Frequently Asked Questions
The new membership system brings the facilities for online applications and payments, along with the means for members to keep their own details up to date. As with any new system there may be many questions that need answers. Some of these are set out below.
Questions and Answers
Q. What credit cards are accepted by the new payments system?
A. The payment card brands accepted by the Stripe platform are Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. There is usually an additional authentication stage to be completed as part of the card security check.
Q. If I forget my password, can I set up a new one with a “Lost Password” facility?
A. Yes. A new password can be set up at any time. Use the “Lost Password” link near the bottom of the Log In page.
Q. Is there any limit on the number of times a password can be changed?
A. No. There is no limit to the number of times this can be done. Use the “Lost Password” link near the bottom of the Log In page.
Q. What details can I update in my membership account?
A. Your postal address, email address and Branch linkage. Go to the Log In page to access your account. Your postal address is used for delivery of the Journal. Your email address is used for Newsletters and other membership related mailings.
Q. Can a member delete their own membership level?
A. No. A Membership Level cannot be deleted by a member.
Q. Can a member remove themselves from a Branch?
A. Yes. They might wish to resile their association with Branch A and become associated with Branch B. Or they may wish to cut ties with their Branch but remain a member of the Society. A Member can implement the change only once in their membership year.
Q. Can a member add themselves to a Branch after initial signup?
A. Yes. They may wish to become linked to a Branch some time after joining. This is at no extra cost. A Member can implement the change only once in their membership year.
Q. Can a member join more than one Branch?
A. No. The Council of the Society considers this to be impracticable.
Q. How long are Gift Aid records retained and reportable in the membership records for each member making a Gift Aid Declaration?
A. Gift Aid Declarations must be retained by the Society for six full years after the date of the last subscription/donation made by a member.
Q. Is an acknowledgement of a Gift Aid Declaration given to a Member?
A. Yes. A copy of the Gift Aid Declaration is provided in the acknowledgement email.
Q. Email address of a Member may differ from that used in a credit card account they use to pay. Can the membership system cope with this?
A. Yes. The membership arrangements can cater for different email addresses of member and payee.
Q. Home address of a Member may differ from that used in a credit card account they use to pay. Can the membership system cope with this?
A. Yes. The membership arrangements can cater for different addresses of members and payee.
Q. The first and last names of the person applying to join the Society (the user) is different from the first and last names of the billing address. Can the membership system cope with this?
A. Yes.
Q. Two people applying to join as “Joint” members may have different email addresses, but the same home address. How would the system react to the two email addresses?
A. They must have the same home address to be eligible for joint membership. The email addresses of the joint members can differ. In fact, sharing an email address is not recommended.
Q. Person applying may use their name before marriage and uses the credit card of their husband / wife / husband to pay. Can the membership system cope with this?
A. Yes. The membership arrangements can cater for different addresses of member and payee.
Q. Can the name in a Gift Aid Declaration be different from that of the person applying to join the Society?
A. No. Gift Aid claimant must be the applicant for membership.
Q. Can a person residing in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar make a Gift Aid Declaration on their membership application?
A. No. The Gift Aid Scheme applies only to tax-payers resident in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Q. If a person tries to join the Society and they have already paid a membership fee, how does the membership system react to this?
A. The membership arrangements prevent paying twice.
Q. In the future, I might forget to renew until perhaps several months late. Is there a period beyond which my “delay” is deemed unacceptable, and a new membership number is applied?
A. Applications received between 1 September and 31 December will give membership up to 31 August the following year. Applications for renewal from 1 January to 31 May give membership for the remainder of the current year. Applications for renewal between 1 June and 31 August give membership up to 31 August of the following year.
Q. If I delayed renewal until after 31 May of the year following my membership 1 September – 31 August, can I then renew my membership?
A. An application for renewal after 31 May of the following year ise treated as being that of a lapsed member. After 31 May the membership commences on the date of application and runs until the 31 August the following year.
Q. My application is only for five months, so I should not be charged the full amount.
A. Renewing applications between 1 April and 31 May are taken as an application for the current year. No reduction of fee is available. New applications after the 1 June commence on the date of application and run until 31 August of the following year.
Q. If I apply to join on, say, 10 July 2025 or 10 August 2025, is this taken as applying in the current year 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026?
A. New Applications after the 1 May commence on the date of application and run until 31 August of the following year.
Q. My Joint membership partner has resigned from the Society. What happens my membership?
A. It remains in place until the end of the current Society year ending 31 August.
Q. When are the North Irish Roots Journals published?
A. Normally in the spring and the autumn.
Q. Can I get back-issues of the Journal.
A. Yes. Articles from back-issues of the Journal are available in JSTOR three years after publication. A complete issue is not available as a single document. Check if a back-issue is available from our Shop.
Q. Are electronic issues of the Journal available?
A. No.