Membership Help Page

For any support with your Membership, feel free to contact us here:

Subscription

Your subscription will start on the day your Membership is opened.

Your subscription will run for 12 months from the day of account opening. For example, should your account be opened on the 3rd of March, your subscription year will run from the 3rd of March through until the 2nd of March of the following calendar year.

You'll be invoiced every year on the anniversary of your subscription with your first invoice on the day of Membership opening.

Each invoice will be named by the year in which you're being invoiced.

Your subscription will continue until indefinitely either party; the Member, or the STLD Committee close the Membership.

Each year, your Membership subscription will renew at the applicable current Membership rate.

Membership Cancellation/Termination

Your Membership will presume to renew annually until either cancelled by the Member by request or by the decision of STLD Committee to terminate the Membership.

Your Membership will not be cancelled unless your request is confirmed by a member of STLD Committee.

Your Membership may be terminated if your Membership account lapses in payment or if you breach the Society's Constitution.

Changing your membership level

Your Membership will presume to renew at the same rate as a previous membership year, or that of the rate you signed up at.

To change your membership rate, please contact our Membership team on our contact page, here.

At any time of membership change, your rate change will take affect from your next renewal date, unless backdated at the discretion of Committee.

Membership cannot be backdated to a discounted rate, retrospectively beyond a recent payment.

All membership rate changes are only at the approval of Committee.

Student Membership tiering

Our Student Membership comprises of five stages:

1. Free membership.
2. Graduate [Year 1].
3. Graduate [Year 2].
4. Graduate [Year 3].
5. Full Membership.

Students typically join us at one of two stages. Most will fall into the first instance where they will become members during their studies, benefiting from FREE membership. Upon joining, we request their expected graduation date. Using this information, we assess their eligibility for student membership upon each annual renewal. If the student remains in full-time study of lighting, we renew their membership Free of Charge.

If, at the time of renewal, the student member has completed their studies and graduated, we transition them to the first year of our Graduate Membership. Subsequently, at each annual renewal, they progress through the sequential tiers of Graduate pricing based on the number of years since their graduating year. This progression continues until three years post-graduation, at which point they advance to the final stage of tiering and become Full Professional members.

The alternative instance for student enrollment occurs when they have already graduated but are within three years of their graduation date. In such cases, we enroll them at the corresponding Graduate tier, respecting their date of graduation for either of stage 2-4.

Direct Debit for Students

While student membership is FREE while the students are in full-time studies, we do promote them upon the completion of their studies to our Graduate Membership, starting at £15/year. To smooth our administration and allow us to facilitate free membership for students, we do ask for students to establish a Direct Debit early, at the time of signing up for student membership so that the mandate is then pre-existing with your bank for when you graduate.

Direct Debit also provides students with the enhanced protection of the Direct Debit guarantee.

Members with a Direct Debit will received three days advance notice of any intended charges allowing them opportunity to dispute.

Membership and your Direct Debit can be cancelled at any time, without equivocation.

You will not be charged until you have left your studies.

Charges operated upon the annual renewal of your Membership, not on the calendar of your graduation. For example, if you signed up for STLD membership in January, and you graduated in August, you would not renew and progress to Graduate membership until the January following your graduation in August. You would continue on FREE student membership for the interim period.

How to Renew

Renewing your STLD membership is a straightforward process. Here are the steps to ensure your membership remains active:

1. Invoice Notification: An invoice for your membership renewal will be sent on your renewal date, which is the anniversary of when you opened your membership account. This invoice will detail the amount due and the payment options available.
2. Review Your Details: Before renewing, log into your membership account to verify that your personal information, including contact and payment details, are up to date.
3. Make Payment: Payment for your renewal is due within 14 days of the invoice date. You can pay using one of the following methods:
   • Direct Debit
   • Credit or debit card
   • Bank transfer
   • Klarna finance
   • PayPal (where applicable)
4. Receipt of Membership Payment: Once your payment is processed, you will receive a receipt acknowledging your membership payment and outlining your benefits for the coming year.
5. Automatic Reminders: If you do not pay by the due date, you will receive automatic reminders periodically until payment is received. During the 4-month grace period, you will still have access to your membership benefits.
6. Contact for Assistance: If you have any questions about the renewal process or need assistance, please contact the Membership team through our contact page.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your STLD membership continues without interruption.

Early Renewal Process

Members may choose to renew their membership early, ahead of their subscription anniversary. Early renewal will reset the subscription period, extending membership by an additional 12 months from the new renewal date. Early renewals do not offer a discount, and the standard membership rate applicable at the time of renewal will apply. Members may contact the Membership team for assistance in processing early renewals.

Grace Period for Lapsed Payments

If a membership lapses due to non-payment, a grace period of 4 months will be provided before the membership is considered expired. Members must settle their invoice within 14 days of the renewal date. After this period, automatic reminders will be sent periodically to encourage payment. During the grace period, members will retain access to their benefits. If payment is not received within the 4-month grace period, the membership will be suspended, and access to benefits will be restricted. Members wishing to reinstate their membership after the grace period must settle any outstanding fees.

Paying for Membership

In addition to Direct Debit, members can pay for their subscription via several methods, including:

• Credit or debit card
• Bank transfer
• PayPal (where applicable)

To update or change your preferred payment method, members can log in to their account or contact the Membership team for support. Please ensure payment details are up-to-date before the renewal date to avoid any interruption to your membership.