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> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
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# Setting up membership types and dues

On the Association Hub's **Membership** tab, choose how new members join, then create a membership type for each kind of membership you offer. Free types work right away. Paid types take dues by card once an owner or co-owner passes a phone and ID check.

## Choose how new members join

Your join page is the page you share so people can join or claim a membership. Copy it with **Copy join link** on the **Overview** tab.

Under **How new members join**, select **Change**:

- **On our website**: enter your **Signup page address**. Your join page sends new members there. After someone signs up on your website, add them in **Members**. They get an email to claim their membership on Creatures.
- **On Creatures, with our membership types**: people choose one of your public types on your join page. This choice appears once you have a live public type. Until then it reads **No signup page for now**.

![How new members join with On our website and the signup page address](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/ff8/e80/bfa/45808.png?width=1008)

Select **Save**. Members already on your roster always claim on Creatures, whichever you choose. While **On our website** is on, your types are not offered on your join page.

## Create a membership type

1. Select **New type**.
2. Enter a **Name** and a **Description**. People see both on your join page.
3. Enter the **Price (USD)**. Use 0 for a free type. A paid type costs at least $0.50.
4. Choose a **Term**. **Yearly** renews each year. **Lifetime** is paid once.
5. Set the **Household size**. Above 1, one membership covers up to that many people (at most 12) with one renewal.
6. Choose the **Enrollment**. **Open** lets people join right away, paying first if there is a price. **Review first** sends each request to **Applications**, where you **Approve** or **Decline** it. For a paid type, the person pays after you approve.
7. Choose the **Visibility**. **Public** offers the type on your join page. **Association only** keeps it off, so only you can give it to members.
8. If you like, pick **Custom questions** to ask for more details, and set a **Display order**.
9. Select **Create type**.

![New membership type with price, term, enrollment and visibility filled in](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/ee8/3b4/e0a/4f8e3.png?width=1542)

Your join page lists each public type with **Join** or **Apply**.

## Take dues by card

Each type under **Membership types** shows a **Status**. A paid type shows **Needs verification** until an owner or co-owner passes a phone check and an ID check. Select **Continue verification** to start. Then it shows **Live**. See [Verifying your phone number](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/verifying-your-phone-number-1n2mfmy/) and [Verifying your identity](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/verifying-your-identity-1e3xy1a/).

![Membership types on a phone, with the Individual type at $35 per year marked Live](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/2bc/62d/5a1/34d0d.png?width=748)

Members pay by card. They can pay once or renew automatically each year. Dues go to your association's Creatures balance, and Creatures takes no cut.

Card processing is the only extra cost. Under **Who pays card processing**, the owner chooses **Members pay card processing** (added on top, so $35 dues cost the member $36.36) or **Association covers it** (taken out of the dues). Only the owner can change this.

To withdraw your balance, select **Set up payouts** under **Payouts**. You can skip this until you want to withdraw. See [Connecting your payout account](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/connecting-your-payout-account-85mhws/).

## Change or archive a type

Select **Edit** on a type. If you change the price, Creatures asks you to confirm and tells you how many auto-renewing members will get an email about it. They pay the new price at their next renewal.

**Archive type** takes a type off your join page. Auto-renewing members on it stop renewing at the end of their paid period. Changing a paid type to free does the same.

## Set renewal dates and grace

Select **Edit renewal settings**.

- **Renewal cycle**: **Join anniversary** renews each member a year after they start. **Fixed date** renews everyone on the same **Fixed month** and **Fixed day**. Those two and **Join cutoff (days)** appear only when you choose **Fixed date**.
- **Join cutoff (days)**: someone who joins this many days or fewer before the renewal date is covered through the next one.
- **Grace period (days)**: how long members stay in good standing after their paid-through date, up to 90 days.
- **Time zone** and **Reply-to email**: the time zone your dates follow, and where member replies go.

![Edit renewal settings with the renewal cycle and grace period](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/ea2/709/399/351e4.png?width=1026)

Select **Save renewal settings**. Changing the grace period or time zone updates every member's standing.

Creatures emails renewal reminders to whoever pays. They go out 30 and 7 days before the date, on the date, halfway through grace, and when a membership lapses. Members on auto-renew get one notice 30 days ahead.

## Set member numbers

Select **Edit numbering** to set a **Prefix**, **Digits** and **Next number**. The preview shows the next number, such as WDCR-2472. Numbers already in use are skipped. When you add a member, the next number is filled in for you.

### Related information

- [The Association Hub: member directory and badges](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/the-association-hub-member-directory-and-badges-155f1aj/)
- [Importing and managing your membership roster](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/importing-and-managing-your-membership-roster-wkv3f0/)
- [Joining or claiming your association membership](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/claiming-your-association-membership-1fxdi/)
- [Connecting your payout account](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/connecting-your-payout-account-85mhws/)