How Do I Create an Optional Extra?

Navigation: Payment Options > Optional Extras

Follow the simple steps below to create an Optional Extra in LoveAdmin:

Step 1: Hover over ‘Payment Options’ found in the navigation bar at the top of the page, then click ‘Optional Extras’.

Step 2: Next, select 'Add new Optional Extra'.

Once you have clicked ‘Add new Optional Extra’ you will begin the process of setting up your Optional Extra.

Step 3: Name of Optional Extra – for example, ‘Hoodie’.

Step 4: When people pay for this Optional Extra, it is a ‘One-off payment’, or a ‘Recurring payment’.

If it is a recurring payment, you will be able to decide the frequency with which it is taken: Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-annually and Annually.

If your account has been set up to take payment by Direct Debit, by default, the system will require people to pre-authorise their payment. So, each time money is due it will get automatically collected and reconciled for you.

If your account is not set up to take payment by Direct Debit, then the system will require people to pre-authorise payments via PayPal. The limitation with PayPal is that pre-authorised agreements only run for 12 months meaning these aren’t suitable for things that auto-renew annually.

Step 5: Limit the number of people that can register for this Optional Extra?

If you have limited space or stock of a certain Optional Extra, you can cap the number of people that can purchase it.

If you would also like the system to add people to a waiting list once the cap has been reached, you can do so by selecting 'Yes' to the question, 'When full, give the option to join a waiting list?'

People registering after the maximum number has been reached will be added to the system group 'Online registrations awaiting approval' - you can view that group under the main menu option 'Contacts'. Once you have approved the prospect from there, they will be added to the waiting list.

Please note - if the Optional Extra becomes full, people registering for the Optional Extra will be notified at the point of registration, so they can decide whether they want to continue or not.

Step 6: Cost of this Optional Extra – simply, enter the price you wish to charge.

Step 7: Offer an early payment discount?

To encourage people to pay on time you can offer an early payment incentive – this can either be an amount or a percentage.

By selecting ‘applicable on or before’ you can set the date the person has to have registered by to receive the discount.

Step 8: Allow people to pay by instalments?

To help spread the cost, you can allow people to pay by instalments. If someone opts to pay by instalments, they are required to pre-authorise future payments.

Here, you can set the number of payments people can spread the cost over and the frequency with which they are paid - for example, Monthly.

Each time an instalment is due, the system will generate a payment request, collect and reconcile the money for you.

You can choose to notify people of this request when setting up the instalment notification email template (described later in this article).

Step 9: Add an additional cost for people paying by instalments?

You can add an additional fee to the total cost of those opting to pay by instalments - this fee is spread evenly over the number of instalments they need to pay.

Step 10: Ask people not paying by instalments to pre-authorise payments?

This option is useful for collecting payments on an ongoing basis - each time you request money, the system will collect and reconcile the payments for you.

You can choose to make pre-authorisation mandatory, optional or not displayed.

Step 11: This Optional Extra is associated to:

Here you can set which Membership Categories / Groups you want to have the ability to register for / buy the Optional Extra.

Step 12: Display this Optional Extra:

Option 1: On the registration form of the selected groups/categories?

This option allows you to publish the Optional Extra on the registration form of the Groups / Categories selected in the question above.

Options 2: As a standalone option for people to register for via the registration page?

Select this option to display the Optional Extra in the main dropdown list of items to register for via the registration page.

Option 3: In the person’s online account?

Select 'Yes' if you wish to display the Optional Extra in the person’s online account.

Step 13: Enable option to buy multiple quantities of this Optional Extra?

Select 'Yes' if you want the member to be able to buy more than one of the items at once - for example, 2 t-shirts.

Step 14: This Optional Extra can be purchased:

Option 1: Only once

Option 2: Multiple times after the original purchase

If you wish to allow members to purchase this Optional Extra multiple times, then select 'Yes' – for example, a consumable item.

Step 15: When people pay, move or copy them to a new group?

You can choose to select one of two options when someone pays in full for the Optional Extra; ‘Copy person to group’ and ‘Move person to group’. These options are useful if you want to be able to group together all the people who have paid for quick reference.

Please note: If the Optional Extra is a recurring payment, we recommend not using the ‘Move’ option as this will cancel their next payments.

Step 16: After people register for this Optional Extra, display the form in their online account?

Because people can be associated to any number of Categories / Groups / Optional Extras etc and each one can have a different form, when the person logs into their online account, we provide you with the option to select whether you want the member to see the form for the Optional Extra they are in.

Email Templates

Each Optional Extra comes with its own set of email templates that are used when the system sends automated emails out.  

The email templates available depend on several settings entered during the setup of the Optional Extra. For example, the instalment notification email template will only show if you have opted to receive payment by instalments.

All email templates are customisable and give you the option to select who they should come from, what the subject header should be, whether to insert field data or add an attachment.

Here's a full list of the templates available:

Template 1: Payment Request Email Template

This email template is used when requesting payment from people added to the Optional Extra.

Added to the Optional Extra could mean adding someone individually, importing people via a spreadsheet or approving people that have registered online. Each of these processes will purge the system to ask if you want to generate a payment request. This email will be used to request payment.

Template 2: Welcome Email Template

This email template is sent to people registering online.

The default text of this email template differs depending on whether you have opted to take payment at the point of registration or you whether you want to vet people before approving their membership.

Please note - this email template will not be available if you have selected 'No' to the option ‘Display this class as a standalone option for prospects to register for on your online registration page?'.

Template 3: Overdue Payment Reminder

If switched on, this will send automatically. You can also set after how many days the reminder should be sent.

Template 4: Instalment Notification Email

For Optional Extras that have the option to pay by instalments, this email template is used to send the instalment notifications to contacts. Again, this includes the option to switch on / off any future notifications.

Template 5: Renewal Notification Email

This email template will apply to any payment requests automatically scheduled for recurring fees. After the first request, all emails will work from this template. They can be turned off by going to ‘Financials’ > ‘Upcoming Payments’.

Step 17: Once you've input the settings for the Optional Extra and are happy, you can 'Save' or 'Save and build form’. The latter will link you through to the form builder page.

Once you have completed the above steps you will have successfully created your Optional Extra.