What is the Difference Between Clients and Members?

Overview

In Classta, Clients and Members are related but distinct concepts. Understanding the difference helps you better manage your customer relationships and membership subscriptions.

Clients

A Client is a person who has interacted with your business in any way. This is the base customer record in the system.

When a Client is Created

A client record is automatically created when someone:

• Books a class or service for the first time
• Subscribes to a membership (if not already a client)
• Is manually added to your system
• Signs up for a waitlist and is not already a client

Client Information

Each client record contains:

• Name and email address
• Phone number
• Emergency contact information
• Profile picture
• Onboarding/health questionnaire data
• Marketing consent preferences
• Member since date (when they first became a member, if applicable)

Key Points About Clients

• One client can have multiple bookings across different classes and services
• Clients are unique per instructor - the same email can exist as a client for different instructors
• A client can exist without any memberships - they may only book individual classes
• Client records persist even if they cancel all memberships

Members

A Member is a client who has an active subscription to a membership plan. The membership subscription gives them access to member-only classes and benefits.

When Someone Becomes a Member

A client becomes a member when they:

• Purchase a membership subscription (via Stripe)
• Are manually added to a membership by the instructor
• Are imported into a membership via CSV/JSON

Member Information

Each member subscription includes:

• Link to the specific membership plan
• Subscription status (active, cancelled, past_due)
• Current billing period dates
• Payment method information (Stripe/PayPal subscription IDs)
• Usage limits and tracking (if applicable)

Key Points About Members

• Every member is also a client - when someone purchases a membership, their client record is automatically created at the same time if they weren't already a client. You can become a client by buying a membership, even if you've never booked a class before.
• One client can have multiple memberships - they can subscribe to different membership plans simultaneously
• Membership status is separate from client status - a client can cancel a membership but remain a client in the system
• Members have access to member-only classes and other membership benefits

The Relationship

Ways to Become a Client:
    ├── Book a class or service → Client created
    ├── Subscribe to membership → Client created automatically
    ├── Sign up for waitlist → Client created
    └── Manually added → Client created

Client (Base Record)
    ↓
    ├── Can book individual classes/services
    ├── Can have multiple bookings
    └── Can become a Member (or already is one)
            ↓
        Member Subscription
            ├── Links to specific Membership Plan
            ├── Has subscription status
            └── Grants access to member-only content

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: One-Time Class Booking

• Client: ✅ Created when they book
• Member: ❌ Not a member (no membership subscription)

Scenario 2: New Customer Buying Membership First

• Client: ✅ Created automatically when they purchase membership (even if they've never booked a class)
• Member: ✅ Active member subscription created at the same time

Scenario 3: Former Member

• Client: ✅ Still exists in system
• Member: ❌ Membership cancelled, but client record remains

Scenario 4: Multiple Memberships

• Client: ✅ One client record
• Member: ✅ Multiple active member subscriptions (e.g., "Monthly Unlimited" + "Workshop Access")

Why This Matters

Understanding the distinction helps you:

1. Manage customer data - Client information is preserved even if memberships change
2. Track booking history - All bookings are linked to clients, whether they're members or not
3. Handle membership changes - Cancelling a membership doesn't delete the client record
4. Support customers - You can see a client's full history, including past memberships and bookings

How to View and Manage Clients and Members in the Admin Panel

Viewing Clients and Their Membership Status

1. Navigate to the Clients section in your admin dashboard
2. You'll see a list of all your clients
3. Membership badges will appear next to each client's name showing which memberships they are subscribed to
4. This allows you to quickly see which clients are members and which memberships they have

Managing Members of a Membership

To manage members (e.g., cancel a membership, update subscription status, or view member details):

1. Go to the Memberships tab in your admin dashboard
2. Select the membership you want to manage
3. Click on the Members tab within that membership's detail view
4. Here you can:
   • View all members subscribed to that specific membership
   • Cancel or modify individual member subscriptions
   • Add new members manually
   • Import members via CSV/JSON
   • View member subscription details and status

Note: The Members tab shows all members for that specific membership plan. If a client has multiple memberships, you'll need to check each membership separately to see all their active subscriptions.

Summary

• Client = A person in your system (the base customer record)
• Member = A client who has an active membership subscription

Every member is a client, but not every client is a member. Clients can book classes without memberships, and clients can have their membership status change over time while their client record remains intact.