TECC Members pay an annual subscription fee as a membership requirement. This helps to cover some of the overhead costs of running the club; website, communications, electricity supply, etc. This is billed when members first join up and then each following year that they remain members.
To date, we have been invoicing members on an ad hoc basis as the anniversary of their joining came around. This is a significant administrative burden to issue, track, chase and record payments.
The board has decided that we shift to a synchronised billing system whereby everyone will be invoiced for, say, 2023 together. This will enable us to send out the invoices in a batch and track them as a focussed exercise rather than throughout the year. It will also help our cash flow at a time of year when there are many significant outgoing costs (MOTs, servicing, insurance) but fewer bookings.
Most Members will have already paid for some of next [calendar] year; this will be adjusted for in the billing process and no one will be double-charged for any days that they have already paid for.
The diagram below shows how this will work.
Members who have paid a renewal (or initial year's subscription) already this year will be invoiced a smaller amount at the start of January. To avoid issuing invoices for silly small amounts, we will add the extra amount onto the next invoice where this falls due towards the end of the year.
New Members will always be charged for a full year's subscription at initial sign-up with the adjusting payment being calculated at first renewal. About half of our ex-members leave after their first year.
Hopefully this all makes sense but do get in touch if you have questions or comments.