Running a membership organisation comes with its own vocabulary, from dunning and proration to CPD and PDPA. This glossary defines the terms you will meet most often, grouped so you can find what you need, with a Singapore lens where it matters. Use it as a reference, and follow the links to deeper guides when you want more than a definition.
Membership Basics and Lifecycle
Membership management software. An integrated platform that runs the whole member lifecycle, from joining to renewal, in one connected system. See our full explainer on what membership management software is.
Member lifecycle. The stages a member moves through: prospect, new member, active member, at-risk, lapsed, and (ideally) reactivated. Good software tracks where each member sits and acts accordingly.
Membership tier. A level of membership with its own price and benefits, such as Individual, Corporate, or Student. Tiers let you serve different members appropriately and price fairly.
Joining fee. A one-time charge paid when a member first signs up, separate from recurring dues. Common in clubs and professional bodies.
Dues. The recurring fee members pay to maintain membership, usually annual or monthly. Also called subscriptions or membership fees.
Proration. Charging a partial fee for a partial period, so a member who joins mid-year pays only for the months remaining. Avoids over- or under-charging new members.
Grace period. A short window after a membership expires during which a member can still renew without losing benefits or history. Reduces accidental lapses.
Lapsed member. Someone whose membership has expired and not been renewed. Lapsed members are often the easiest group to win back, which makes a reactivation campaign worthwhile.
Reactivation (win-back). The process of bringing lapsed members back, usually through a targeted offer or reminder sequence.
Family or household membership. A membership covering several linked individuals under one billing account, common in clubs. Each person has their own profile and access while billing consolidates.
Corporate membership. A membership held by an organisation rather than an individual, often with multiple named contacts. Central to trade associations and chambers.
Billing and Payments
Recurring billing. Automatically charging members on a schedule (monthly or annual) without re-entering payment details each time.
PayNow. Singapore's instant payment system, widely expected by local members. Native PayNow support is a must for Singapore organisations.
GIRO. A direct-debit arrangement that pulls recurring payments from a member's bank account. GIRO is ideal for annual dues because it sharply reduces failed renewals.
Payment gateway. The service that processes card and digital payments, such as Stripe. Your software connects to a gateway to collect money.
Reconciliation. Matching each payment received to the correct member and invoice. Software does this automatically; spreadsheets force you to do it by hand.
Dunning. The structured process of recovering failed payments through retries and reminders. Strong dunning recovers most failed renewals, as covered in our failed-payment recovery guide.
Involuntary churn. Members lost to payment failures (expired cards, insufficient funds) rather than a decision to leave. Largely recoverable with good dunning.
Voluntary churn. Members who actively choose not to renew. Reducing it depends on demonstrating value, not on payment mechanics.
GST. Goods and Services Tax. If your organisation is GST-registered, your software should apply and record it correctly on invoices and receipts.
Invoice and receipt. The request for payment (invoice) and the confirmation of payment (receipt). Members increasingly expect to download both from a self-service portal.
Auto-renewal. A setting where membership renews and charges automatically at the end of each term unless the member opts out, which lifts renewal rates.
Engagement and Retention
Retention rate. The percentage of members who renew over a given period. The single most important number for a membership organisation.
Churn rate. The percentage of members lost over a period, the inverse of retention. Tracked as voluntary and involuntary churn.
Engagement score. A composite measure of how actively a member interacts with you (logins, event attendance, email opens). It helps predict who is at risk, as explained in our engagement scoring guide.
Member portal. A self-service area where members update details, pay, renew, and register for events. See our member portal software.
Onboarding. The first experience of a new member, where early value drives long-term retention. Our onboarding best-practices guide covers the first 48 hours.
Lifetime value (LTV). The total revenue a member generates over their entire relationship with you. Retention has a far bigger effect on LTV than acquisition.
Net Promoter Score (NPS). A simple survey metric of how likely members are to recommend you, used as a proxy for satisfaction.
Membership KPI. A key performance indicator for membership health, such as renewal rate, churn, engagement, and revenue. Our guide to membership KPIs worth tracking lists the essentials.
Events
Event registration. Letting members and non-members sign up and pay for events online, linked to their member records. See our event registration software.
Member pricing. Discounted event rates applied automatically to members, a core membership benefit and a recruitment incentive.
QR check-in. Verifying attendance at events by scanning a code, far faster than a printed list and tied back to each member's profile.
Waitlist. An automated queue for full events that offers places as cancellations free up.
Governance and Associations
Association management software (AMS). Membership software tailored to associations, adding committees, AGMs, CPD, and governance. See what an AMS is.
AGM (annual general meeting). The yearly members' meeting where accounts are presented and committees elected. Increasingly run online or hybrid, as covered in our online AGM guide.
Quorum. The minimum number of members required for a meeting's decisions to be valid. Software helps track RSVPs and proxies to ensure you reach it.
Proxy. Authority given by an absent member for someone else to vote on their behalf at a meeting.
Committee. The elected group that governs an association. An AMS tracks committee membership, roles, and terms.
CPD (continuing professional development). Ongoing learning that professionals must complete to keep certifications current. Professional bodies track CPD points against each member.
Member directory. A searchable listing of members, with privacy controls so each member chooses what is visible. See our directory best-practices guide.
Chapter. A local or regional sub-group of a larger association, often with some autonomy. Managed through chapter management software.
ROS (Registry of Societies). The Singapore authority societies register with and file annual returns to.
Compliance and Data
PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act). Singapore's data protection law governing how you collect, use, and store members' personal data. See our PDPA compliance guide.
Consent. A member's agreement to your collecting and using their data for stated purposes. Marketing generally requires separate consent from membership administration.
Data Protection Officer (DPO). The person responsible for an organisation's data protection compliance. Under PDPA, organisations that process personal data regularly should appoint one.
IPC (Institution of a Public Character). A status in Singapore that lets approved charities issue tax-deductible receipts to donors. IPCs must collect donor details for IRAS reporting.
Data migration. Moving member records from an old system (or spreadsheets) into a new one, ideally cleaned along the way. See our migration guide.
Source of truth. The single system designated as authoritative for a given piece of data, so conflicts between systems resolve predictably.
Software and Technology
Membership CRM. Software that emphasises tracking and nurturing member relationships, as distinct from a sales CRM. See AMS vs CRM vs membership software.
SaaS (software as a service). Software delivered as an online subscription rather than a one-time purchase. The pricing trade-off is covered in our pricing guide.
One-time licence. A model where you pay once for the software, usually with an annual maintenance fee, as an alternative to a recurring subscription.
Digital membership card. A membership card stored in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, updated in real time. See digital membership cards and our best-practices guide.
Website builder. A no-code tool to create and edit your own website, which can grow into a membership site. See our website builder.
Integration. A connection that lets two systems share data automatically, such as syncing payments to your accounting software.
API (application programming interface). The technical interface that lets software systems talk to each other, the foundation of most integrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important membership metric to track?
Retention rate, the percentage of members who renew, is the single most important number. It compounds over time, has a larger effect on lifetime value than acquisition, and reflects whether members find ongoing value in your organisation.
What is the difference between dues and a joining fee?
Dues are the recurring fee that maintains membership, usually annual or monthly. A joining fee is a one-time charge paid only when a member first signs up. Many clubs and professional bodies charge both.
What does dunning mean in membership billing?
Dunning is the structured process of recovering failed payments through automatic retries and reminders. Effective dunning recovers most involuntary churn, which is membership lost to payment failures rather than a decision to leave.
Why do PayNow and GIRO matter for Singapore organisations?
Singapore members expect to pay by PayNow, and GIRO direct debit significantly reduces failed renewals for recurring annual dues. Native support for both lowers friction and protects revenue compared with card-only international platforms.
What is the difference between an AMS and membership software?
Membership software covers the member lifecycle that any member-based organisation needs. An AMS is membership software with association-specific governance added, such as committees, AGMs, CPD, and chapters.
New to membership software? Start with our guide on what membership management software is, or book a free demo to see how it works for your organisation.