You have a great season ahead of you, and everyone wants to get in on the subscription process! You have promised all your existing subscribers that they will get the same seats they had last year. So what do you do with all the patrons who want to buy new subscriptions while at the same time honoring your promise to your existing subscribers? You don't want to have checks and credit card numbers lying around for months waiting until you can sell new subscriptions, and you want to get the money in the bank where you can use it to grow your business.
This help page discusses how to deal with the new subscribers that want to "buy in" before you have completed renewing your existing subscribership.
Your process may vary, however the typical chronology of events in the renewal period for Season Subscriptions is:
When a patron wants to purchase a new subscription during the renewal period, you will need to explain that you can process their payment, but cannot assign their seat until all existing subscribers have been seated. Following that (and you can provide the renewal deadline), you will be able to assign seats to new subscribers.
There are two methods that you can use to process a payment without booking a subscription.
Method 1 (Recommended):
For information on accessing the Patron Window click here.
The Select A Season Package window opens.
The Select A Season Package window will not open if there is only one active season package. |
The Subscription Detail window opens.
Add any notes about the seat request in the Seat Change Request text box.
The payment window opens.
When you are able to assign and book the tickets:
The payment window opens, but because of the prior payment, the balance due should be zero. If it is not, review the tickets assigned in the Ticket Review tab, and the prior payment to ensure they are correct.
Method 2 (Optional):
Method 2 is sometimes preferred by auditors who like to see that the patron has something of value, rather than the company having just processed a payment without giving anything in return. Most people understand the concept of Gift Certificates, so auditors will ask that you issue a Gift Certificate (or other Membership) in exchange for the payment. Then, when you are able to process the subscription, use the Gift Certificate to pay for the tickets.
The end result is the same - the patron has given you money, you have put it in your bank, and then that money - at a future date - pays for the tickets.