Member Management Workflow in Odoo 18
By Braincuber Team
Published on January 17, 2026
Every organization with a membership model faces the same challenge: turning interested contacts into paying members, tracking their status, and handling renewals. Odoo 18's Members module streamlines this entire lifecycle—from initial contact to active member to renewal—with automated invoicing and status tracking built in.
This tutorial walks through the complete member management workflow: creating a new member, setting up membership products, converting a contact to a paid member, processing payment, and tracking membership status. By the end, you'll know exactly how to manage memberships end-to-end in Odoo 18.
Use Cases: This workflow applies to fitness centers, professional associations, clubs, cooperatives, NGOs, alumni organizations, trade unions, and any entity that manages a member base with paid or free subscriptions.
The Membership Lifecycle
1. Create Contact
Add a new person or company as a member record with their contact details.
2. Assign Membership
Either mark as free member or purchase a paid membership product.
3. Invoice & Pay
Generate invoice, process payment—membership activates automatically.
4. Track & Renew
Monitor expiration dates, send renewal reminders, repeat the cycle.
Step 1: Create a New Member
Start by creating a member record:
Open Members Module
- Go to Members from the main menu
- Click Members in the left menu
- Click New to create a record
Fill Member Details
- Type: Select Individual or Company
- Name: Full name of person or organization
- Contact Info: Phone, mobile, email, website
- Job Position: Role or title (optional)
- Title: Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.
- Language: Preferred communication language
- Tags: Categories like "VIP", "Student", "Corporate"
Add Addresses (Optional)
In the Contacts & Addresses tab, click Add to include:
- Invoice Address: For billing
- Delivery Address: For physical mailings
- Other Address: Secondary locations
Step 2: Configure Membership Products
Before assigning paid memberships, create your membership tiers:
Navigate to Membership Products
Go to Members → Configuration → Membership Products and click New.
Define Product Details
| Product Name | "Annual Membership", "Monthly Premium", etc. |
| Internal Reference | Optional SKU code |
| Membership Duration | Start and end date for validity |
| Membership Fee | Price for this tier |
Example Tiers:
• Basic Monthly: $19/month
• Premium Monthly: $39/month
• Annual All-Access: $349/year (save 25%)
• Lifetime: $999 one-time
Step 3: Assign Free Membership
For complimentary members (honorary, sponsored, trials):
- Open the member record
- Go to the Membership tab
- Enable the Free Member checkbox
- Save the record
The member is now marked as a free member with no invoice required.
Step 4: Convert a Partner to Paid Member
To assign a paid membership:
Open the Member Record
- Find the member in Members → Members
- Open their record
- Navigate to the Membership tab
- Ensure Free Member is unchecked
Click "Buy Membership"
- A popup appears showing available membership products
- Select the desired product (e.g., "Annual Membership")
- Verify the price
- Click Invoice Membership
Process the Invoice
- A draft invoice is created automatically
- Open the invoice from the chatter or via Accounting → Invoices
- Confirm the invoice
- Click Register Payment to record payment
Automatic Activation: Once payment is registered, the member's status updates from "Waiting Member" to "Paid Member" automatically. The Membership tab shows start date, end date, and payment status.
Viewing Membership Details
After the membership is activated, the Membership tab displays:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Membership Start Date | When the current membership began |
| Membership End Date | Expiration date based on product duration |
| Membership Product | Which tier was purchased |
| Membership Status | Paid, Free, Waiting, Expired, etc. |
| Invoice Reference | Link to the related invoice |
Handling Renewals
When a membership is approaching expiration:
- Use Filters in the Members list to find expiring memberships
- Contact members via email or phone for renewal
- Click Buy Membership again to generate a renewal invoice
- Process payment—the new period is added
Tip: Create a scheduled activity type called "Membership Renewal" and assign it automatically based on expiration date using automated actions.
Best Practices
Member Management Tips:
- Create product tiers: Offer monthly, annual, and lifetime options to fit different budgets.
- Use tags for segmentation: Group members by type for targeted communications.
- Monitor expiring memberships: Set up filters to catch renewals 30 days before expiration.
- Enable online payments: Let members renew through the website with automatic activation.
Conclusion
Managing memberships in Odoo 18 is a structured process: create member records, configure membership products, assign memberships (free or paid), process invoices, and track status. The tight integration between Members, Sales, and Accounting ensures that every purchase generates proper financial records while keeping member status up to date. With this workflow mastered, you can scale your membership organization with minimal administrative overhead.
Key Takeaway: Create member → Configure membership products → Click "Buy Membership" → Invoice → Register Payment → Status updates automatically. Renewals follow the same flow.