Reservations – Selling Memberships

Including Gift Aid, Direct Debit, Household Capture & Payment Options

Introduction

Memberships provide customers with ongoing access, benefits, and engagement opportunities. They often include options such as Gift Aid, Direct Debit, household members, and renewals.

This guide explains how to sell memberships in the Reservations Portal, using a consistent, step-by-step process that applies to both Attractions and Travel organisations.

Note on Membership Products

The membership products displayed depend on your organisation’s configuration. Attractions and Travel setups may offer different memberships, names, prices and payment methods, however, the selling process is identical across both domains.

This document covers:

• Selecting and adding a membership
• Buying for yourself vs. buying for someone else
• Upgrade Your Ticket
• Capturing lead member & household details
• Gift Aid
• Payment options (Card, Direct Debit, Email, SMS, Invoice, External)
• Order confirmation
• Managing and updating memberships
• Membership renewals
• Troubleshooting
• Best Practice

Why It Matters

Memberships represent long-term relationships between an organisation and its visitors or supporters. Selling them accurately ensures:

• Correct access rights
• Clean and reliable customer records
• Smooth member entry and redemption
• Accurate Gift Aid declarations
• Correct financial processing
• Reliable renewals and communications

Accurate information at the point of sale ensures members receive the right benefits and communications throughout their membership term.

Step-by-Step: Selling a Membership

1. Start a New Order

• From the Reservations landing page, click New Order.
• You will see navigation buttons:

Admissions | Events | Passes | Entitlements | Other

• Select Entitlements.

? Image Placeholder:New Order → Entitlements navigation screenshot

• A toggle appears in the top right:
• Place Order On Behalf: Use this when completing the order for someone else (e.g., agents, partners, etc).

2. Choose Memberships

• Click Memberships.
• A list of the available membership products appears.

These differ depending on your organisation (Attractions or Travel), but the screen behaves the same.

? Image Placeholder:Attractions membership selection grid

? Image Placeholder:Travel membership selection grid

3. Select a Membership

• Click on the membership tile you want to sell.
• When selected:
• The tile highlights
• Details appear below
• Upgrade Your Ticket may appear (if configured)
• The Direct Debit / Card toggle shows available payment types

? Image Placeholder:Selected membership tile with Upgrade Your Ticket section

4. Add to Cart & Checkout

You may:

• Add the membership to the cart
• Add other products (Admissions, Events, etc.)
• Apply a promo code or voucher
• Proceed to checkout immediately

Promo codes and vouchers can be entered in the cart before continuing.

If valid, the discount or credit will be applied automatically.

Only one membership can be added per order

The Cart appears on the right-hand side throughout the process.

Mixed Orders When Purchasing a Membership

Memberships cannot be purchased alongside other entitlements or tickets.

If your cart contains other items when you select a membership, a message will appear:

'Mixed orders are not supported when purchasing an entitlement. To continue, we must remove all items from your cart.'

You can choose to:

• Clear the cart and continue with the membership
• Cancel and keep your existing cart items

? Image Placeholder:Clear cart

? Image Placeholder:Cart displaying membership product and promo/voucher field

• Click Checkout to continue.

5. Gift Aid Selection

If the membership includes a donation component, a Gift Aid pop-up appears.

? Image Placeholder:Gift Aid

The customer must choose:

• Yes, claim Gift Aid
• No, don’t claim Gift Aid

Once selected, the Gift Aid choice appears in the Order Summary on the right.

I consent to Gift Aid ✓

6. Enter Contact Details

The Contact Details screen contains several sections:

Adult 1: Lead Member (Required)

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email
• Phone Number
• Date of Birth

All of the above fields are required

Children: (For Family Memberships)

Add children by name and date of birth (both Required fields)

The number of children is dependant on configuration of the membership in Admin Portal → Products

Shipping Address

• Country
• Address lookup
• Manual entry option
• Toggle: Billing address is the same as shipping address

Marketing Preferences

Optional subscription to communications.

Terms & Conditions

Must be ticked to proceed.

The Order Summary on the right remains visible throughout.

? Image Placeholder:Contact Details screen showing adult, child and address sections

• Click Continue to payment.

7. Payment Options

The Payment screen displays all payment methods enabled for your organisation.

? Image Placeholder:Payment Options screen

⚠ Important Note:

Payment types are agreed during onboarding and configured in each client’s Expian setup file.

Only the payment methods enabled for your organisation will appear here.

Available Payment Methods Include:

Via Card (DNA Payments)

Opens a secure form for card payments.

? Image Placeholder:DNA payment form

Via Email

Sends the customer a time-limited link (15 minutes or 2 hours).

Order remains in Draft until paid.

? Image Placeholder:Payment via Email expiry dropdown

? Image Placeholder:Email payment link sent confirmation

Via SMS

Same as Email but sent as a text message.

Via Invoice

Used for corporate or approved invoice-based arrangements.

External / Later External / On Day

Used when payment is taken outside the system or at a later stage.

8. Direct Debit

If Direct Debit is selected at the top of the membership screen, a Direct Debit form will appear.

It includes:

• Account holder name
• Sort code
• Account number
• Confirmation checkbox
• Check Bank Details & Continue button

? Image Placeholder:Direct Debit form with bank details & confirmation checkbox

Important:

The Lead Member must be the account holder for compliance.

9. Order Confirmation

After payment is completed (or DD submitted), the confirmation page appears.

It contains:

• Order reference
• Customer details
• Membership details
• Delivery method (usually email)
• Buttons to:
• View Draft Order
• Edit Draft Order
• Go to Dashboard

? Image Placeholder:Order Confirmation screen

Managing a Membership After Purchase

From View Order Details, staff can:

• Download the membership PDF
• View or update customer details
• View household members
• Resend membership confirmation
• Suspend membership
• Cancel membership
• Process refunds (automatic or manual)

Membership Renewal

Renewals operate using the standard Expian renewal logic.

Customers may renew online or staff may process renewals manually.

Renewal statuses include:

• ACTIVE
• ACTIVE_AWAITING_RENEWAL
• EXPIRED_AWAITING_RENEWAL
• RENEWED

Direct Debit renewals run automatically via scheduled scripts.

Best Practice

• Confirm the correct membership type before adding to the cart.
• Check customer email accuracy, it links customer records correctly.
• Explain Gift Aid neutrally and clearly.
• Use postcode lookup for address accuracy.
• Enter recipient details for gift memberships.
• Use Notes only when meaningful and necessary.
• Remind customers using Email/SMS payment that the order stays in Draft until paid.
• Ensure the lead member is the bank account holder for Direct Debit.

Troubleshooting

Cart empties unexpectedly

Causes:

• Session timeout
• Switching “Place Order On Behalf”
• Adding multiple entitlements

Fix: Start a new order.

Gift Aid pop-up reappears

Cause: A required field was incomplete.

Fix: Scroll up for validation messages.

Cannot continue to payment

Check:

• DOB
• Address
• Terms & Conditions
• Lead member email
  

Customer does not receive payment link

Fix:

• Confirm email or phone number
• Ask them to check spam
• Resend link

Summary

Expian provides a clear, structured membership-selling process that applies to both Attractions and Travel organisations.

By following this guide, staff can ensure:

• Smooth customer experiences
• Accurate customer records
• Correct Gift Aid handling
• Accurate payments
• Clean, reliable membership data for renewals and reporting

The Reservations Portal supports a wide range of payment types, membership configurations, and entitlements, making it adaptable for organisations of all sizes.

Feature Highlights Appendix

Ends membership and processes refunds (if permitted)

Ensures legal compliance and boosts charitable income

Cancel membership

Allows recurring membership payments

Processes recurring renewals overnight

Domain flexibility(optional)

Membership renewal CTA

Gift Aid prompt

Confirms the lead member is the account holder

Ensures seamless continuation for DD members

Card payments via DNA

Allows customers to self-renew online

Upgrade Your Ticket

Ensures fast, compliant payment processing

Email, SMS, Invoice, External, On Day, Later External (configured per client during onboarding)

Lets staff trigger renewals, upgrades, or downgrades

Direct Debit option

What It Does

Provides predictable revenue and supports retention

Supports compliant communication practices

Restricts orders to a single entitlement

Suspend membership

Ensures clean, accurate customer records

Ensures accurate financial and entitlement handling

Supports flexible payment journeys suited to different organisations

Place Order On Behalf

Converts eligible admission tickets into a membership

Supports remote completion and avoids abandoned transactions

Increases clarity and reduces user error

Temporarily pauses entitlement use without extending term

Records opt-in/out communication choices

Direct Debit validation

Ensures the correct customer receives the membership

Why It Matters

Buying for myself / someone else

Ensures consistent training and documentation regardless of organisation type

Renewal via Reservations

Marketing preferences capture

Ensures correct access rights and customer record accuracy

Records all adults/children included in the membership

Household capture

Collects Gift Aid declaration at point of sale

Ensures mandate accuracy and reduces failed payments

Allows staff/agents to complete orders for someone else

Membership selling process works the same across Attractions and Travel

Draft Orders for Email/SMS

Feature

Expanded payment methods

Order Summary sidebar

Prevents customer record conflicts and supports partner workflows

Orders remain in Draft until payment is made

Helps organisations increase membership conversions

Shows membership, price, Gift Aid, and delivery details

Provides operational flexibility

Automatic renewal script (Direct Debit)

One membership per order

Supports gift memberships and third-party purchases

Supports customer service and onsite retention

Reduces staff workload

Secure, integrated card checkout