> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://crushsuite.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://crushsuite.gitbook.io/docs/clubs/getting-started/creating-your-first-club.md).

# Creating Your First Club

Create the club, and get the Shopify membership product and selling plan that come with it. Takes about 10 minutes.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Next:** [Setting Up Your Club Product Template](/docs/clubs/getting-started/setting-up-your-club-product-template.md)
{% endhint %}

***

### Before you start

* Have your club's name, description, and membership price ready.

***

### 1. Club Details

Go to **Clubs** → **Create Club** and fill in:

* **Club Name** — shown on your storefront and in member emails. Give each club a distinct name: two clubs created with the same name inside two minutes are treated as a duplicate, and the second save sends you back to the first club instead of making a new one.
* **Club Description** — also member-facing.
* **Images** — optional product photos.
* **Theme template** — appears once you already have a club, and lists templates from your published theme. Leave it on the default: you'll build a dedicated club template and assign it in [Setting Up Your Club Product Template](/docs/clubs/getting-started/setting-up-your-club-product-template.md).
* **Market** — determines the currency and region for this club.
* **Timezone** — used for release and billing dates.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Market** — and the currency that follows from it — cannot be changed after the club is created.
{% endhint %}

### 2. Membership Billing

Set the **Membership Price** — the recurring fee charged to members, set to $0 for a free membership — and the **Membership Renewal Frequency**, in months.

### 3. Club Settings

* **Allow Members to Skip Releases** — on by default. Lets members skip a release from their portal.
* **Visibility** — leave this on **Hidden (Draft)** until Phase 2 is finished. **Published** puts the club product on your storefront immediately, before the signup widget exists to accept anyone.
* **Compliance Fees** — shown only if your winery also uses CrushSuite Compliance: **Add compliance fee to each order** or **Do not add compliance fees**.
* **Customer Tag** — added to a customer in Shopify when they sign up. It's generated from your **Club Name**, so settle the name first — renaming the club afterward can overwrite a tag you've customised.

### 4. Advanced

* **Inventory Location** — defaults to your primary fulfillment location.
* **Billing Inventory Policy** — **Respect inventory policy — recommended**, or **Allow overselling**.

> 📸 **Screenshot:** The Club Details section of the New Club form.

***

### What CrushSuite creates in Shopify on save

* A single-variant product tagged `club`, priced at your membership price, with inventory policy set to continue so it never shows as out of stock.
* That product marked **not requiring shipping**. The membership itself is digital, so it needs no shipping profile — shipping is charged per release order instead.
* A selling plan group named `{Club Name} Membership Plans`.

That's the whole of it. **No release is created with the club**, so nothing is scheduled to ship yet and your members have nothing to receive. You build each release yourself — see [Creating a Release](/docs/clubs/managing-releases/creating-a-release.md).

{% hint style="warning" %}
Archiving a club later is permanent. Every active or paused membership contract is expired and cannot be reactivated — members would need to sign up again as new members.
{% endhint %}

### What your member sees

Nothing yet. The club product needs a theme app block before anyone can sign up, which is Phase 2.

### How to check it worked

Open **Shopify Admin** → Products and find the product named after your club. It should show your membership price, and a subscription plan on the variant. If the plan is missing, the club product can't accept signups no matter what you do in the theme editor.

{% hint style="info" %}
If your club product doesn't appear correctly on your storefront after finishing Phase 2, see [App Embed Not Displaying](/docs/clubs/troubleshooting/app-embed-not-displaying.md).
{% endhint %}