Managing Club Membership Fees the Right Way

The fee schedule is, alongside the articles of association, the most important set of rules for a club. It defines what types of fees exist, their amounts, due dates, and collection methods. The fee schedule is adopted by the general assembly.

A good fee schedule defines at minimum: different membership types, respective fee amounts, due dates, collection procedures, rules for late payment, and reductions or exemptions.

Formulate the fee schedule clearly and unambiguously. Every member must understand what they need to pay and when.

Finding the right fee level is a balancing act: too low, and the club cannot cover its costs; too high, and you deter potential members. Look at comparable clubs in your region and calculate your actual costs.

Typical cost items for a beach volleyball club include: court rental, coaching fees, federation dues, insurance, equipment, and software costs. Add everything up and divide by the expected number of members.

Consider tiered fees: youth members pay less than adults, families get a discount, and passive members pay a reduced fee. Honorary members are typically exempt.

SEPA direct debit is the standard procedure for fee collection in German clubs — and for good reason. The club actively debits fees from the member's account instead of waiting for bank transfers. This ensures timely payments and significantly fewer defaults.

To collect SEPA direct debits, your club needs a Creditor Identifier, which you can request for free from the Deutsche Bundesbank. You also need a SEPA direct debit mandate from each member.

Modern club software like OnSand Cloud automates the entire process: collecting mandates digitally, generating SEPA XML files, submitting them to the bank, and processing returned debits.

Despite direct debit collection, sometimes fees cannot be collected — due to insufficient funds, an incorrect IBAN, or a revoked mandate. A structured reminder system helps you handle these situations professionally.

Recommended approach: first reminder by email two weeks after the due date — friendly, no late fee. Second reminder after another two weeks. Third and final reminder after one more month with a deadline.

Important: clarify in your fee schedule whether and how much late fees are charged. And don't forget the human side — sometimes there's a personal hardship behind a missed payment.

Manual fee management via spreadsheets works for 15 members — but at 30 members, it becomes unmanageable. Digital fee management offers a central overview: who has paid, who is overdue, which direct debits were returned.

With OnSand Cloud, you can configure fee types and amounts, auto-generate invoices, manage SEPA mandates digitally, and trigger collection with one click. Reminders are sent automatically.

Especially practical: members can manage their payment data and SEPA mandate themselves in the app, relieving the board and keeping data current. At year-end, you generate an overview for your tax return or DATEV export with just a few clicks.