Change your membership level

This guide shows you how to switch to a different membership level yourself, without asking an admin. You’ll pick a level, see exactly what the switch means for your money and your renewal date before anything changes, and confirm.

Right now you can switch to a level that costs the same as yours or less and renews on the same schedule (for example, yearly to yearly) — unless your organization refunds the difference to your card, which isn’t available yet either. Switching to a level that costs more, or to one that renews on a different schedule, isn’t available yet — see About levels marked “Not available yet”.

Who can do this: Any active member, except a member whose membership is part of a household membership — the household primary’s membership sets your level. See If your membership is part of a household.

Before you start

You need an active membership. If your membership has lapsed, rejoin first — you can’t switch levels while lapsed.
If a renewal payment is overdue, fix that first. You’ll be asked to update your payment before you can switch.

Steps

Sign in to the member portal.
Select My membership in the navigation.
Select Change level.
Look over the list of levels you can switch to. Your current level shows at the top for reference — it isn’t in the list.
On the level you want, select Choose.
Review your change. This screen shows the credit for your current level, the charge for the new level, the net you’ll pay or receive, your new renewal date, and any benefits you’ll gain or lose. To understand these amounts, see Understanding your proration preview.
If your organization lets you decide, a How should we handle your credit? menu appears. Pick an option — the amounts update to match.
Select Confirm change.

Verify

You’ll know it worked when you land back on My membership showing your new level, with a short “You’re now on {level}” message. A banner also appears offering to undo the change for the next 48 hours.

Undo within 48 hours

For 48 hours after you switch, My membership shows an Undo level change banner with the time remaining. Select Undo level change to go back to your previous level — MapleGather also reverses the credit and charge from the switch. After 48 hours the banner clears and the change is final; to switch again after that, start a new level change. Only your most recent level change can be undone: if your level is changed again after your switch — for example by your organization’s admin — the Undo level change banner for the earlier switch goes away, and your organization’s admin can help instead. If that later change is itself undone, the earlier banner comes back for whatever is left of its 48 hours.

About levels marked “Available at renewal”

Some levels can only be switched to when your membership renews. On the list, that level’s Choose button is turned off and it shows an Available at renewal label with the date it opens. Come back on or after that date to switch to it.

About levels marked “Not available yet”

A level that costs more than yours shows a Not available yet label and its Choose button is turned off, with the note “This level isn’t available to switch to right now.” Switching to it isn’t supported yet. If you need that change, contact your organization’s admin.

Levels that renew on a different schedule from yours (for example monthly when yours is yearly, or yearly when yours is a one-time lifetime membership) aren’t listed at all, because switching between schedules isn’t supported yet. If you need that change, contact your organization’s admin.

If you have a lifetime membership

Here a lifetime membership means any membership that never renews: a lifetime level, or a one-time-payment level that gives you no renewal date.

Switching to another level that never renews costs the difference between the two levels’ prices when the new one costs more — for example, $200 to move from a $300 lifetime level to a $500 one — and nothing when it costs the same or less (nothing is refunded either). Your membership still never renews. This is the same whichever credit option your organization uses. A move up shows Not available yet for now, because paying for a level change by card isn’t available yet — your organization’s admin can make the change for you (and can choose to waive the charge); a move down or to a level at the same price you can make yourself.

Switching from a lifetime membership to a level that gives a renewal date (one that renews, or a one-time level with a single fixed renewal date) is a new purchase of that level: you pay its full first-term price, even if it costs less than your lifetime membership, and your lifetime membership ends. Such a level shows an Ask your administrator label, because paying for a level change by card isn’t available yet — your organization’s admin can make the change for you (and can choose to waive the charge). If the new level is free, you can usually switch yourself (with Apply the difference now, only if you have no remaining credit — any credit would be refunded to your card, so ask your administrator) [amended pre-merge 2026-10-12, c21 AH r4: under price-delta a $0 level opens the exit only with no credit — a credit there nets negative, a card refund]; the review screen tells you your lifetime membership will end before you confirm. The same goes when your membership still carries credit for time you paid for (for example, a level that was made lifetime part-way through a paid term) and that credit covers the new level’s price in a way that charges and refunds nothing to your card, the level shows a normal Choose button, and the review screen shows the price, the credit and that your lifetime membership ends. Whether it does depends on your organization’s setting: with Apply the difference now, only a credit that matches the price exactly (any extra would be refunded to your card); with Add credit to your account balance, a credit at or above the price (the extra goes to your balance); with Charge full price and extend your renewal, never — the full price is always charged and your credit becomes extra days instead. Otherwise the level shows Ask your administrator. [amended pre-merge 2026-10-12, c21 AH r3: per mode — charge-full-extend-renewal always charges the full price, so a credit never opens the exit there]

If your membership is part of a household

If your membership comes through a household membership, selecting Change level shows a notice that your membership is part of the household primary’s membership instead of the list of levels. The household primary manages the level for the household, so you can’t switch levels yourself.

If something goes wrong

“The amounts changed since you opened this” — the price updated between when you opened the preview and when you confirmed. MapleGather shows you the current amounts and asks you to confirm again. Select Review updated amounts, check the new figures, then confirm. Nothing was charged.
The level says it’s only available at renewal — that level is set to renewal-time changes only. Wait until your membership renews (the date is shown on the level), then switch.
“You have a payment that needs fixing” — a renewal payment is overdue. Select Update payment, fix it, then try the level change again.
“This change isn’t available yet” — the switch would need a card payment, a refund to your card, or a change of renewal schedule, which aren’t supported yet. Nothing changed, and nothing was charged or refunded. Select Back to levels to pick a different level, or contact your organization’s admin.
The level you want isn’t in the list — you can only switch to levels that are available to you. If you’d like a different level, contact your organization’s admin.