---
title: "A paid members club, designed to recur"
url: "https://joy.so/membership-program/"
kind: "page"
description: "Recurring fees, gated perks, members-only pricing, and tiers in one on-brand club — built to turn loyalty into predictable recurring revenue."
---

# A paid members club, designed to recur

Recurring fees, gated perks, members-only pricing, and tiers in one on-brand club — built to turn loyalty into predictable recurring revenue.

## Launch a paid members club, unmistakably yours

Charge a recurring fee for a club that looks like a brand 10× your size. Joy ships a native Online Store 2.0 members area in your theme — your fonts, colors, and reward names — so the club reads as premium from the join page on.

- Monthly or annual recurring fees
- Native OS 2.0 members area
- Your fonts, colors & reward names
- Billed on Shopify's native billing

## VIP tiers, with perks that climb by tier

Stack spend-based tiers on top of the club so members level up as they spend. Each tier unlocks richer benefits — a bigger birthday points multiplier, deeper member pricing, and earlier access — giving your best customers a clear reason to renew and spend more.

- Spend-based VIP tiers
- Perks that scale at every level
- Birthday points multiplier: 1.5× → 2× by tier
- Higher-tier digital wallet card

## Exclusive perks, members only

Reward membership with perks worth paying for — early access to launches and sales, exclusive collections, free local shipping, member gifts, and birthday rewards. Lock them behind the club so everyone else has a reason to join.

- Early access to launches & sales
- Exclusive collections & member merch
- Free local shipping & member gifts
- Birthday perks & special-event invites

## An invite-only tier, money can't buy

Beyond earned and paid tiers sits the club you curate. Hand-pick top customers, creators, and friends of the brand into an invitation-only tier — entry rewards land the moment they join, and access revokes automatically when it ends.

- Manual, invitation-only entry
- Runs alongside earned & paid tiers
- Entry rewards the moment they join
- Access revokes automatically

## Everything a premium club needs to run

Recurring billing, gated access, and a branded card — the muscle ambitious brands need to turn membership into recurring revenue, on by default.

### Recurring membership billing

Charge monthly or annual fees on Shopify's native billing. Predictable recurring revenue that compounds month over month.

### Members-only pricing

Reserve discounted prices, member rates, and exclusive bundles for paying members — applied automatically at checkout.

### Early access drops

Open new launches, restocks, and sales to members hours or days before anyone else. Reward the people who pay to belong.

### Gated products & content

Lock collections, products, and content behind membership. Non-members see the door; members walk straight through it.

### Free-shipping perk

Bundle free or flat-rate shipping into the membership so every member order ships without friction — a reason to renew.

### Digital wallet card

Issue a branded membership card to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet — your logo and colors in every member's pocket.

## Frequently asked questions

### How is a paid membership different from a points program?

A membership charges a recurring fee for a fixed set of perks — members-only pricing, early access, free shipping. It drives predictable recurring revenue, where points reward behavior after the fact. Run both at once on Joy and members earn points on top.

### Will the membership club match my brand?

Yes. The members area, gated pages, and join flow render as a native Online Store 2.0 page in your theme — your fonts, colors, and reward names. The digital card carries your logo and colors into Apple and Google Wallet.

### Can I gate products, prices, and content to members only?

Yes. Lock collections, products, and content behind membership; reserve member pricing and exclusive bundles for paying members; and open early-access drops to members first — all applied automatically at checkout.

### How do recurring membership fees get charged?

Joy bills monthly or annual membership fees through Shopify's native billing, so charges, renewals, and access all stay inside the store customers already trust — no separate portal, no separate login.

### Can paid membership and VIP tiers run together?

Yes. Stack a paid club with spend-based VIP tiers so your best customers climb to richer benefits — deeper member pricing, earlier access, and a higher-tier card — while every tier stays on-brand.

### Do members get a digital membership card?

Yes. Every member can add a branded card to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, updated live as they renew or move up a tier — your brand in their pocket, ready to scan in-store on Shopify POS.

### Is there a free plan, and how is the membership priced?

Joy is free to start on Shopify, with paid plans that scale as you grow — every plan keeps the club fully on-brand. The recurring fee your members pay to join is yours to set: pick the monthly or annual price, and Joy charges it on Shopify’s native billing.