> ## 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.

# How do I choose when families pay for a waitlist?

> Decide whether joining a waitlist is free or a paid hold, separately for the program fee and any required membership.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * **Free by default.** Both choices start at **When a spot opens up**, so joining is free until you change them.
  * **New joins only.** Families who already paid to hold a place keep what they paid for.
  * **No automatic refunds.** Money collected at join is never refunded automatically if a family leaves the line or is never moved in: refund it by hand from **Financials** using the join invoice. A membership bought at join stays with the athlete.
  * **Access.** The page needs the **Waitlists** feature. Viewing needs **View Settings**; saving needs **Edit Settings**.
</Note>

**Where to find it.** **Settings > Registration > Waitlists** is one club-wide page for every program with a waitlist. Under **When families pay**, you time **A membership the program requires** and **The program fee** separately, for example membership at join and program fee when a spot opens.

| Choice | Required membership | Program fee |
| - | - | - |
| **When a spot opens up** (default) | Billed with the promotion charge. | Nothing at join. Charged to the saved card when they move in. |
| **As soon as they join the waitlist** | Bought and granted at join; the athlete holds it right away. | Charged straight away, with an invoice and a receipt. |

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the page">
    Go to **Settings > Registration > Waitlists**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the timings">
    Under **When families pay**, set each charge to **When a spot opens up** or **As soon as they join the waitlist**, then set **Who can join** below if needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save changes**. "Waitlist settings saved" confirms it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Notes on the page.** Charging the program fee at join shows the warning "Families will pay the full program fee before they have a place": everyone who joins pays, even those who never reach the front. Buying the membership at join shows "What happens to the membership": the athlete can use it elsewhere and keeps it.

**Who can join.** Age, level and registration dates always apply. **Require memberships and passes before joining** is off by default: athletes can join without the membership or pass the program requires. Turned on, they must hold it first, though a membership bought at join counts. A blocked family sees why before joining. For something a join can't include, such as a pass, they're told to complete that purchase first.

**If a family leaves the line.** [Refund the join invoice by hand](/club/refunds-cancellations/how-do-i-refund-a-paid-invoice). On the program's **Waitlist** tab, staff with **View Financials** see "Paid \[amount] at join" and the invoice number under **Joined**. **Remove** warns the payment isn't refunded.

**At promotion.** Only what's still owed is billed. A fee paid at join, or a membership already held, isn't charged again, so a promotion may bill only the membership, only the fee, or nothing.

**What families see.** At a club that charges at join, the banner says payment is collected when a family joins, and names the amount once the review step loads. The review step shows **Due today**, then **When a spot opens** for anything left. A declined charge keeps the family off the waitlist. Any billable program needs a saved card or bank account on file to join, whether the charge happens now or at promotion.

**Two things staff will run into.**

* Programs set to **Sign up per class** never collect the program fee at join, since each session is priced when booked. Membership timing and **Who can join** still apply.
* When a join would collect money, the **Enroll in Program** tray can't add an athlete to the waitlist. Have the family join from the program page, or change the timing here.

**Related:** [What is a family charged when promoted off a waitlist?](/club/waitlists/what-is-a-family-charged-when-promoted-off-a-waitlist) · [What do families see when a program is full?](/club/waitlists/what-do-families-see-when-a-program-is-full) · [Are waitlist promotion charges refunded if I cancel?](/club/waitlists/are-waitlist-promotion-charges-refunded-if-i-cancel) · [How do I turn on a waitlist for a program?](/club/waitlists/how-do-i-turn-on-a-waitlist-for-a-program)