It is obvious that revenue from dues is critical for most associations. It is not uncommon to see organizations with dues accounting for 80 or 90% of revenue.
A couple of decades ago, members would send in payments via check. The check should be deposited in the bank, and the accompanying information would be sent down the hall to the Membership Department for data entry. It was not uncommon for such processing to take a couple of weeks. People were more patient back then.
Today it is critically important to get membership data entered at least as quickly as payments are recorded and deposited. Imagine the frustration of a member who has just paid their dues and has no access.
We have found the most effective thing to do is to process dues and data changes at, or as close to simultaneously as possible. Some AMS systems automatically roll expiration dates forward.
Affiliates of national organizations are often dependent on the national organization for dues processing. Some national groups can take weeks to process dues, and only then notify local affiliates. Sometimes the local or state affiliate must bend the rules to allow those with applications in process to attend an event at the member rate.
Today, there are various ways to pay dues. Most associations take dues payments in any monetary form they can get them. Many members pay online, but some still mail in checks. Others call to pay by phone. Members show up with credit cards or cash to pay onsite for event registration and membership. Some associations still accept credit card payments onsite for registrations and dues. The latest trend is to have a QR code sign or handout at the registration desk. This keeps staff from having to handle the cards. Some groups also take Venmo and/or Zelle.
Most association staff cringe when presented with cash. The cash must be safeguarded during the remainder of the event. Cash should be counted by more than one person, and it must be taken to the bank for deposit.
At this point in time the challenge is updating records promptly to reflect payments that arrive via a variety of means.
