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Ning Will Take a Percentage of Membership Fees - What Are Your Thoughts?

Ning Will Take a Percentage of future Membership Fees - What Are Your Thoughts?

I just found this out from the Ning Creator site. Ning will take a revenue share (percentage) for membership fees. These are fees you will be able to charge your members in the future, if you choose to charge for membership.

Question that was asked on Creators - Original Discussion:
When the new pricing goes into affect, and owners of websites began to charge members a fee, will we have to split the profits with Ning?

Eric's Answer - Original Post: (Eric is the Community Manager of Ning Creators)
Great question! We do plan to take a revenue share on membership fees, partly to cover the costs of processing the payment. We get charged fees by our credit card processor and PayPal. I don't have the final details to share, but I will when I can. Our intention is to provide NCs with as many money-making opportunities as possible, and some of those opportunities will include revenue sharing, which I think genuinely benefits both parties.

Jen's Thoughts:
I can understand Ning charging a percentage, no problem. Especially since they will incur a fee for processing the payments. I mean after all, anything I charge for my Website Design Services or anything else online, I end up paying someone a fee for processing, understandably. It's goodbye to the days of old fashioned Merchant Credit accounts, and "in with the easy-breezy - - umbrella accounts" - - works for me. I do have concerns about this setup, but not enough to matter.

Here's the way I look at this situation overall:
If I own a Social Community that utilizes the Ning platform, I would like to have easy built-in features to monetize my site. To add a membership feature that is not integrated would take a good deal of coding (if even possible), would likely get messy, and could break when the Ning platform implements updates. I would much rather have those features built-in, and share the profits with Ning - - within reason of course.

As a Network Creator, what are your thoughts? Join the Conversation.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by JenSocial on May 16, 2010 at 2:05am

This feature (when available) will be 100% optional. This has been announced.
So, don't worry about that part.
Best,
Jen

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Permalink Reply by Black Folk Hot Spots on May 16, 2010 at 2:05am

YOu have to be kidding me- so now they are going to charge us to charge them- when in reality, if we do begin to charge our members through say paypal- they have to lot more changes to the platform- we should be able to lock down certain portions of the site- like access to the members- you can see the members but when you click it makes you have to sign in or create a profile- right now it is pretty much all or nothing.

If they want to charge a percentage- then they need to lower the monthly fees they are charging us creators- without us they have no business- of course this is why I always say- you got to get your own- to me it sounds like Ning is in financial trouble.

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Permalink Reply by JenSocial on May 16, 2010 at 2:08am

I don't have a problem with the processing fee, but it does make me feel like I will never really own my business. Something you said, brought that out. ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Paranormal Mind on May 16, 2010 at 2:25am

If you have a site that requires some membership revenue; there is little fuss getting ready made code from Pay-Pal to put on a site. Pay-Pal is a world wide brand for trust, and I very much doubt ning could have lower processing fees than PayPal.

Ning's policies are fast changing, unclear and at times they back-track. In addition they are seeking revenue off every Creator, while there isn't much guarantee that ning will even exist in a few months; considering their financial and management chaos. Thus said, hopefully ning does get things sorted; 100s of creators have spent time and money building ning sites, and now have departed or planning so.

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Permalink Reply by JenSocial on May 16, 2010 at 3:30am

I do hope they are here for a very long time. But, you are astute.
Thank you for your input!
Best,
Jen

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Permalink Reply by Venus over Pan on May 16, 2010 at 8:28am

Yes thank my friend for being a voice of REASON :)

If Paypal can funtion world wide freely and profit...Ning need not even add this feature on sites IF it will cost them to do so.

Besides there are Ning sites that charge for membership through pay pal now... without any issues.

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Permalink Reply by Roberto S. on May 16, 2010 at 3:12am

Here is quick my thoughts about this Jen:

I understand Ning charging us a percentage to use Ning's merchant account, however, what I don't understand why Ning focus on using their own PayPal account for taking payments, if almost anyone can use his own PayPal account to take payments and pay PayPal fee's staright to PayPal??? It is a sloution for some who are not able to get a PayPal account, but those are not many people.... but it seems that Ning is planing to take all payments first, why will it be?? Every day I trust Ning less... I was excited to hear the news about NING 2.0 coming in July, because the platform needs urgently some important new features to keep members, but we get now?

There are NOT many feature ready yet, infact most are not even features but only some changes (like paying for NING)... we have ask for important features since long time and the only thing Ning is always good at, is saying, this is something we plan doing........... I could go on here Jen, but I leave it because I don't want to put more negativity to all this and I wish for all NC's that Ning new paln to save NING will work well..............

Taking my best friend Jack for a walk now ;-)

Have a great day Jen!

Roby

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Permalink Reply by JenSocial on May 16, 2010 at 3:27am

awwww, aren't best friends like Jack, great? About to tuck my little best friend, Jazzi, in for the night - - goodness 3:20AM. She won't go to bed, until I shutdown the computer, LOL. I'll respond more tomorrow. Enjoy your walk. ;-)

Poor baby would be embarrassed if she knew I posted this - - after the rain...

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Permalink Reply by Roberto S. on May 16, 2010 at 4:55am

what another cutty. Jack and Jazzi would make a nice couple, Jen ;-) I can't find all pictures from Jack right now, but here is an older one of him when he was just 15 months old

Have a wonderful Sunday both of you! ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Venus over Pan on May 16, 2010 at 8:32am

Ahh they are both so BEAUTIFUL!

It makes me happy and sad because I just lost my beloved friend yesterday. Been crying because I miss him... But at least he came to us in spirit and let us know he is happy :)

Oh gosh... I love him so...

Thanks for the pics *XXX*

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Permalink Reply by JenSocial on May 16, 2010 at 12:42pm

So sorry to hear about your loss. For so many of us, our pets are like our children. There are never good words for any loss of a loved one, whether pets or people. Just know I'm thinking about you.

Best,
Jen

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Permalink Reply by Roberto S. on May 23, 2010 at 8:24am

I am sorry to hear about your loss. I can feel with you. I had few sad pet losses...pets can give us so much joy for years and than bitter sadness when they leave us, unfortunatly its part of the package...but at least we know we could give them a nice and happy life. x