Do we need a Stripe account before starting with Randel?
Payments run on the organization's own Stripe account. If you do not have one yet, setting it up can be planned as part of implementation, before membership plans go live.
Pricing and payments
Membership billing with Stripe and no Randel commission
Randel runs membership billing on the organization's own Stripe account and does not take a commission on dues, event tickets or in-app charges. The organization pays two separate things: the Randel platform fee, which starts at US$ 200/month for up to 250 members and grows in 250-member blocks, and Stripe's own processing fees, billed by Stripe. Because Randel's fee depends on member count rather than transaction volume, platform cost stays predictable as dues revenue grows.
By the Randel team · Last reviewed September 27, 2026
At a glance
- Payments run on your own Stripe account
- No Randel commission on dues, tickets or in-app charges
- Platform: US$ 200/month up to 250 members
- Each additional 250-member block: + US$ 100/month
- Stripe processing fees are separate and billed by Stripe
How Randel and Stripe billing work together
Stripe provides the payment infrastructure: card processing, recurring subscriptions, invoices and payouts. Randel provides the membership layer around it, so each payment, plan and invoice is connected to a member record. The organization connects its own Stripe account, which means funds are paid out by Stripe to the organization rather than passing through Randel.
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1
Connect your Stripe account
The organization uses its own Stripe account for processing, so the payment relationship stays with the organization.
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2
Configure membership plans
Recurring plans are set up in Randel and billed through Stripe with automatic charges and renewals.
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3
Charge dues, tickets and in-app items
Membership dues, event tickets and other in-app charges are processed on the same Stripe account.
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4
Track status on each member
Invoices appear as pending, overdue or paid next to each member, with failed payments, delinquency and cancellations tracked on the record.
recurring membership subscriptions and renewals → member payments, invoices and delinquency tracking →
What Randel charges and what Stripe charges
Keeping the two costs separate makes budgeting clearer. Randel charges a platform subscription based on how many members you manage. It does not keep a percentage of each membership payment or ticket. Stripe charges its own processing fees on each transaction according to its published pricing, which varies by payment method and country, so check Stripe's pricing page for your situation.
This differs from platforms that add their own transaction percentage on top of payment processing. With a percentage model, software cost rises every time dues or ticket revenue rises. With a platform fee based on member count, software cost changes only when you move into a new 250-member block.
Randel platform fee scenarios by member count
The table shows the Randel platform fee only. It excludes Stripe processing fees, optional consulting or development hours and any optional one-time costs such as native mobile app publishing. All values are in US dollars.
| Members | Randel platform fee (excluding Stripe fees) | How it is calculated |
|---|---|---|
| 150 members | US$ 200/month | Base plan covers up to 250 members |
| 250 members | US$ 200/month | Base plan covers up to 250 members |
| 400 members | US$ 300/month | Base plan + one 250-member block (251 to 500) |
| 750 members | US$ 400/month | Base plan + two 250-member blocks (501 to 750) |
| 1,000 members | US$ 500/month | Base plan + three 250-member blocks (751 to 1,000) |
Why a member-based platform fee is easier to budget
Consider an organization with 400 members. Its Randel platform fee is US$ 300/month whether annual dues are modest or premium, and whether it runs two paid events a year or twenty. If it raises dues or sells more tickets, the Randel fee stays the same; only Stripe's processing fees move with transaction volume, according to Stripe's pricing.
Under a model where the software vendor also takes a percentage of each transaction, the same growth in revenue would also increase software cost. Neither model is right for everyone, but a fee tied to member count makes it easier for a treasurer or board to forecast next year's software budget. It also means the organization keeps the payment relationship with its members on its own Stripe account.
The main variable to plan for is membership growth. When you approach the top of a 250-member block, the next block adds US$ 100/month, which you can anticipate well in advance.
Total cost of membership billing: a checklist
Comparing only monthly software subscriptions can hide the real cost of running memberships. Use this checklist to estimate a full year for any platform you evaluate, including Randel.
- Platform subscription at your current and expected member count
- Payment processing fees from the payment provider
- Any platform transaction commission on top of processing fees
- Implementation and configuration, and whether they are quoted in advance
- Data migration from spreadsheets or a previous system
- Training and consulting hours for your team
- Custom development for workflows the platform does not cover
- Separate tools you would still need for events, documents or communication
Optional costs beyond the platform fee
Randel's optional services are priced so they can be added to the same estimate. Extra development is pay-as-you-go in 8-hour blocks at US$ 360, and consulting and training are pay-as-you-go in 4-hour blocks at US$ 240. Both are charged for actual monthly usage, with estimates agreed in advance. Native mobile app publishing is available on request for a one-time fee of US$ 2,000.
Implementation follows a scoped process, and the scope is approved before work starts, so you can see what configuration and migration involve before committing.
Using the pricing calculator for your own numbers
Every organization has a different mix of member count, dues level and payment methods. The pricing calculator lets you enter your member count and dues to see the Randel platform fee next to your membership revenue. Add Stripe's fees for your payment methods separately, then compare the result with the full-year totals from other vendors using the checklist above.
Related questions
Who handles failed card payments?
Stripe provides tools for retrying failed payments, and Randel tracks failed payments and delinquency on each member record so the team can follow up with the right members.
Does the platform fee change if dues go up?
No. The Randel platform fee depends on member count, not on how much members pay. Raising dues does not change the Randel fee, although Stripe's processing fees follow Stripe's own pricing.
Are event ticket payments treated the same way as dues?
Yes. Event tickets and in-app charges are processed on the same Stripe account, and Randel takes no commission on them either.
Sources and further reading
- Stripe: pricing and processing fees - stripe.com
- Stripe Billing: subscriptions overview - docs.stripe.com
- Stripe Billing: revenue recovery for failed payments - docs.stripe.com
Related guides
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