When to use Local Center fees
| Your situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Each branch charges its own membership fee in addition to national dues | Set up local fee products per center |
| Local branches are financially independent | Each center needs its own Stripe account |
| National org collects everything and distributes | Don’t use local fees — use one national product and distribute manually |
| Fees are the same everywhere, only collected nationally | Don’t use local fees |
Prerequisites
- Local Centers enabled — you need geographic branches set up
- Local admin permissions — the person setting this up needs ADMIN_LOCAL or FINANCIAL_LOCAL
- Stripe account for the center — separate from the national Stripe account
Setting up local fee collection
Connect the center's Stripe account
Click Connect with Stripe. Log in to (or create) a Stripe account for this center. Complete identity verification. Return to Orgo.
Create a fee product
In Fee Settings, create a fee product for the center (e.g., “Berlin Chapter Membership 2026”).
Add price tiers
Open the product → Prices tab → add tiers for different membership levels:
- Student — €25/year
- Regular — €50/year
- Family — €75/year
How payments flow
When a member pays their local fee:- Member selects the local membership product
- Payment is processed through the Local Center’s Stripe account (not national)
- Funds are deposited to the Local Center’s bank account
- Payment is recorded in both the local and national systems
Fee distribution models
| Model | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 100% local | All payment goes to the Local Center’s account | Financially independent branches |
| Split | Automatic division — e.g., 70% local, 30% national — via Stripe Connect | Federated organizations sharing costs |
| National collects | National org receives all payments, distributes to centers manually | Centrally managed finances |
Bank details for manual payments
For members who pay by bank transfer:| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| IBAN (local currency) | Bank account for local currency transfers |
| IBAN (EUR) | Separate account for EUR transfers (if different) |
Viewing and managing payments
As a Local Admin
Local Center → Fees → Payments See all payments made to your center — filter by status, member, date, amount. Send reminders to unpaid members. Export for local accounting.As a National Admin
Fees → Payments → filter by Local Center See all payments across all centers. Compare collection rates between branches. Export organization-wide financial reports.Common scenarios
Can one member pay both national and local fees?
Can one member pay both national and local fees?
Yes. National and local fee products are independent. A member might pay $100/year national + €50/year local. Each payment goes to the respective Stripe account.
All our branches charge the same fee — do I need separate products?
All our branches charge the same fee — do I need separate products?
You can either create one product at the national level with a Local Center option (members choose their branch at checkout), or create identical products per center. The first approach is simpler; the second gives branches more autonomy.
A branch can't set up Stripe — they don't have a bank account
A branch can't set up Stripe — they don't have a bank account
The national organization can collect on their behalf. Don’t connect a local Stripe account — instead, use the national fee product and track which center the payment is for. Distribute funds to the branch manually.
The fee product isn't showing for members of my center
The fee product isn't showing for members of my center
Check that: (1) the product isn’t archived, (2) it’s set as the default fee product in Local Group Settings, (3) the member is actually assigned to your Local Center.
Related
- Local Centers — Setting up geographic branches
- Products — Creating fee products and price tiers
- Stripe Integration — Connecting payment processing
- Membership Fees — National fee collection and management