Offline payments

Offline payments are not accepted by default. They require a manual process similar to adding honorary members.

Note

Existing offline-paying members who joined before October 2025 were imported under special conditions. When their membership expires they will be prompted to renew online like everyone else. Offline renewals of existing memberships are no longer accepted.

Before you start

1. Confirm the user does not already exist in WordPress or Stripe. If they do, contact hello@sarahtamsin.com.
2. Confirm the payment has cleared in the OHS bank account. Do this on the same day it clears.

Caution

Do not proceed until the payment has cleared. Processing before clearance may result in membership being granted without payment.

3. Collect:
   • Full name
   • Postal address, postcode, country (billing address)
   • Company name (optional, recommended)
   • Email address
   • Phone number (optional, recommended)
   • Gift Aid status (yes or no) — consider whether a separate offline form is needed for the member to self-declare this.

Stage 1 — Create the customer in Stripe

1. Go to the Stripe dashboard.

2. Click Customers > Add Customer.

3. Complete the fields as for honorary members but use a Description like “offline payer”.

4. Click Add customer and open the customer’s profile.

5. Click Add Meta Data (bottom right) and add:

   • gift_aid — checked or not_checked
   • gift_aid_date_created — yyyy-mm-dd
   • Click Save.

6. Click Add subscription and choose the correct plan (e.g. Individual — UK £39 per year).

   Caution

   You may see two options for the same plan at the same price. Always choose the topmost option.

7. Duration — if they have paid for a fixed term, set an End date. If you leave Forever selected they will need to renew via card. You can also accept offline payment for multiple years (e.g. £78 for 2 years).

8. Click Create subscription. Leave everything else blank.

Stage 2 — Create the user in WordPress

Follow the same steps as for honorary members, with these differences:

• Membership tier — use the correct paid tier:
  • individual-uk
  • individual-international
  • group-uk
  • group-international
• Gift Aid — tick or leave unticked to match what was set in Stripe. If ticked, also set:
  • Gift Aid Date Created — yyyy-mm-dd
  • Gift Aid Date Updated — leave blank.

Then click Create User, re-open the user, click Link to Stripe, and ask the member to reset their password.