Steps to Setup Variable Dues Calculations

Step-by-Step Instructions: Set up the formula pricing

1. Go to Memberships, click Settings and select Membership Types. The page opens as Membership Settings.
2. For the desired membership type, click the <No Pricing> link in the Pricing column.
   
3. Click the Formula Based Pricing check-box. See Add Pricing to a Membership Type for information on additional fields.
4. In the Recurring Fee Items section, click the add icon to add the fee item(s) for the membership type.
   
5. Select the fee item from the Fee Item list. The Description and Price fields will be populated based on the defaults configured when the fee item was set up. The price you select would be the base price for the membership.
   NOTE: A base price is NOT required, and pricing could simply be based on your formula calculations.
6. Click the calculator icon next to the Price text box to open the Edit Formula dialog and add the variables required by your formula. For example, this is where you would choose the number of hotel rooms as the variable needed in your calculation, as well as enter the amount to be charged for each one.
   
7. If you would like to set a maximum price for this membership, enter it in the Maximum Price for Item (optional) field. This will set a “cap” on the total fees that a member will incur.
8. Click the add icon to add your variables (custom fields) and set up the formula calculations.
9. Select the field to be used in your calculation from the Unit Field list. Custom fields that are integers or decimal will be listed.
10. Enter a Unit Price. This is the dollar value that will be used to calculate the dues. For example, if you will charge five dollars for each hotel room, enter 5.
11. Enter the Base Units Included in Price. Entering a “base unit included in price” will subtract this number from the amount entered in the field and the calculation will occur on a value greater than 1. For example, if there are 100 hotel rooms and 55 are included in the base, the calculation will occur on the remaining 45. Leave this field blank to charge from the first unit.
12. Repeat steps 8 – 11 above to add additional calculations. In the example shown below, the formula uses two unit fields with no base units included: for each hotel room the system will multiply by $5.00, and for each banquet seat it will multiply by $5.00, adding both results to the base price (if applicable).
    
13. Click Done.

Variable Dues – Auto-assign Levels

With your variable dues, you have the ability to “auto-assign” levels to your members. Assignment is based on one of the factors included in your formula. For example, include full-time employees in your formula, then create levels (such as 1 – 50 employees, 51 – 100 employees, etc.). When the number of full-time employees is entered by the applicant on your application form, or by your staff through the back-office, the system will automatically assign the member to the correct level. For the full treatment of this feature, see Variable Dues - Auto-assign Levels.

1. On the Membership Types page, click the <No Levels> link in the Levels column, for the membership to which you wish to add levels.
   NOTE: If you have already added levels, click the numbered link.
   
2. Select the field to be used for assigning levels from the Field Used to Determine Level (Min and Max are set with each level) list. Fields displayed are those you have selected for your variable dues formula.
3. In the Levels section, click the add icon to add levels.
   
4. Enter a Name for the level.
5. Enter the Minimum Units (>=) and Maximum Units (<=) values to be used in determining if the member should be assigned to this level. For example, if you have a level for 1 – 50 employees, enter a Minimum of 1 and a Maximum of 50. A member who enters 1 to 50 full-time employees (inclusive) would be assigned to this level.
6. Add Fees if applicable; however, with variable dues, fees are configured under the Pricing functions. If fees are added, these fees would be in addition to the fees assigned under pricing.
7. Click Done.
8. Repeat steps 4 – 7 above to add additional levels.
9. Click Done.

Where the numbers come from

Once the formula is saved, the values that drive it are collected in two places:

• On the Membership Application form. When an applicant selects a membership type that includes variable dues, an Information for Dues Calculations section is displayed on the second page of the form. See Gather Variable Dues Information on the Membership Application Form.
• In the back office. An Information for Dues Calculation section is displayed on the Add a Membership screen, where your staff enter the values and the system calculates the additional fees. See Add a Membership to a Contact. Changes to the variables may be made when upgrading and downgrading the membership.