Grandfathering

Grandfathering is the practice of preserving existing members' terms (price, benefits, rights) when those terms change for new members. If a club raises dues from £30 to £45, grandfathered existing members continue paying £30. Grandfathering builds member loyalty (long-tenure members feel valued) and softens the impact of price changes (new members face £45; veterans don't). Most modern clubs grandfather price changes for at least 12 months.