Join: submit an application and pay

This guide shows you how to choose a membership level, fill in your details, and pay so that you become a member of the organization.

Who can do this: Anyone. You don’t need an account before you start.

Before you start

Have your payment card ready.
If the organization requires you to accept membership terms, read them before you submit.

Go to the organization’s membership page (your browser will show an address like /levels or /join) and review the levels available.
Select Join at this level on the level you want.
The application form opens. A step indicator at the top shows “Step 1 of 2 — your details.” A summary card at the top of the page shows the level name and price so you always know what you’re signing up for.
Fill in your Name and Email address. Email is always required — it’s how the organization contacts you and how you’ll sign in later.
Fill in any other fields shown on the form. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
If a Terms acceptance checkbox appears, read the terms and check I accept before continuing.
Select Submit application to send your details. Submitting the form creates your application record — the next step collects payment.
On the payment page (“Step 2 of 2”), enter your card number, expiry, and security code.
Select Pay {amount}. The amount shown is the total you’ll be charged.

What you see next depends on how the organization has set up this level:

Approved immediately — a “You’re in” confirmation page appears. A sign-in link is sent to your email. Check your inbox and spam folder — the email comes from your organization, not from maplegather.com. Select the link to sign in. If you don’t see it, see Sign-in link not arriving. Not sure how signing in works? See Sign in to MapleGather.
Payment collected, approval pending — you’ll see a note that your payment was collected and is held until the organization reviews your application. You’ll receive a full refund if they decline. No action needed — wait for an email from the organization.
Under review (no payment yet) — your application is being reviewed. You’ll receive an email when the decision is made. See Application still pending if you have questions.
Invoice payment required — you’ll receive a separate invoice to pay. Check your email for instructions.

“An account with this email already exists” — your email is already in the system. Select the sign-in link in the message to sign in instead of submitting a new application. If your membership is currently active, you’re already a member. If your membership lapsed, sign in and then contact the organization to ask them to re-activate your account — see Membership shows lapsed or expired.
“Card declined” — your bank declined the payment. The message shows the reason (for example, “insufficient funds”). Try a different card or contact your bank. Your application details are saved so you don’t need to fill in the form again.
“Required field” — you missed a required field. The form scrolls to the first missing field. Fill it in and try again.
Page shows “Membership signups are not currently open” — the organization has paused new sign-ups. Contact the organization directly.