Collecting membership fees is one of the most stressful board jobs — especially when the annual general meeting approaches. This guide shows treasurers how to collect the annual fee with annual invoices, TWINT and QR bills — and keep open vs paid dues in one view.
In many associations, payment status lives in spreadsheets and email folders. You send invoices by hand, reminders get forgotten, and before the AGM nobody knows who has paid the annual fee. Follow-ups land with the treasurer — and volunteer hours disappear into reconciliation. Collecting membership fees therefore needs a clear run, not another paper process: prepare once, send invoices, see status.
The annual fee runs through the annual invoice — not loose payment requests. First you set up zahls.ch once (credentials and webhook in association settings). Then you can send invoices: check membership types and amounts, start the batch run and send invoices by email — or as PDF with a QR bill for members without email. Online, members pay with TWINT or card; anyone who transfers uses the QR bill. Paid dues appear in the overview without typing bank statements line by line. Step-by-step detail is in the guide on sending annual invoices.
Many boards think either-or. Better: both. TWINT for members who want to pay online immediately — and QR bills for postal delivery, members without email, or anyone who prefers bank transfer. Bank transfer with a QR bill complements the online path; it does not replace setting up zahls.ch. That cuts follow-ups and stays Swiss QR-bill compliant. More on TWINT for associations is in the matching Wissen guide; billing explains the full flow including QR.
The goal before the general meeting is clarity — not perfection on day one. With central status you see who is open and who has paid, without Excel chaos. Members can pay and check status in the portal themselves; that spares treasurers routine questions. Anyone who still does not pay after the invoice can later get reminders or a batch run — friendly first, more formal if needed. You arrive at the AGM with solid numbers instead of guesses.
In short: set up zahls.ch once, then send invoices. In Membear you import or maintain members, set membership types, connect zahls.ch and start the annual invoice run. Members pay via TWINT, card or QR bill; you keep open and paid dues in view. The core version stays free; transaction fees apply with the payment provider. Next fee run coming up? Start free, connect zahls.ch and practise with a few test invoices before the big batch.
Short, practical answers for treasurers.
Start free, connect zahls.ch and prepare the next fee run calmly before the AGM.