Welcome to Member Splash! This guide will help you understand how HOAs use Member Splash differently from traditional swim clubs and walk you through the initial setup of your system.
Table of Contents
How HOAs Use Member Splash
Understanding Payment Status for Access Control
Setting Up Check-In Notes for Staff
Configuring Guest Pass Products
Recommended Settings for HOAs
Getting Help When You Need It
How HOAs Use Member Splash
Member Splash serves a unique purpose for HOAs compared to swim clubs or other recreational organizations. Most HOAs use Member Splash primarily as an access control and compliance management system rather than a payment collection platform.
Key Differences:
No Monthly Dues Collection: Most HOAs collect assessments through property management companies or separate invoicing systems, not through Member Splash
Access Management: Payment status, account tags or account types control whether residents can access amenities (pools, tennis courts, clubhouses)
Compliance Tracking: The system tracks waivers, architectural approvals, and rule compliance
Communication Hub: Centralized platform for resident communications and updates
What HOAs Typically Manage in Member Splash:
Resident account access to community amenities
Waiver and compliance tracking
Guest pass sales and management
Check-in procedures for staff
Resident communication and announcements
Understanding Payment Status for Access Control
In Member Splash, you have two options for controlling and displaying amenity access status to residents and staff.
Option 1: Payment Status (Traditional Method). The traditional method uses payment status as your primary tool for controlling amenity access. This is different from tracking actual payments; it's simply a status flag that tells staff whether to allow or deny access. When an account is marked as PAID, it means the resident is current on HOA assessments and has no outstanding violations, so staff should allow entry to amenities and the resident can purchase guest passes. When marked as UNPAID, the resident is delinquent on fees or has unresolved violations, staff should deny entry, and the resident cannot purchase guest passes.
Resident Portal View:
Check In View:
Option 2: Hide Payment Status and Use Tags (Recommended for HOAs). Many HOAs prefer to hide payment status from residents and use tags instead to display access status. This approach feels less financial and more appropriate for access management in an HOA context. Using tags instead of payment status offers several advantages: it's less confusing for residents since it's not about "payments" they make elsewhere, it uses more intuitive language like "ACTIVE" versus "INACTIVE," it creates a cleaner resident-facing interface, and it still provides full access control functionality for staff behind the scenes. To set up the tag-based approach:
first navigate to your Settings and find and enable the option to hide payment status from members.
Next, create a Status badge tag (such as "Amenity Access") and configure the two messages residents will see: one message when the tag is present (e.g., "ACTIVE") and another message when the tag is absent (e.g., "INACTIVE - Contact Management Office").
When a resident becomes delinquent, you'll update both the backend payment status (mark as UNPAID) and remove the status tag, potentially adding a check in note. Staff will see the UNPAID status and check-in notes at the front desk instructing them to direct the resident to call the office, while residents only see their amenity access status change to "INACTIVE - Contact Management Office" when they log into their account.
This dual-layer approach gives staff the information they need to control access while presenting residents with clearer, less payment-focused language. For detailed instructions on hiding payment status and configuring status tags, see the article on HOAs: Hide Payment Status.
Resident Portal View - Option 2, Scenario A
Check In View- Option 2, Scenario A
Resident Portal View - Option 2, Scenario B
Check in View- Option 2, Scenario B
Both methods accomplish the same goal: controlling access based on resident standing. The tag-based approach is often clearer for HOA contexts where you're not actually collecting payments through the platform. Choose the approach that makes the most sense for your community and how you want to communicate account status to both residents and staff.
Setting Up Check-In Notes for Staff
Check-in notes are critical for HOA operations because they guide your staff on how to handle different account situations without requiring them to know sensitive details about residents' finances or violations. When you mark an account as UNPAID, always add a check-in note with clear instructions for staff, such as: "Please have the resident call the property management office at [phone number] regarding their account." This approach matters for several important reasons: it protects resident privacy, keeps staff out of uncomfortable conversations about money or violations, directs residents to the appropriate contact for resolution, and creates consistent messaging across all staff interactions.
💡Pro tip: use the same check-in note with your property management contact information that you can copy and paste when updating accounts to UNPAID status. This saves time and ensures consistency across all delinquent accounts.
Recommended Settings for HOAs
Member Splash has configured your system settings based on common HOA best practices. Please take the time to review these settings and products to ensure they align with your community's needs. For detailed explanations of each setting and how to modify them, see the full article on Recommended Settings for HOAs.
Getting Help When You Need It
You're not expected to know everything immediately. Member Splash Support is here to help you succeed.
💧 MSBot (24/7 AI Assistant) can answer common questions instantly, anytime day or night. Click the Need a Hand? button of any page to start a conversation.
Member Splash Support Team (Monday-Friday, 6am-6pm EST) handles complex issues, technical problems, and questions that need human expertise. If 💧MSBot, cannot assist you, a ticket will be automatically created and assigned to the team.
Help Center at support.membersplash.com has hundreds of articles, video tutorials, and step-by-step guides. Search for your question - most can be answered in 2-3 minutes.
⚠️ Weekend support reminder: Live support is not available on weekends. If you're planning a major launch or event, schedule it for a weekday when the full support team is available to help if needed.
💡 Before contacting support: Search the Help Center first, include screenshots when describing issues, and provide specific details like member names or transaction IDs. This helps the support team resolve your issue faster.
Next Steps
Now that you've completed initial setup, you're ready to move on to daily account management. In Part 2: Managing Resident Accounts & Guest Passes, you'll learn:
Monthly workflow for reviewing and updating accounts
Email communication best practices
Guest pass fulfillment procedures
Staff check-in protocols
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