My upcoming scholastic (two days from today) has 4 players who pre-registered who do not have current memberships. A couple have expired memberships, and a couple got a number without paying (I wish US Chess would prevent that from happening!)
I have communicated with parents who registered earlier, and walked them through the process, but now it is getting late, especially since I need to travel to the event.
If all else fails, I will get the money from their coach and have him get repayment from the parents later.
If I make the parent or coach give me the fee at the tournament, I don’t know how to process it. When I go to the renewal page, I have to use an email to create a sign-on in order to use their existing USCF number. I have their email, but if I create a password, that will keep the player or their parent from setting up their own sign-on. Hmm, maybe I can just send them the password I used?
I have everything but their birthdate. I could get that sign them up as a new player. But that would create a new membership number for them.
Isn’t there some way a third party (coach or TD) can pay for a membership? Some of new-to-chess parents can’t figure out how to do this.
I don’t want to delay processing the tournament results if I get the money late (at the tournament.)
If there is net access at your tournament site, I know TDs who in the past have set up a computer with a browser and told non-members to go over to that computer and process a membership. Note that it will generally take 5-10 minutes for a newly processed membership to show up on MSA.
I do not know if this works as well with the new CIVI-CRM membership system.
If the member has a new number and says “Not a US Chess member” take a screen shot of that and send it to membership@uschess.org. There are two databases in play and if they are not synchronized properly, the office can sync them up. That assumes the member paid the proper dues. If not, the office may be able to contact the member to resolve the payment issue.
Selling memberships with a commission is a right granted to affiliates, as is the right to hold US Chess rated events. That’s why you have to select an affiliate you’re authorized for before you have those options.
One common reason for this is that the number is created before a payment is made, and if there is no payment made then the new number is “Not a US Chess member”. A lot of parents think they are done once they get the number.