Join: submit an application and pay

This guide shows you how to choose a membership level, fill in your details, and — where the level is paid — pay, so that the organization can review your application.

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.

Steps

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 — Application” (or “Step 1 of 3 — Application” once you check Enable auto-renew — see step 7). 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 about your application.
Fill in any other fields shown on the form. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
If the form asks you to accept terms, read them and check the acceptance box before continuing — it reads I accept the membership terms, I accept the waiver, or I accept the terms and conditions, depending on what the organization asks for. If a Version tag shows next to the checkbox, you’re accepting a specific published version — select Read full terms to read the full document first. See Accept membership terms at signup for more.
If the level offers auto-renewal, a Renewal section shows an Enable auto-renew checkbox. It starts unchecked. Check it if you want your membership to renew automatically; leave it unchecked to renew manually.
Select Submit application to send your details. Submitting the form creates your application. On a free level (or one the organization invoices) there is no payment step: you go straight to the confirmation page, or to the auto-renewal step if you checked Enable auto-renew.
On a paid level, the payment step (“Step 2 of 2”, or “Step 2 of 3” with auto-renewal) opens. Enter your card number, expiry, and security code.
Select Pay {amount}. The amount shown is the total you’ll be charged.
If you checked Enable auto-renew, the auto-renewal step opens next. Save a card for future renewals if asked (saving it doesn’t charge it), and, if the organization asks you to, review how much you’ll be charged, how often and on which payment method, then confirm. If you change your mind, select Renew manually instead. Nothing is charged for renewal until the organization accepts your application.

Verify

You land on an Application received. page. Submitting does not make you a member yet: someone at the organization reviews your application and decides whether to accept it. The page says so — “Nothing is set up yet.” We’ll send you a confirmation that your application was received (one a day per email address), and if the organization accepts it you get a welcome email — unless your email already belongs to someone in their member list, in which case they’ll be in touch directly. A decision not to accept it isn’t emailed at this time — the organization will contact you directly.

If you paid, the page also shows Payment received — held while your application is reviewed. If the organization accepts your application, the payment covers your first membership period; if it doesn’t, the organization will be in touch about the payment.
If your card cleared but the payment is still completing, you’ll see a note that it is going through instead of the confirmation page. Don’t pay again — contact the organization if you don’t hear back.
If you chose auto-renewal, the page says auto-renewal starts when your application is accepted — or, if you didn’t finish the auto-renewal step, offers Finish setting up auto-renewal. Until you finish it, the organization can’t accept your application with auto-renewal. Once you’re accepted, you’ll get an email with your next charge date, amount and payment method.

Change or withdraw your application

While your application is waiting and you haven’t started paying, the confirmation page shows a Your application section:

Correct your details — opens your application so you can fix your name, email address, phone number, or your answers to the organization’s questions. Select Save changes to send the correction; you return to the confirmation page. Your acceptance of the membership terms can’t be changed.
Withdraw application — asks you to confirm. Select Withdraw application to withdraw it, or Keep my application to go back. Once withdrawn, the organization won’t review it. Your application stays on record as withdrawn, under the organization’s normal record-keeping — it isn’t deleted — and nobody listed on it is set up or contacted. You can apply again any time.

These options only work in the browser tab you applied from, and only for a while — they expire. They disappear as soon as you start paying (once you go to the payment step), even if the payment doesn’t go through. If you see This application can’t be changed from here any more, or the options aren’t there, contact the organization directly and they can update or withdraw it for you.

If something goes wrong

“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.
“Auto-renewal setup isn’t available from here any more” — your application has still been received; the organization reviews it as usual and you’ll renew manually. Contact the organization if you want auto-renewal set up.