> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.uplifter.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What happens when a recurring membership renews?

> How monthly and yearly memberships auto-renew: the reminder, the charge, and extended coverage.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * Only **Monthly** and **Yearly** memberships renew. One-time and Per Session memberships bill a single cycle and stop.
  * Renewal is **charge-driven**: a successful recurring charge is what extends the member's coverage into the next cycle.
  * Recurring memberships **auto-renew open-endedly** until the member cancels or the membership's end date is reached.
</Note>

You don't run renewals — Uplifter handles them automatically for every recurring member. Here's the sequence each cycle:

<Steps>
  <Step title="A reminder goes out (~3 days before)">
    About three days before the charge, the member's guardian gets a heads-up that a renewal payment is coming, so there are no surprises and they can update a card if needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The card is charged on the cycle date">
    On the day the new cycle starts, Uplifter charges the saved payment method for that cycle's price. If you need a per-member price change to apply, set it up before that member's first charge goes through — an override added after billing has already begun won't change what's charged on later cycles.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Coverage extends">
    When the charge succeeds, the member's coverage rolls forward to the end of the new cycle. Because renewal is tied to a successful payment rather than a calendar flip, coverage always lines up with what's actually been paid.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Renewal continues cycle after cycle with no end in sight — that's what "recurring" means here. It stops only when the member is cancelled (they ride out their paid period, then complete), the membership itself is deactivated or reaches its end date, or their billing is paused.

If a renewal charge doesn't go through, the membership doesn't just renew anyway — it enters a retry-and-recover flow covered in the next article.

**Related:** [What happens when a membership payment fails?](/club/memberships/what-happens-when-a-membership-payment-fails) · [What are membership billing cycles?](/club/memberships/membership-billing-cycles) · [What families see at renewal](/families/families-memberships-passes/membership-renewal-and-charges)