C.3 Meal package system
Many clubs use a fixed-rate meal system for a pre-defined period (formerly known as the "meal ticket" system). The principle is to charge members at the beginning of the period a flat fee to cover part of the contributions to the events of the period, typically meals at weekly meetings.
Clubs using the meal plan can choose between two systems:
- Flat rate meal package: for the given period, regardless of the number of statutory events the member attends (no balance charged or refunded)
- Minimum meal package: members pay in advance a pre-defined fixed amount for n "meal tickets". Unused tickets are forfeited to the club and cannot be carried over to the next period, unless exceptionally authorised for a particular member. Additional meals will be charged to the member.
In both cases a second individual "Meal" account is used, from which the contributions due are automatically debited at the end of an event, instead of being debited from the member's main account.
To activate this meal package system, in Club parameters > Other parameters > Finances, activate the Use meal package switch
When creating an event, in its Event Finances tab, a switch appears activated by default for statutory events Debit Meal Package Account. If you do not want a particular event to automatically debit the "Meal" accounts, simply deactivate this switch.
The difference between the two solutions "fixed price" and "minimum price" is regulated by the difference in accounting entries at the end of the period (see below)