Introduction:
This article explains the key fields and setup steps for Paid-in-Full (PIF) plans, including split payments, discounts, and how to ensure the system calculates member payments correctly. We’ll also review specific use cases for PIFs, such as challenges, limited-time programs, one-time fees, retail purchases, and annual memberships.
What does "Plan Begins" mean?
Answer:
The plan start date — the date a member’s access to your gym and sessions begins.
What is the "First Plan Payment Due"?
Answer:
The date the member’s first payment is scheduled. This can be different from the plan start date.
Important: The second payment follows the plan’s charge interval starting from the plan start date.
Example: Plan begins 8/1, charges every 28 days. First billing date can be 7/30; second billing date will be 8/29.
What is a Signup Fee?
Answer:
A one-time fee charged at sign up, it will not be charged again if a plan auto renews.
What is Auto Renewal?
Answer:
Determines whether the plan will automatically restart when it reaches the end of the plan length set in the membership plan settings.
What is a Split Payment?
Answer:
PIF plans can be split into up to 4 payments. All split payments together must equal the full plan price.
What types of discounts are available?
Answer:
Percentage: Discount = percentage × plan total (e.g., 20% of $100 = $20).
Fixed Amount: Discount = flat dollar amount off the plan (e.g., $25 off $125).
How long does a discount apply?
Answer:
Choose whether the discount applies to all invoices for the plan or only the next invoice (first payment).
What is the Salesperson field for?
Answer:
(Optional) The staff member who attached the plan to the member — useful for reporting or sales incentives.
How do I add a discount to the total of a PIF plan with split payments?
Answer:
Step-by-step:
Set up the plan as Paid in Full (PIF) and select the number of split payments (up to 4).
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Calculate the payment amounts with the discount applied:
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Determine the new total owed after the discount.
Example: $1,000 plan − $500 discount = $500 member will be responsible for
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Divide the new total by the number of split payments.
$500 ÷ 4 = $125 per payment
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Adjust the first payment to include the discount amount so the system shows:
First payment = $625 (member only pays $125 after $500 discount applied)
Remaining 3 payments = $125 each. $625+ 3($125)=$1,000.00 (Full Plan Price)
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Go to the Discount section.
Select Fixed Amount.
Enter the total discount amount (not per-payment).
Choose Apply to Next Charge Only so the entire discount is applied to the first payment.
Complete the Manage Membership flow and click Next.
Verify in the Payment Confirmation pop-up that the discount is applied correctly and the member’s actual payments match the intended amounts.
When are PIF plans useful?
Answer:
Paid-in-Full (PIF) plans are ideal for situations where you need to track annual plans, one-time fees, or limited-time purchases. Common use cases include:
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Challenges or Limited-Time Programs:
Use PIF plans to track attendance and session limits.
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Make sure to setup Total Sessions by Period correctly in the Membership Plan setup:
Sessions = number of sessions per week × number of weeks in the challenge
Period = total days in the challenge
Example: A 6-week challenge with 3 sessions per week → Sessions = 18; Period = 42 days.
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Retail Purchases:
Track retail products by setting up each retail item as a 1-day long Limited-Time Pass with PIF billing.
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One-Time Fees:
Charge for items like key fob setup, early cancelation fees, or special event fees/session access using a 1-day long Limited-Time Pass with PIF billing.
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Short-Term Passes:
Perfect for drop-in passes or temporary memberships where full access is pre-paid.
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Annual Memberships:
Collect full-year payments upfront or split into 4 payments to simplify accounting and ensure access for 12 months without recurring billing.
Annual Fees:
Annual fees can be set as a PIF plan with a length of 1 year and set to auto renew.
Additional Information:
What are best practices to keep in mind when setting up Membership Plans?