--- title: "How to offer gift memberships" description: "Let readers give your publication as a gift: switch gifting on per plan, share the gift link, and what buyers and recipients need to know." url: https://help.steady.page/en/articles/6743400-how-to-offer-gift-memberships collection: "Your Steady page & plans" updated: 2026-11-05 language: en alternates: [de, fr, it, el, hu, pt, ro, es, tr] --- # How to offer gift memberships Let readers give your publication as a gift: switch gifting on per plan, share the gift link, and what buyers and recipients need to know. **With gift memberships, your readers can give a membership of your publication to someone else.** Your paid plans can be gifted by default. You decide per plan whether it's available as a gift. > **Tip:** **Our tip:** Planning a gift campaign, for example before Christmas? Read our [tips for a successful gift memberships campaign](https://help.steady.page/en/articles/6743389.md) and use our [gift voucher template](https://help.steady.page/en/articles/11042801.md). ## Set up gift memberships 1. Go to the [plans page in your publisher area](https://steady.page/backend/publications/default/plans), click the plan and choose **Edit** in the side panel. 2. Check that **Offer this plan as a gift membership** is ticked, then save. New paid plans have it switched on already. 3. To get the gift link, click the plan again and choose **Share** in the side panel. Copy the **Gift plan URL**. It only appears when the plan can be gifted. 4. Repeat for every plan you want to offer as a gift, and share the links with your community. To stop offering a plan as a gift, untick **Offer this plan as a gift membership** and save. The plan then no longer appears on your gift page, and nobody can buy it as a gift. You can see how many gift members each plan has in the plan's side panel under **Gift Members**. ## What buyers can gift - **One month or one year.** This follows your **Billing cycle** under Plans → Plan Settings. With **Monthly plans only**, buyers gift one month of access; with **Annual plans only**, one year. If you offer both, buyers choose. - **A one-time payment.** Gift memberships don't renew automatically. - **The regular price.** Gifts never get an [introductory offer](https://help.steady.page/en/articles/16751957.md) or a free trial. - **No highlight.** Your gift page shows your plans without the highlighted border or badges you may use on your Steady page. - **No direct debit.** Buyers pay by another payment method. ## Frequently asked questions ### When will the gift membership start? Buyers choose. They can start the gift immediately, or schedule it for any date from tomorrow up to 3 months ahead, so your readers can order Christmas or birthday presents early. A scheduled gift starts at 8:00 (Berlin time) on the chosen date. ### How will the recipient receive the gift membership? The buyer enters the recipient's email address during the purchase. As soon as the gift starts (right after purchase, or on the scheduled date), the recipient gets an email with details of the gift, without the price. The recipient may need to confirm their Steady account to access the gift. ### When is a scheduled gift paid, and when do I see it? The buyer is charged on the start date, not when they order. Until then, the gift doesn't appear in your members list or your revenue. On the start date, the recipient becomes a member and the payment comes in, just like any other gift membership. ### What if the buyer's payment fails on the start date? Then the gift isn't delivered and nobody is charged. Steady lets the buyer know by email so they can buy the gift again. As the gift never started, it won't show up in your members list. ### Will the gift membership renew automatically? No. All payments for gift memberships are one-time payments. For one-year gifts, Steady emails the buyer a reminder 14 days before the gift ends. The buyer can buy the next gift up to 3 months in advance and choose a start date after the current gift ends. ### What happens to running gift memberships if I stop offering a plan as a gift? They continue until they end. Unticking **Offer this plan as a gift membership** only means nobody can buy the plan as a new gift. ### Can I offer gift memberships if I use Steady on my own website? Yes. Gift memberships are bought on your Steady page. In the Steady checkout on your website, buyers also find a link to gift memberships below your plans. When you promote them, share the **Gift plan URL** of your plans directly. ## Still need help? If anything's unclear, email us at [support@steadyhq.com](mailto:support@steadyhq.com). We're happy to help.