# Set up paid community memberships

Written by Geeta Thakker
Updated 2026-09-29

The community owner can offer paid access from **Settings → Public profile & membership**. Choose the membership model before inviting learners. Changing a free community to paid access is available before members join; it is not a way to start charging an existing free group automatically.

## Configure the joining options

1. Set **How people join** to **Paid membership**.
2. Choose a currency: USD, INR, EUR, or GBP.
3. Enter a **One-time price**, a **Monthly price**, or both. Enter the displayed price, such as `19.00`, rather than a number of cents.
4. If applicable, enter an explainx workshop’s URL slug under **Include access with a workshop**.
5. Complete the public profile and select **Save profile & access**.

A monthly membership renews until cancelled. A one-time membership does not create a recurring charge. Existing members keep their purchased price; changing the displayed price does not rewrite existing subscriptions.

To use workshop access, enter the final part of the workshop’s URL. Active or completed paid enrollments qualify, including a claimed paid team seat. Refunded or cancelled enrollments do not. Learners need to use the explainx account associated with that enrollment.

## Confirm payment availability before publishing

Checkout must be configured before you can publish direct payment options. If the app reports that payment setup is incomplete, contact explainx support through the [help center](/help). You can prepare the profile while it remains unpublished.

Confirm payment availability and instructor payment arrangements with explainx before advertising paid access. These settings do not create an instructor payout account or configure automatic payouts to you. Avoid promising a payout schedule that has not been agreed.

## Share the profile with learners

Learners choose an available option on the public profile. A return from checkout alone does not confirm access: payment must be verified. The learner’s **Membership & billing** page provides **Check payment** and **Manage payments & cancellation**.

Ordinary member invitation links are unavailable for paid communities. The owner can still invite instructors or moderators to help manage the community without charging them. See [invitations and roles](/help/articles/community-invitations-and-roles).

## Handle membership changes

Cancelling a monthly subscription at the end of its paid period normally preserves access until that date. Member removal, refunds, or payment disputes can end access sooner. Leaving a community or removing a paying member also requests cancellation of future subscription renewal; it does not issue a refund.

For payment or refund questions, use explainx support and the terms agreed at purchase. Share the [learner joining guide](/help/articles/join-teacher-community) for account and access troubleshooting. Do not ask learners to post card details, receipts containing private information, or payment credentials in a discussion.