When a member joins part-way through a payment period, there is a gap between their start date and their first regular payment date. A pro-rata charge covers that gap. It is a reduced first payment that reflects only the days the member has access before their full payment cycle begins.
An example
A membership plan costs £30 per month and payments are collected on the 1st of each month. A member joins on the 20th. Without pro-rata, they would get 10 days of access before their first £30 payment on the 1st, effectively getting those days free.
With pro-rata enabled, ClubRight calculates the cost of those 10 days and charges that amount at the point of joining. On the 1st, the full £30 monthly payment then begins as normal.
How ClubRight calculates pro-rata
ClubRight uses an annual day rate to calculate the pro-rata amount:
Monthly payment × 12 ÷ 365 = daily rate
The daily rate is then multiplied by the number of days between the join date and the first payment collection date. On longer months, this can result in the pro-rata amount being slightly higher.
For example, for a £30 monthly plan:
£30 × 12 = £360 annual value
£360 ÷ 365 = £0.99 daily rate
10 days × £0.99 = £9.86 pro-rata charge
How to turn pro-rata on or off
Pro-rata is configured per plan. To enable or disable it:
Go to Settings > Membership Plans.
Click the three dots on the plan card and select Edit.
Scroll to the Pricing section.
Toggle Pro rata first payment on or off.
Click Save Changes.
📋 Note: Enabling pro-rata only affects new members joining after the change. Members already on the plan are not affected.
Should I use pro-rata?
Whether to charge pro-rata is entirely your choice. There is no right or wrong approach; different gyms handle it differently. Here are the main considerations:
With pro-rata: members pay a fair amount for the days they use before their first full payment. No one gets free access and your revenue is protected from day one.
Without pro-rata: new members get a few days of free access before their first payment. Some gyms use this as a welcome gesture or to simplify the joining experience.
Alternatively, you can set a fixed first payment date using the Set a first payment date option in the Pricing section, which delays the first payment to a specific date rather than calculating a pro-rata amount.
💡 Helpful tip: If your payment collection day is set to Immediate (day of signup), pro-rata does not apply. The first payment is taken straight away. Pro-rata is most relevant when you have a fixed payment collection day such as the 1st of each month.