This article explains the difference between an "Inactive" account type, an inactive account, a closed account, and a deleted account, so you pick the right option when a member leaves or takes a break.
1. "Inactive" Account Type
An account type is a category your club defines (for example, Family, Single, or Sabbatical).
Some clubs create an account type called Inactive for members taking a year off. This causes confusion, because Member Splash also has a system setting that makes an account inactive (see below).
We recommend a different name, such as Sabbatical, Skip a Year, or Gap Year.
2. Making an Account Inactive
Go to Membership > Accounts, open the account, and on the Details tab uncheck Account active. Save the account.
An inactive account cannot log in. Its information stays in the system, but the member cannot manage their own membership. To return, they must contact the board or membership chair.
This is set one account at a time. There is no bulk action for it.
To find inactive accounts, use the Site access filter (Active, Inactive) on Membership > Accounts.
3. Closing an Account
Go to Membership > Accounts, click the ... next to the account, and choose Close. To close several accounts at once, select them and use Bulk Actions > Close Accounts.
Closed accounts are moved into the special Closed account type (included in every club by default) and are hidden from the accounts list by default.
Members on a closed account are treated as former members:
They lose all rights and privileges.
They cannot log in.
They are excluded from email sync (for example, Mailchimp).
Member Splash keeps the account history (payments, visits, reservations, and so on), so your reporting stays intact.
Closed accounts can be reopened later if needed. To reopen one, open the account and change its Account type from Closed to another account type, then save.
When a closed account is reopened: the account returns to normal listings and its members are reactivated. Email profiles archived by the close action are restored, including on clubs without Mailchimp. Members who unsubscribed or were suppressed before the close are left unchanged.
Important: Restoring archived member profiles can return them to normal renewal and invoicing communications. Review the account before saving if that is not what you want.
Note: Bulk Actions > Change Account Type skips accounts moving into or out of Closed and lists them in a message. Reopen those accounts one at a time from the account itself, and use Close Accounts to close them.
👉 In most cases, closing is the best option when someone leaves your club.
4. Deleting an Account
Go to Membership > Accounts, click the ... next to the account, and choose Delete.
Deleting permanently removes the account and its members. It cannot be undone.
This can affect historical reporting (for example, payment reports from prior years).
Use this only for test accounts or accounts created by mistake.
Summary
Account type = a category you create (don't call it "Inactive").
Inactive account = cannot log in, data kept.
Closed account = former member, history kept, can be reopened.
Deleted account = gone for good. Use with caution.