We're just starting up and we're looking at a startup here in the UK called https://gocardless.com/ who offer to get round the issue we have here whereby it's quite hard to get a bank to let you have a direct debit facility- in effect they act as a master direct debit holder, and you can sign up with gocardless and offer direct debit payments to members (they also have insanely low rates for doing this)
Our solution looks like it will work with the following process when we open 1. Members complete a direct debit mandate when they join 2. We set up our invoicing system (http://fre.ag/41f67zer - disclosure that's a referral link, if you sign up we both get 10% discount) to recur with the basic membership amount,which is then collected by gocardless every month 3. Any extras members use will be added to Freeagent during the month, and then when the direct debit is collected, it will be for the full amount 4. If members upgrade during the month then we'll work out the difference and make sure it's reflected before the next direct debit is taken 5. Day passes and corporate/outside hire will be handled via invoicing or a card swipe machine at reception Members will have swipe cards and the building has Mifare sensors on meeting rooms etc, so when we get time/expertise/cash we are planning to evolve into a system where members book resources, and when they use them the cost is automatically added to freeagent via the API. We'll also have a membership software too, so with the 3 elements, membership/access/billing we want to get to a point where it's all automated as much as possible. Very British way of dealing with money- sort it all out once and then don't talk about it again! Be interesting to hear of any other ways people have done it On Saturday, November 10, 2012 2:47:55 PM UTC, Julia Ferguson wrote: > > I'm told most coworking spaces use PayPal as a means of collecting > payments from members. We've had enough problems with payments not going > through properly that we've begun looking at other options, including > Stripe, gettng a merchant account, and others. Glen (my husband and partner > in this coworking adventure we've embarked on) has spent possibly over 100 > hours analyzing the situation. I keep thinking that this can't be that > hard, so I'm wondering: > > 1) What do you use for recurring payments for membership dues? > 2) Do you have it integrated into an online signup on your website so that > payments are set up automatically upon sign up? > 3) Have you standardized so that payments from all members are due the > same day of the month? > 4) Do you prorate for partial months when someone signs up mid-month and > if so, do you handle that manually or does your payment software/plug-in > handle it? > -- Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com
