Einnahmeverluste durch falsche oder nicht abgerechnete Mitgliedsbeiträge

Definition

Australian professional associations publish structured fee tables for memberships (e.g., Professional Member Annual AUD 300 plus a one‑off administration fee of AUD 35, excluding GST).[6] Many also apply pro‑rata subscriptions to align with fixed annual renewal dates (e.g., AUD 390 per year pro‑rated to end of February).[1] Separate non‑refundable or refundable application/processing fees (e.g., AUD 110 for initial professional membership applications and AUD 100 for renewals over 5‑year cycles) introduce multiple charge components per application.[2] In manual workflows, staff must interpret the correct category (associate vs professional), apply pro‑rata logic based on join date, and remember to add GST and application fees. Over time, errors such as forgetting one‑off admin fees, placing applicants in lower categories, or rounding down pro‑rata amounts lead to small but recurring under‑billing. With annual professional membership revenues typically in the mid‑six figures for medium associations, even a conservative 1–3% mis‑billing or waiver rate results in noticeable revenue leakage. For example, an association with AUD 500,000 in gross membership revenue can lose AUD 5,000–15,000 per year if manual errors or informal discounts go undetected. The presence of separate non‑refundable application fees is a particular risk: if these are not enforced consistently, the organization loses both fee income and staff time invested in assessment.

Why This Matters

The Pitch: Professional bodies in Australia 🇦🇺 lose 1–3% of potential membership income annually through mis‑calculated dues and missed application fees. Automation of category rules, pro‑rata proration and integrated payments closes this gap.

Affected Stakeholders

Membership officer, Finance/accounts receivable staff, CFO or finance manager, Association CEO

Related Business Risks