Upgrading to Meetup+ empowers members with a suite of premium tools and benefits designed to streamline group management for first-time organizers and boost community engagement. In addition to the core enhancements already available, exciting new advanced features are set to roll out in October 2024, further elevating your group’s capabilities.
What Is Meetup+?
Meetup+ can be a weekly, monthly, or yearly subscription that allows members to customize their experience on the Meetup app.
Members without a subscription will have access to basic features related to the Meetup community, but details such as other members' names, photos, and interests will be blurred or locked. Subscribing to Meetup+ will guarantee full visibility over these details.
In fact, those who subscribe to Meetup+ can access exciting features and benefits that otherwise will be locked or blurred. If you try and access these feature, a pop-up will inform you that an upgrade to Meetup+ is necessary to get full visibility. To get out of the pop-up and revert to the free, limited experience, just click the Continue with free plan link at the top of the Meetup+ pop-up.
Some of these perks were previously offered only to organizers, including:
- Exemption from service fees when RSVPing to paid events
- Unrestricted direct messaging with other members
- Priority position on event waitlists
- Full access to the attendee list and group member lists
- Full access to member profiles
- Full access to the "Who will be there" feature for upcoming events
- "First to Know" - receive event announcements sooner, along with organizers and event hosts!
- An ad-free experience of Meetup across all platforms
- A distinct Meetup+ badge on your sitewide profile
- Custom app icons for your phone's home screen by following these steps:
- Tap your profile photo in the upper right.
- Tap the gear icon (Account Settings).
- Select App icons.
- Choose your new Meetup app icon.
Dive Deeper Into Exclusive And Advanced Benefits
Below is an enhanced overview of the benefits available on Meetup, highlighting which features are accessible to everyone and which are exclusive to Meetup+ members.
Direct Messages:
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For All Members: You can message group leadership and use standard communication tools like Group Discussions and Event Comments.
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Meetup+ Exclusive: Only Meetup+ members can initiate direct messages with any other Meetup user. Non-Meetup+ members can reply in threads started by Meetup+ users or continue existing conversations.
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Privacy Priority: Personal privacy settings always take precedence over messaging capabilities.
Waitlists:
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Universal Access: Every group member can join event waitlists.
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Priority for Meetup+ Members: Meetup+ subscribers receive first access to new event spots, with remaining spots allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Member and Event Attendee Lists:
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Common Features: All members can view full details of group leaders and see “Familiar Faces” from previous events.
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Enhanced Visibility for Meetup+ Members: Meetup+ members can view additional personal details, such as full names and profile pictures, depending on individual privacy settings.
Member Profiles:
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Standard Profile Information: Every member can view basic profile details including a profile picture, first name, and shared interests.
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Expanded Profile Details for Meetup+ Members: Subscribers have access to a more complete profile view, which may include full names, social media links, and extended personal information, subject to privacy preferences.
For a detailed comparison of the key differences and benefits between Meetup+ and free membership, please refer to our article Meetup+ vs. Free Plan Members: Key Differences and Benefits, which outlines a full overview of the topics.
Subscribing to Meetup+
To subscribe to Meetup+, navigate to your Account Settings, select Meetup+ subscription, and follow the subsequent prompts, or, alternatively, access your Account Settings in the Meetup app. A small subscription fee (prices vary by region) allows you to experience all of the above features through the app.
Free members who try to access one of the features that are exclusive to Meetup+ members will be prompted with a paywall that directly takes you to the upgrade stage so you can access the locked features.
Upgrading to an organizer subscription
Meetup Standard and Pro organizers get access to these same features, and can see which of their members has subscribed to Meetup+. Identifying these more active and engaged members helps organizers select new leadership teammates, craft new events, and expand their group.
❗Organizers with a Starter subscriptions will be able to view their group member list and attendee lists for events they are hosting. Starter organizers can access other features by subscribing to Meetup+ separately.
Organizers with a Starter subscription can access all premium features by subscribing to a separate Meetup+ plan. If you don't have an active Meetup+ (or Standard organizer or Pro organizer) subscription when you try to use one of these features, a pop-up will inform you and offer you the possibility to upgrade to Meetup+.
However, please keep in mind that Meetup+ is separate from being a Meetup organizer. If you'd like to create and lead groups, cancel your Meetup+ subscription then start a group to activate an organizer subscription.