Set a membership term length and grace period

Control how long a paid member keeps their perks after buying the membership product, and add an optional buffer before they switch off.

What a membership grace period is

A grace period is a buffer after a paid membership’s term ends. The member keeps their perks for the number of days you set, so there is time to remind them to renew. When it runs out, the perks switch off and the expired email goes out. Pick a length that gives members room to act, for example 7 or 14 days. Auto-renewing memberships charge on the renewal date instead, see below.

Looking for the buffer before a customer drops a VIP tier? That is a separate setting: tier grace period.

Steps

1. Go to Program → Paid memberships and open the membership to edit.
2. Set Term length (months) for how long perks stay active after purchase, and Grace period (days) for an optional buffer after the term ends.
3. Click Save to apply the change.

Tip

The term starts when the order is paid, not when the membership is purchased on a draft. During the grace period the customer keeps their perks but their term is already expired, so it’s the window to send a renewal nudge before the expiry email fires.

Auto-renewing memberships

An auto-renewing membership doesn’t lapse at the end of its term. Charm charges the renewal on the renewal date, and the member keeps their perks.

If the payment doesn’t go through, Charm tries again 1, 3 and 5 days later. If the last try fails too, Charm cancels the subscription and the membership ends when the period the member paid for ends.

A card that can’t be used again, for example an expired one, skips the retries and cancels the subscription right away. A customer who cancels the renewal themselves keeps their perks until the end of the paid period.

Related

• Concept: Paid memberships
• Add perks to a membership program