# Do Charter Member Subscriptions End In May? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 7, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071 "2017-05-07T17:59:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/1 "2017-05-07T17:59:26Z")
I was just looking up some old notes I made on my computer. (Boy, you know, I keep meticulous notes. But it usually works to my advantage. I digress, though…) Anyways, it says Charter Member subscriptions end in May usually. In fact, [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=713598&goto=newpost) is the original thread, if you’re interested. I think they should really warn us about this. I don’t think they ever do me. I just have to look it up usually. And BTW, FWIW, I looked up my subscription. It is apparently doesn’t end until June of next year. I hope that is correct. Because if you’ll remember, I almost lost my Charter subscription once, for a late payment. Just a heads up, if you didn’t already know:) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/2 "2017-05-07T22:40:00Z")
Thanks for the reminder. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/3 "2017-05-08T02:29:26Z")
We send out e-mails (apparently more than one), and this thread was just started a few days ago: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=825367](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=825367) Make sure you maintain a valid e-mail address, and check your spam filters just in case the reminder gets filtered off. There’s no penalty for renewing early. If you want to renew in January, it will add the same length to your subscription and you’ll end up with the same expiration date as you would if you renewed in May. At the moderation level, we don’t receive any notices that charter memberships are about to expire, so there’s no reminder for us to post something about it. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/4 "2017-05-10T02:35:03Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > We send out e-mails (apparently more than one), and this thread was just started a few days ago: > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=825367](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=825367) > > Make sure you maintain a valid e-mail address, and check your spam filters just in case the reminder gets filtered off. > > There’s no penalty for renewing early. If you want to renew in January, it will add the same length to your subscription and you’ll end up with the same expiration date as you would if you renewed in May. > > At the moderation level, we don’t receive any notices that charter memberships are about to expire, so there’s no reminder for us to post something about it. Well, I’ll tell you this. When I am subscribed to a thread, I **ALWAYS** get notifications via my email. But I don’t think I ever got a notification telling me to renew. I’m serious. Don’t ask me to explain it, at least. Also, just one more thing. I went to my User CP section, under subscriptions. And it said under “Expiry”, I am good till June of 2018. So I have nothing to worry about then, right? I must’ve renewed for 2 years, last year, I assume. I don’t know what they mean by “Expiry” though. That is when it expires? Or that is when I would expire, if I renewed now? I live in Michigan, and we don’t use words like “Expiry”, I think. So please alleviate my worries and ignorance, if any. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/5 "2017-05-10T09:14:44Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > I don’t know what they mean by “Expiry” though. That is when it expires? Or that is when I would expire, if I renewed now? That is when your subscription expires. I’m in Pennsylvania and we don’t use the word expiry around here either. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/6 "2017-05-10T11:32:51Z")
I don’t receive any notification that my sub is going to expire. EVER ! Not this year, or any of the years before that. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/7 "2017-05-10T11:45:14Z")
Expiry date = expiration date. It’s the exact same thing. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/8 "2017-05-10T12:27:19Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I don’t receive any notification that my sub is going to expire. EVER ! Not this year, or any of the years before that. Some folks are apparently getting them every day, so I guess it averages out ok. 😛 On a more serious note, some members just don’t get them. Sometimes they end up in spam filters. Sometimes the ISP filters them off for whatever reason. Sometimes they just disappear into the intertubes and no one really knows why. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/9 "2017-05-10T13:16:35Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > On a more serious note, some members just don’t get them. Sometimes they end up in spam filters. Sometimes the ISP filters them off for whatever reason. Sometimes they just disappear into the intertubes and no one really knows why. I’ve never gotten one. Which is why I always buy 2 years worth at a time. Sometime during a 2 year period I’m bound to be curious about my subscription status, and have managed to keep it current. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/10 "2017-05-10T13:41:50Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I’ve never gotten one. Which is why I always buy 2 years worth at a time. Sometime during a 2 year period I’m bound to be curious about my subscription status, and have managed to keep it current. I pay up two years ahead also, then check when it expires whenever a thread like this gets started. So keep 'em coming! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/11 "2017-05-10T15:01:36Z")
Two years ago, the last time my subscription was due to expire, I started getting daily notices starting one week before the expiry date, 5/21/2015. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/12 "2017-05-11T22:37:16Z")
Not sure if this is related or not (it kind-of is), but is there any way to get a membership without using PayPal? Just use my charge card? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-charter-member-subscriptions-end-in-may/786071/13 "2017-05-12T00:33:40Z")
> [@TheCuse](#): > > Not sure if this is related or not (it kind-of is), but is there any way to get a membership without using PayPal? > > Just use my charge card? Yes, although the payment screens appear to only allow PayPal, there is an option on the appropriate page to just use your CC.