UnionPally Levy System Guide

A Guide to Understanding and Using Levies Effectively

What Are Levies?

Levies are charges or fees imposed on some or all members of your association. Think of them as the different types of payments your members need to make to keep the association running.

Important Note:

1. Levies can be created for/applied to Member or Member Asset in an association
   • A Member Asset is something a member of an association owns that is registered with the association (e.g. a shop or warehouse in a market association)
     • You can ignore this part if Member Asset does not apply to your association
   • When a levy is applied to a member's asset, it'll automatically appear in the member's balance and show the asset it's applied to
   • Member Asset levies must be created separately from direct Member levies.
     • When creating any levy, options will show up to select whether the levy is for members or members' assets
   • Everything listed below, therefore, applies to Member Asset as it does to Member
2. There is a "Apply to All Members" option when creating new levies. It tells the system to automatically add the levy to all members or assets. Use it only for levies that involve all members or assets and have uniform amount for all - like monthly dues for Member or periodic security levies for Member Asset.

The 6 Categories of Levies

RECURRENT LEVIES - Regular Periodic Charges

Best for: Regular periodic charges that happen daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

When to Use:

• Monthly membership dues
• Daily/Weekly/Monthly savings contributions
• Annual membership fees
• Quarterly project funds

Interval Options:

• Daily - Every day
• Weekly - Every 7 days
• Monthly - Every 30 days (most common)
• Yearly - Every 365 days
• Other intervals - 2 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months.

Pro Tips:

• Member Savings sub-category of recurrent levies (explained below) offer the option for different members to pay different amounts per interval.

Example Setup:

Name: "Monthly Membership Dues"
Amount: ₦500.00
Category: Recurrent
Recurrence: Monthly
Apply to All: Yes
Started: 01/01/2026

MEMBER SAVINGS - A Sub-Category of Recurrent Levies

Member Savings supports individual custom amounts for members while maintaining a base benchmark!

How It Works:

1. Set Base Amount: Association sets a benchmark amount (e.g., ₦10,000/month) when creating the levy
2. Custom Member Amounts: Individual members can commit to higher amounts (e.g., ₦20,000, ₦50,000, etc)
3. Commitment Period: Members with custom amounts must maintain their chosen amount throughout the savings cycle
4. Base Payers: Members without custom amounts pay the base amount
5. Zero Base Option/No Participation: Set base to 0: members pay any amount they want at any time. Also allows members to omit some payments or opt out completely from a savings cycle.

Two Savings Model Examples:

Model 1: Fixed Base with Custom Upgrades

Base Amount: ₦10,000.00 (minimum)
Member A: ₦10,000.00 (base amount)
Member B: ₦20,000.00 (custom amount - must maintain through out cycle)
Member C: ₦15,000.00 (custom amount - must maintain through out cycle)
Member D: ₦10,000.00 (base amount)

Model 2: Fully Flexible (Zero Base)

Base Amount: ₦0.00
Member A: ₦25,000.00 (their choice)
Member B: ₦5,000.00 (their choice)
Member C: ₦50,000.00 (their choice)
Member D: null (no partication - their choice)

Other things to note about Member Savings:

• You must set cycle end date when creating levy. This is when the savings cycle will end and how the system knows when to stop.
• It's best to create a new levy clearly named for each cycle (e.g. Members Savings 2026, Members Assets Savings 2027)
• You can upgrate a members custom amount mid-cycle but not downgrades

ONE-TIME LEVIES - Single Purpose Charges

Best for: Specific payments that happen only once

When to Use:

• Registration fees for new members
• Special project funding (e.g. Hall Building Levy, Land Purchase Levy)
• Event tickets or fees
• Equipment purchases

Pro Tips:

• Perfect for milestone events
• Can target specific members instead of everyone
• Great for project-based funding

Example Setup:

Name: "New Member Registration"
Amount: ₦10000.00
Category: OneTime
Apply to All: No (only new members)

OCCASIONAL LEVIES - Situation-Based Charges

Best for: Penalties and non-regular (but repeatable) charges that depend on circumstances

When to Use:

• Meeting lateness penalties
• Meeting absence fees
• Special emergency funding
• Behavior-based charges

Special Features:

• Can be duplicated (same member can have multiple)
• Often meeting-related
• Applied as situations arise
• Can be meeting-specific (tracks which meeting)

Example Setup:

Name: "Meeting Lateness Fee"
Amount: ₦500.00
Category: Occasional
Sub-category: Meeting Lateness Penalty

DONATION LEVIES - Voluntary Contributions

Best for: Fundraising and voluntary support

Special Features:

• Levy is created with base amount of 0
• Members choose their amount
• Voluntary participation
• Great for charity drives
• Can be duplicated for multiple causes

When to Use:

• Charity fundraising
• Community support projects
• Disaster relief funds
• Special cause support

Pro Tips:

• Set amount to 0 - members will choose their contribution
• Use clear descriptions explaining the cause
• Can run multiple donation drives simultaneously

Example Setup:

Name: "Community Food Bank 2026"
Amount: ₦0.00 (members choose amount)
Category: Donation
Description: "Help support local families in need"

EXISTING DEBT LEVIES - Historical Tracking

Best for: Managing debts members had before joining or before system implementation

When to Use:

• Track old debts from previous systems
• Member had outstanding balances before joining
• Historical financial reconciliation

Special Features:

• Amount is always ₦0 (debt amount stored separately)
• Used for tracking and transparency
• Can be duplicated per member to track exactly what each amount was for.

Pro Tips:

• Use clear descriptions explaining the debt origin
• Helps maintain financial transparency
• Good for system migration scenarios

MISCONDUCT LEVIES - Disciplinary Actions

Best for: Formal penalties for rule violations that don't have standard levy set in the system.

When to Use:

• Serious rule violations
• Misconduct penalties
• Formal disciplinary actions
• Ethics violations

Special Features:

• Amount is always ₦0 (penalty amount set per incident)
• Used for formal record keeping
• Can be applied multiple time per member

Pro Tips:

• Use detailed descriptions explaining the violation
• Maintain proper documentation

CHOOSING THE RIGHT LEVY TYPE

For Regular Income:

Use RECURRENT - Monthly dues, weekly contributions, annual fees

For Flexible Savings:

Use RECURRENT with MEMBER SAVINGS sub-category - Customizable savings programs with base + custom amounts

For Specific Projects:

Use ONE-TIME - Registration fees, special projects, events

For Behavioral Management:

Use OCCASIONAL - Meeting penalties, lateness fees

For Fundraising:

Use DONATION - Charity drives, voluntary contributions

For Record Keeping:

Use EXISTING DEBT - Old system migration, historical debts

For Disciplinary Actions:

Use MISCONDUCT - Formal disciplinary records

ADVANCED FEATURES

Enhanced Member Savings System

A very powerful feature for flexible financial management:

Base + Custom Model:

• Set minimum base amount all members pay
• Allow individual custom commitments for higher amounts
• Automatic tracking of who pays what amount
• Cycle-based commitments (members stick to custom amounts for full cycle)

Zero-Base Flexibility:

• Set base amount to ₦0
• Members choose any amount they want
• Complete flexibility for varying financial situations
• Perfect for community-driven savings

Smart Commitment Tracking:

• System remembers each member's commitment level
• Prevents mid-cycle downgrades (maintains commitment integrity)
• Allows upgrades when members can afford more
• Clear reporting on who contributes what

Asset-Specific Levies

• Can be applied to member assets instead of members
• Useful for property-related fees
• Equipment maintenance charges

Meeting-Related Levies

• Links levy to specific meetings
• Tracks which meeting triggered the charge
• Perfect for attendance penalties

Apply to All Members

• Automatically applies to all current members
• New members get it automatically
• Perfect for universal charges like dues

BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS

1. Start Simple

• Begin with basic monthly dues (Recurrent)
• Add registration fees (One-Time) for new members
• Introduce Member Savings with zero base to test flexibility
• Add other types gradually

2. Clear Communication

• Use descriptive names ("Monthly Dues" not "Levy 1")
• Write detailed descriptions explaining purpose
• Explain commitment expectations for Member Savings

3. Fair and Flexible Amounts

• Research what members can afford
• Consider your association's needs
• Start with zero-base savings to gauge member preferences
• Use conservative base amounts when setting minimums

4. Consistent Application

• Use "Apply to All" for universal charges
• Be fair and transparent
• Honor custom commitments in Member Savings
• Apply same rules to everyone

5. Regular Review and Adaptation

• Monitor payment rates and member feedback
• Adjust base amounts based on patterns
• Allow mid-cycle upgrades in Member Savings
• Disable unused levies to avoid confusion

Your association's financial health depends on a well-designed levy system. With Unionpally, you have the ultimate tool for flexible, member-friendly financial management!

Last updated: January 2026
For technical support, consult the system administrator