Recurring memberships with another fee

[Lucas]

Is there a way to create a membership (with PayPal) with a recurring payment and another fee?
-> A member pays one amount the first year, but pays a lower amount the next years.
I'm testing the free plug-in.
Lucas

[alargeau]

That's a very good question and it surely interests me because we plan to do the same. But I don't think it's possible.

[Lucas]

I have figure out a part of the solution:
Only members can see certain pages; so why not add another paypal button with another fee for renewing.
Two problems to solve:
- how will the database handle the membership? Will it extend from the date of the second payment, or add an extra year (or other time) to the existing membership plan?
- what after the first membership expires? Then they have to pay the first fee again?

Lucas

[alargeau]

Well, that's actually what I did. I put a Buy Now button for new members and within the Members' Area I've added within a page a button to "subscribe" and here is the recurrent function. But my concerns are quite the same than the ones you posted, at least for your first question (how will the database handle the membership? Will it extend from the date of the second payment, or add an extra year (or other time) to the existing membership plan?) on which I've found no answer so far.

About your second question (what after the first membership expires? Then they have to pay the first fee again?) that's a really good one too! Because we can put a Subscribe button on a restricted page but if the member has no longer access to that specific page then he won't be able to renew his payment at a better price...

I don't think it's possible to do what we want with S2Member because it is simply not possible to do that on PayPal (I use paypal to generate my buttons because S2Member cannot generate buttons for non English speakers). To PayPal, I think a subscription means a recurring fee and by recurring they mean that it's always the same fee. So if it's not possible with PayPal, I assume it's not possible either with S2Member.

[Lucas]

I don't think it's possible to do what we want with S2Member because it is simply not possible to do that on PayPal.

I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with Paypal.
It's the database that must check if there's already a membership active, and if yes, extend it.
Lucas

[alargeau]

When I said I thought it wasn't possible I was talking about the fact that you charge X the first year and Y the following years.

[Lucas]

I understand completely, but I have a system running that works inside a flash-website and that does exactly what I'm looking for here.
Problem for me is that Google does not pick up the content from that Flash site and I have limited admin options to modify the content en shop settings. Not to forget I don't know anything of Flash...
Lucas

[crushthenet]

How about this.......

Rather than having them start a new membership, make a modification button. In PayPal Buttons -> PayPal Subscr Modification Buttons and let them upgrade to the next level (with same permissions) for whatever price you want.

You can also wait 1 year to make this button show, by using the drip-content code.

Code: Select all

<?php if(S2MEMBER_CURRENT_USER_IS_LOGGED_IN_AS_MEMBER){ ?>

    AFTER 1 YEAR, MEMBERSHIP FEES REDUCE BY 25%!
   
    <?php if(S2MEMBER_CURRENT_USER_REGISTRATION_DAYS >= 360){ ?>
        NEW BUTTON CODE HERE
    <?php } ?>
   
    <?php if(S2MEMBER_CURRENT_USER_REGISTRATION_DAYS >= 720){ ?>
        NEW BUTTON CODE HERE
    <?php } ?>

<?php } ?>

[Lucas]

Nice solution! THX!!
Almost there! Almost...
- what are the options for members that would like to extend after the membership is expired? Okay, it's there own fault, but I don't want to be greedy
- will the membership extend with 1 year from the day they buy the extending, or be added?
- is there some option to send an automatic mail regarding the appearing of this new extending button?
Lucas

[crushthenet]

1. So their membership expired but you still want them to get the discounted rate? Is that right? Otherwise they'll go to your member options page and can renew like everybody else.
2. Not sure what you mean. They'll just modify the price of their subscription and move up a level. So you'll have to leave a level open. So if they're level 1 they will modify subscription and move to level 2. So as long as permissions are the same for both, you should be good. They continue paying their fees like regular only with a new price.
3. Hmmm, interesting question. Yes, if you get creative. If you are having people automatically signed up to your mailing list with MailChimp or similar you could set up an autoresponder that is set for 1 year and says "happy 1 year! unlocked 25% off subscription blah blah blah".

[alargeau]

The third question is quite the same as: is there a way someone can get an email because their membership will expire soon?

About the renewal, I still see a problem concerning people who are late. I mean if membership is level 1, when the person hasn't renewed the membership on the anniversary date, they're automatically demoted to level 0. So if the renewal button is only visible to level 1 members as you suggested, how could they possibly renew using the exact same button they can no longer see? That, I don't understand.

I think with question 2 he meant: if for instance my anniversary date is 22nd November and I'm late and only renew on 1st December will my anniversary date change?

[crushthenet]

Yeah if you set up your autoresponder you could send them anything at any time.

I thought we were talking about recurring memberships. User has the opportunity to modify subscription and pay a lower price. If they for some reason don't take action, then they continue paying the same amount. And if it's not recurring, just a 1-time 1-year payment, just make the button show up sooner, like after 300 days. That would give them like 2 months to modify their subscription for a lower price or whatever.

[Lucas]

Thx Alargeau, exactly what I mean!
Interesting idea's Crushthenet!

Still, these 2 questions are to be solved:
- I want to give the option that members can renew to a lower cost, EVEN if there membership has expired. So they need the option to log-in, but with disabled access, but with access to the renew page.
- What if someone renew at day 300 and buy access for another year. Will the have 300+365 days access? And this way loose 65 days?! Or is it 365+365 days?

Lucas

[alargeau]

Okay, I think I get it now. So what you're suggesting is that the first time the person will become a member they subscribe for let's say $30 pa (level 1). After 300 days (for example) a button appears so they can modify their subscription and pay $20 pa (level 2). Correct?

[crushthenet]

Okay, I think I get it now. So what you're suggesting is that the first time the person will become a member they subscribe for let's say $30 pa (level 1). After 300 days (for example) a button appears so they can modify their subscription and pay $20 pa (level 2). Correct?

YEAH, that's what I meant.

Still, these 2 questions are to be solved:
- I want to give the option that members can renew to a lower cost, EVEN if there membership has expired. So they need the option to log-in, but with disabled access, but with access to the renew page.
- What if someone renew at day 300 and buy access for another year. Will the have 300+365 days access? And this way loose 65 days?! Or is it 365+365 days?

If they've expired and you want to still give them the lower cost, I'm not sure, I'll have to think about that.

Well it depends on if it's a recurring or non-recurring membership I think. If it's recurring and they modify their subscription then it's 1yearends/recurringfee/2ndyearstarts, doesn't matter when they modify their subscription. If it's non-recurring then it's probably the same I think 1yearends/alreadypaidforyear2/2ndyearstarts.

Think that's right........

[alargeau]

All right then! Your idea is excellent, I don't know why I didn't think about it before!

About late people I think I have the solution. I don't know what you're planning to do Lucas, but for my club I thought I could simplify the problem by not allowing people to renew online if they're late (they can renew using their PayPal account or by sending a cheque and then I'll upgrade them manually - it really depends on your business here). When people are too late (for example after 1 month), they simply lose their privilege and have to subscribe to Level 1 again (full price). In that way, customers will quickly understand it's a very good thing to subscribe.

[crushthenet]

Actually, I think the code should look like this........ forgot that they must be a level 1

NOT SURE IF THE CODE IS PERFECT.......... I'M NOT A PROGRAMMER

Code: Select all

<?php if(S2MEMBER_CURRENT_USER_IS_LOGGED_IN_AS_MEMBER){ ?>

    AFTER 1 YEAR, MEMBERSHIP FEES REDUCE BY 25%!
   
    <?php if(S2MEMBER_CURRENT_USER_REGISTRATION_DAYS >= 360) && (current_user_can("access_s2member_level1")){ ?>

        NEW BUTTON CODE HERE

    <?php } ?>
   
    <?php if(S2MEMBER_CURRENT_USER_REGISTRATION_DAYS >= 720) && (current_user_can("access_s2member_level1")){ ?>

        NEW BUTTON CODE HERE

    <?php } ?>

<?php } ?>

[alargeau]

Thanks for your help again!
Your previous code worked fine but I don't understand the point in waiting 300 days to make the button visible. Can't they modify their subscription right after they subscribed? And why wait?

[crushthenet]

Yeah they can do it right away....... At first though I was thinking it was a monthly recurring membership and then realized it was probably an annual thing.