Prorated memberships
Charge a partial first payment when a client joins mid-month, then bill everyone on the 1st.
If you want every membership to renew on the 1st of the month, a client who joins on the 19th shouldn't pay for a full month. Arketa can charge them a partial amount for the days remaining, then bill the full price on the 1st going forward.
Proration is not a separate toggle — it turns on through the membership's billing settings.
Set up a prorated membership
- Go to Setup → Pricing Options
- Add or edit the membership
- Under When will clients first be billed? select On the sale date
- Under When will the next billing cycle start? select 1st of the month
- Save
Both settings are required. When will clients first be billed? must stay on On the sale date — choosing a specific future date delays access instead of prorating, and it closes off the billing cycle option that proration depends on.
What the client experiences
A client buys a $100/month membership on August 19:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| August 19 | Charged a prorated amount covering August 19–31, and the membership activates immediately |
| September 1 | Charged the full $100 |
| Every 1st after | Charged the full $100 |
The prorated amount is calculated automatically and shown at checkout — on the booking widget and at the Point of Sale — so the client sees what they're paying before they confirm.
What proration covers
Proration adjusts the price of the first payment. It does not reduce the number of credits on a credit-based membership — the client receives the full credit allotment for that first partial period. If you want the credits to match the shortened period, adjust them manually on the client's profile. See edit a client's package →.
The 1st of the month is the only billing anchor that triggers proration. If you need all memberships to renew on the 5th, the 15th, or any other date, that isn't supported today.