar year members alone and then offered only the 1yr durational membership renewal would the system simply add 1yr to their membership. whenever it expires.

What about leap years?

Any other considerations we should be aware of if we do this?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Steve

[wzp]

I suspect that I’d simply make new offered membership levels with 1yr durational expiration and replace what is displayed in our store.

That is correct.

What about leap years?

That has never been an issue. And nobody that I know of, has had any members join on leap day, LOL.

Same question if we simply left the existing calendar year members alone and then offered only the 1yr durational membership renewal would the system simply add 1yr to their membership. whenever it expires.

That is “the simplest,” and most ethical, solution. For a time, you will have a large block of members with expiration dates that are the same. But as time goes on, you will have members who let their memberships expire and then renew.

[admin]

What you are doing looks fine to me.

Side Note: When offering a long term membership such as 1 year, I prefer to give 1 or two extra days. So I like to make it a 366 days duration in the membership level. It makes sure that the user gets their full time plus just a little more so there is no complaint from them.

[seehowtwo]

Hi coabirder!

We have the opposite issue – existing memberships are “1 year from joining” and we want to change them to Jan 1 – Dec 31.

I’m curious how you’re doing the Calendar Year system – I see in membership levels where you can set an expiry date. But how does that work when you reach the end of the calendar year? I’m assuming you have to go into the Membership Level settings and update the year? And it would need to be done first thing on Jan 1 (else everyone would be expired)?

[coabirder]

Hi sehowtwo,

Well before the end of the year we define new membership levels that expire on Dec 31, 20xx (where xx is the next year). On or before Dec 31 of the current year, switch your references on your payment page to point to the next year’s membership levels (they have new IDs). We have done that months in advance (giving a period of free membership in the current year) but when you make the changes is your call.

Also, historical data is important to us so we don’t delete the past year’s membership levels for fear of removing it from the database (but there may be a way around that).

I hope that helps. If not let me know.

[seehowtwo]

Thanks so much for the quick and detailed response. (Literally heading into a meeting about this!)

So, this is a (relatively) complicated process.

Dear Tips and Tricks – no membership plugin I know of is addressing the VERY COMMON requirement of having a single renewal date for all members (whether Jan – Dec or some other calendar year).

If you were to solve this and create an easier to use method than the one described above by coabirder, you would have a very saleable feature to offer customers – e.g. just enter the start date for the membership level (say, January 1), and the system would automatically calculate the yearly end date (e.g. Dec 31) so there’d be no need to create new membership levels, etc.

Cheers!

[coabirder]

First, I won’t pretend to have all the answers and my method might not be the only (or best) solution. T&T has really great support and if I were you I’d look to them for the best solutions after you clearly explain what you’d like to do.

Also, you can set the expiration date for each membership level to whatever you’d like (June 30, Sept 1, … whatever) and you also set the year. It’s very much in your control. That gives you maximum flexibility especially if you want to offer multi-year/month memberships.

[wzp]

@seehowtwo wrote: So, this is a (relatively) complicated process… no membership plugin I know of is addressing the VERY COMMON requirement…

Not as common as you might believe. Example: mid-period signups & cancellations. Everybody has their own ideas of how they’d like the plugin to handle certain situations. That’s why the solutions are not something that can be handled with a simple checkbox or dropdown selection. The solutions offered by @coabirder are sound.

[Author]

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