Oddly enough having the 2 month adult membership online might encourage the purchase of the full membership because it would make the 40 dollar one look like a bargain. As in “Look I can get 2 months for $20 or wait I can get 12 for $40.”
That may be true for the new $20 two-month membership, we have some sound evidence that dozens of players were waiting until a day or two after their three-month membership lapsed to purchase another one, because the pricing differential was too small. But that’s still a matter for the EB, since it’s their policy that two-month memberships cannot be sold through the webstore.
And as to the other memberships that are not available through the webstore (eg, blind, prison and international online), they all have eligibility restrictions that would be difficult if not impossible to enforce on the webstore.
All the age based memberships have eligibility restrictions that are “difficult if not impossible to enforce on the webstore”. Even if you can’t purchase the blind, prison and international online, etc. on the webstore, they should still be mentioned.
I don’t think the webstore is the right place to mention them.
ALL information is difficult to verify online, and we have had occasions where someone has (apparently) given us an incorrect birthdate to try to get a lower rate. But the blind and prison memberships have very specific criteria (and very low rates) and that raises a different level of verification. The International Online membership (another EB invention) is limited to sales through affiliates because that’s how the EB created them.
Should there be a page in the magazine or the website that lists all the various membership options, including the special ones that aren’t available in the webstore? Probably, but that’s more of an editorial decision, and I doubt there are many people who see that as a high priority.
Micah, it is one of the jobs of a tournament director to be up to date with different membership categories. These change. The special types of membership mentioned have to go through you as the first line of defense to check and verify if the person is eligible. This verification stage is important. Players are never fully cognizant of what their options are. That is where the TD comes in to set out the array of options, with the full membership as best and most valuable one for the player over a full year. If a player wishes to purchase a lesser membership to get a taste of tournament play, then you tell him of the two month membership option. The player, especially the new player is trusting you to tell him what is best for him. This is how you build up relationships with your tournament base of players in your community. The webstore is only going to provide the basics, and is designed more for the USCF. Players can go there if they like. It is fast and easy and can deal with most memberships.
I have had players come in to register for an event who needed to renew. Since it will take longer for me to sell them the membership, send it in, and then have them receive their card, I have them go online on an iphone or android and join the USCF as they stand in line. Within a few minutes, they show me the e-mail verification of purchase, their ID number, and the expiration date of their new membership. If they want a two month membership, I tell them that this will take longer to do as I have to go through some hoops and they might have to wait a while. They prefer to get the membership immediately. No one has balked at the cost because they really want to play in our tournaments. Also, I am pretty good at selling stuff. I keep a list of options handy and have honed a little script for selling USCF memberships. As of yet no one has come in wanting to get a blind or senior membership. The rarer stuff the TD must handle with the USCF because he is on the frontline. The USCF wants to make sure all of the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted.
Very good post. Picture Friday night, 30+ players in line at a time. 5 wish to renew, (or have to regardless of their wishes USCF), and a few more join for the first time. Now, given that most of them arrive at the tournament site
10 minutes before scheduled round time, should it be my Job as TD to go over every single membership option??
I think not. I hand them the USCF membership form, and let them decide. For questions, (as it is usually the
parents/coaches registering) I put their charges in the appropriate sections, and tell them question time is after the
tournament is started. The first option I always try to sell is annual memberships. Sometimes, this clearly is a no go. There are a number of folks who come to my weekly tournaments each year wanting to “try” it out, without
really much financial commitment.
This is where the three month membership plans came in, and worked very well, as quite a few of these folks
came in with the idea to “look around”, and not necessarily to play. The difference of $ 6 - $ 13 in terms of
affiliate costs for scholastic memberships for our weekly events is not as big of a shock as the $ 25, and now $ 20
difference in the cost of short term and regular adult memberships. By increasing the dues for the short term, I think it is clear that USCF has basically taken steps to reduce the number of “trial” players. Either join us 100% or
not at all. Ultimatums tend to bring answers not desired. This is my concern.
Rob Jones
Ouch. I wouldn’t go that far. But I would say it feels like they’re saying, “We care more about money than about helping you take the plunge.”
Remember, a lot of first-time tournament players are anxious about how they’ll do and have had to overcome some trepidation about coming in the first place. They show up, prepared to pay their entry fee, only to suddenly learn that it’s going to cost them at least $20 more than they thought it would. How good a “promotional” membership is this if they say, “Sorry, I don’t think I’m ready for this,” and walk out the door?
Meadmaker is correct here–this is absolutely the message USCF will be sending out–loud and very clear.
Our EB and delegates have clearly made the decision that the more financially well-healed adults are the target
base. It is up to us now, a the local level, to sell this to tournament participants, and sell the casual participant on the idea that the federation that cannot make it on $ 5.00 per month for the three month membership can make
it on the just over $ 3.00 per month for the regular $ 37 membership (after affiliate discount). Seems logical to me, very sound mathematics. 
Rob Jones
That’s why I suggested that tournament organizers give an entry fee discount to first-time players. At this weekend’s New England Open we’re doing that in the scholastic sections ($15 discount off a $20 advance entry fee) but not in the main tournament.
Come to think of it, we do offer a $30 discount to unrated players in the bottom section of the main tournament.
It is a better promotional membership than telling them they pay $49 to join for a year. Of course if your advertising says USCF membership required like many of ours do, then they might be prepared for something to be needed.
Or they might never come in the first place. I never would have come in the first place.
(I’m sure at least a few people consider that a good argument for eliminating promotional memberships altogether.)
Some will never come if they have to pay anything at all.
Pricing is always a tough call in any business. This one is no different.
I don’t see the 2-month membership in the membership options on TD/A. Wasn’t it suppose to be available there?
Also, in the FAQ it says “If you are submitting a three-month or longer membership for this new member, the membership batch process generates the new member’s USCF ID.” Is the process the same for the new two-month membership?