Get started with memberships

A membership in KORONA Event is a product that customers buy to become members. Members then receive the prices and benefits you have set up for them in the online shop and at the point of sale (POS). Read this article first to understand the building blocks, then follow Set up a membership.

How a membership works

A customer buys a membership product in the online shop, at the POS, or through a back-office order.
KORONA Event places the customer in the customer group configured on the product, for example Members.
On later orders, KORONA applies the prices and discounts set up for that customer group. See Where members receive member prices.
For a membership that follows its ticket, the membership ends when the last valid membership ticket expires or is cancelled. KORONA Event then returns the customer to their previous customer group.

Where members receive member prices

Member prices apply whenever an order belongs to the member's customer record:

Online shop: the member signs in to their customer account during checkout. Member prices are applied when the signed-in customer is linked to the order, before payment. The cart shows regular prices until then. A guest checkout with a member's email address creates a separate customer and does not receive member prices.
Back office: staff create the order from the member's customer record, or select the member as the order's customer.
POS: an order that already belongs to the member keeps the member's customer group when it is added to the receipt. For direct sales at the KORONA POS, select the member's customer record as you would for any customer-group price in KORONA.

The membership itself starts after its order is booked. A ticket bought in the same order as the membership is charged the regular price.

Building blocks

Building block	Where you set it up	What it does
Customer group	KORONA.studio	Identifies members. Create one customer group for each membership level, such as Members or Family members.
Member prices and discounts	KORONA.studio	Prices or promotions that apply only to the customer group. KORONA calculates them in the online shop and at the POS.
Membership product	KORONA.studio and KORONA Event	The product customers buy. KORONA.studio holds its price, ticket validity, and production type; KORONA Event holds the online settings.
Customer group after purchase	KORONA Event product settings	Selects the customer group the buyer joins and how long the assignment lasts.
Customer account requirement	KORONA Event product settings	Makes online buyers sign in or create a customer account, so the membership belongs to an identifiable customer.
Membership card	KORONA Event PDF templates	An optional card layout with the member's name, photo, and scannable code.
Membership benefits	KORONA Event customer record	Shows each customer's membership status, supporting tickets, and validity.

Customer groups, prices, and products are maintained in KORONA.studio and imported into KORONA Event. You cannot create a customer group in KORONA Event.

Choose how long a membership lasts

On the membership product, Customer group assignment duration decides whether the membership ends.

Customer group assignment duration

How long a customer keeps the customer group assigned by a purchased product.

Option	What it does	When to use it	Watch out for
Membership during ticket validity	Places the buyer in the selected customer group while at least one of their tickets for this product is valid, then returns them to their previous customer group.	For annual, seasonal, or other memberships that end.	The product must represent an attendee and use an activating production type. Online buyers need a customer account. A customer with an explicitly assigned customer group keeps it.
Permanent customer classification	Assigns the selected customer group once after a qualifying purchase. The group stays after the ticket expires or is cancelled.	For lasting classifications such as trade customers or lifetime supporters.	Applies only to customers without a customer group. Existing groups, including the default group, are kept. Staff can assign a group directly on the customer record. The assignment never ends automatically.

New customers automatically receive the default customer group set on the point of sale in KORONA.studio. Membership during ticket validity can replace this default group. A customer whose customer group was assigned explicitly, for example by staff, keeps it; the membership then shows Manually overridden on the customer record.

Permanent customer classification applies only to customers without a customer group. It does not replace an existing group, including the default group. To classify a customer who already has a group, staff can set the customer group directly on the customer record.

Choose a setup for your use case

Use case	Recommended setup
Annual membership with member prices	A membership product with Membership during ticket validity, a one-year ticket validity, and member prices for the customer group in KORONA.studio.
Annual pass for admission only	A product with a one-year ticket that is scanned at the entrance. No customer group is needed, and guests can buy it without a customer account.
Annual pass with member prices	Combine both: the annual pass ticket grants admission, and Membership during ticket validity gives member prices while the ticket is valid.
Several membership levels	One customer group and one membership product per level, each with its own prices. Avoid letting one customer hold valid memberships for different groups at the same time.
Lasting classification	Permanent customer classification on the product that qualifies the customer. Staff can also set the customer group directly on the customer record.
Sponsorship	A product with ticket validity, as for an annual membership. Recurring payment collection is not supported; customers renew by buying the product again.

What memberships do not include

Recurring payments. A membership is paid once per purchase. Customers renew by buying the membership product again before or after it expires.
Family or gift memberships with several members. A membership belongs to the customer who bought it. Each person who needs their own benefits needs their own purchase and customer record.
Membership status for customers. The online shop account does not show a customer's customer group or membership validity. Customers receive their membership ticket like any other ticket.
Customer subscriptions. A subscription is a communication preference and grants no membership benefits; see Use customer subscriptions.