Accept a household invitation

This guide shows you how to join someone’s family or household membership after they invite you by email.

Who can do this: The person the invitation was sent to. You need access to the email inbox the invitation went to.

Before you start

Find the invitation email. It comes from the organization and names the person who invited you.
The invitation link works for 30 days and can be used once.

Steps

Open the invitation email and select the “Accept the invitation” link. A page opens on the organization’s website showing who invited you and which membership you’re joining.
Follow the one option the page shows you, below. Which one you see depends on whether you already have an account with the organization, and on who can sign in for the membership you’re joining.

If the page asks you to create a password

You don’t have an account with the organization yet, so you’ll set one up now.

Enter a Password of at least 12 characters, then enter it again in Confirm password.
Check I agree to the terms to accept the organization’s terms and privacy policy.
Select Create password and join.
When you see “You’re in. Sign in to see your household.”, select Sign in and sign in with the invited email address and your new password.

You already have an account with the organization.

If the membership uses owner-only sign-in, the page warns you first: “This membership uses owner-only sign-in. Once you join, your sign-in at [organization] stops working unless you also have a membership of your own — [inviter] signs in for the household.” The same warning appears again before you select Join household.

Select Sign in to accept.
Sign in with the email address the invitation was sent to.
Back on the invitation page, select Join household. If you signed in with a link from your email and aren’t brought back to the invitation, open the invitation email again and select its link.

The membership you’re joining uses owner-only sign-in: only the household’s primary member, the person who invited you, signs in. You join without a password or a login of your own.

Check I agree to the terms to accept the organization’s terms and privacy policy.
Select Join without a sign-in.
When you see “You’re in”, you’re done. There’s nothing to sign in to — the person who invited you signs in for the household and can show you your membership.

If the page asks you to contact the organization

The invitation can’t be finished online for this email address. Contact the organization and they’ll help you join.

Verify

You’ll know it worked when your member portal shows the household, with you listed as a member. If you joined without a sign-in, the page says “You’ve joined [inviter]’s household at [organization]” instead, with no sign-in button. Either way, the person who invited you will see your row change from “Invited” to “Active”.

If something goes wrong

“This invitation isn’t available” — the link may have expired, already been used, or been withdrawn. Ask the person who invited you to send a new invitation.
“This invitation is for a different account” — you’re signed in with a different email address. Select Sign out, then open the invitation link from your email again and sign in with the invited address.
“You already have an account” — your email address already has an account. Select Sign in to accept and sign in instead of creating a password.
“You’re already in a household” — you can belong to only one household at an organization. Contact the organization to move.
“This household is full” — ask the person who invited you to make room and send a new invitation.
“We couldn’t finish joining” or “Contact the organization to finish joining” — contact the organization. This can happen if your email address is shared with another record, or already signs in to a different organization that uses MapleGather. It also happens when the household doesn’t have a primary member yet and its level lets only the primary sign in — the organization needs to sort out the household first, then you can accept the same invitation.
“[Organization] changed how sign-in works for this membership. Check the step below and try again.” — the organization changed the sign-in setting after you opened the invitation. The page now shows the step that applies. Follow it.
You joined, but now you can’t sign in to the member portal — the membership uses owner-only sign-in, so only the household’s primary member signs in. Contact them for account access. Your membership is kept.
“We couldn’t finish that just now” — wait a minute and select Try again. Your invitation is still valid.