The problem
Many members' clubs renew on one date a year, and the office spends weeks chasing by letter and phone. If 12 of 450 members a year let their subscription lapse because nobody reached them in time, at $1,197£900€1,071A$1,728C$1,692 each, that is $14,364£10,800€12,852A$20,736C$20,304 a year, about $1,197£900€1,071A$1,728C$1,692 a month.
What the AI does
Brevo is an email marketing platform with contact segments and an AI tool that drafts email copy. Its FAQ says the Free plan sends up to 300 emails a day once your account is approved. Import members with their membership category and whether they've paid, make a segment for each category, and send renewal reminders in waves before and after the renewal date, each only to members who haven't paid. Refresh the payment status from your membership system before each wave so paid members aren't chased. Keep each email to the facts of the member's own subscription: date, price, how to pay and how to leave. Adding promotions, such as a bar offer or a sponsor, makes it marketing, which needs consent under PECR.
A worked example
A members' club in Yorkshire with 450 members renews every 1 April. The secretary used to post letters and phone late payers in April. This year they send three reminder emails per category from Brevo's Free plan, spread over two days each time to stay under 300 emails a day.
Before
Renewal letters and phone calls; about 12 members a year lapsing without being chased
After
Three reminder emails per category to unpaid members; about 4 more members a year renew, worth $4,788£3,600€4,284A$6,912C$6,768 a year
What it's worth
About $200£150€179A$288C$282 a month in profit, at an assumed 50% margin on $4,788£3,600€4,284A$6,912C$6,768 a year ($399£300€357A$576C$564 a month) of subscriptions from 4 members who would otherwise have lapsed. Brevo's Free plan costs nothing; Starter at $8£6€7A$12C$11 a month sends more each day if you'd rather send each wave in one go.
How to set it up
- Export members from your membership system with name, email, category and payment status, and import them into Brevo.
- Make a segment for each category, such as full, five-day, junior and social, and one for members not yet paid.
- Draft three short reminders, using Brevo's AI tool for a first draft if it helps, with the date, price, how to pay and who to contact.
- Before each wave, update payment status so members who have paid drop out of the unpaid segment.
- After the renewal date, phone the members still unpaid yourself.
What goes wrong
- If payment status in Brevo is out of date, members who have paid get chased, which annoys them. Refresh it before every send.
- With 450 members, the Free plan's 300 emails a day means each wave takes two days.
- Junior members' renewals go to a parent or guardian; don't email children directly.
- Promotions in a renewal email make it marketing under PECR. Keep renewals to the subscription facts and send offers only to members who opted in.