Want new families to pay an initiation fee before they can finish checking out? Use Show / Hide / Require Rules to make the fee required for just the right accounts. This example requires it for accounts that are Offered Membership and Unpaid.
Require an initiation fee
Go to Finances > Products and open your initiation fee product.
Make sure the Fee Type is Initiation Fee.
Scroll to Show / Hide / Require Rules, check Apply Rules, and set Rule Action to Require.
Click Add Rule and choose Account Type. Set Comparison to Is, Field to Offered Membership, and Next Rule Relationship to And.
Click Add Rule again and choose Account Payment Status. Set Comparison to Is and Field to Unpaid. Leave Next Rule Relationship blank, since it's the last rule.
Scroll to the top and click Update.
Now the fee is required for accounts that are Offered Membership and Unpaid.
💡 See an Issues badge on your products list? A rule with no value picked is ignored. Open the product and finish or remove that rule.
Show the fee only after a membership is picked
Add a Selected Product rule to show the initiation fee only once the member picks one of your membership products, on top of the account type and payment status rules above. This keeps the fee out of sight until it matters.
For every rule type and option, see Show/Hide/Require Rules for Products.
Will families be asked to pay twice?
No. When a family pays a product with the Membership Fee fee type, their account switches to Paid. Rules for Unpaid accounts stop applying, so they won't be asked again that season.