After much deliberation, your board has decided to migrate your organization to WildApricot, congratulations! WildApricot is a powerful all-in-one cloud-based membership management system that simplifies the operations for associations, non-profits, clubs, and other membership-based organizations. You have been tasked with getting the new system up and running, so what do you do now? This quick start guide will get you up and running with ease!
Setting Up Your Account
Signing Up for Free Trial
If you are starting from scratch, you’ll first need to open a trial account. By using our link, you will receive a 60 day trial to explore and set up your account – all you need for the trial is an email address, no credit card needed!
Important: Your 60-day trial account will be automatically deleted at the end of the 60 days if you do not upgrade to a paid subscription plan.
Upgrading Your Account
If you already have a trial account and are ready to upgrade, you’ll need to upgrade your account bef ore the end of the 60 day trial. To do so, log into the admin dashboard and click the yellow “Upgrade” button in the sidebar.
Next, you’ll select the subscription plan you want to upgrade to based on the number of contacts you’ll store in your database. You will need a credit card to complete the upgrade.
Navigating Your Account
Logging In
Both members and administrators will login the same way using the login box on your website. The system will automatically recognize if a user has administrative privileges and grant access accordingly. If you’ve removed the login box from your web site, you can log in by appending “/sys/Login” to your website URL – for example: samplewebsite.wildapricot.org/sys/Login
Accessing the Admin Dashboard
Users with admin privileges will see the 
If two-factor authentication is enabled, you’ll need to enter the pin sent to your email or cellphone the first time you switch to admin view on each new log in.
Public View vs. Admin View
When logged in as an administrator, you can toggle between Admin View and Public View to preview how the website looks to non-administrators. In Public View, you will not be able to see member-only content unless the account you are logged into also has an active membership assigned to it.
- To switch from public view to admin view, click the
- To switch from admin view to public view, click the
button at the top right of the screen
Setting Up Online Payments
WildApricot allows you to collect payments online to automate your applications and renewal workflow and reduce the manual administration from dealing with checks. To accept online payments, you must have an upgraded WildApricot account, as well as an account with one of the following payment processors:
For organizations in the United States or Canada, we recommend AffiniPay. If your organization is based in the US or Canada, and you use a payment processor other than AffiniPay, a 20% Payment System Servicing Fee will be applied to your account’s billing plan.
Signing Up for WildApricot Payments (AffiniPay)
To start accepting payments through AffiniPay, you need to set up an account by following these steps:
New AffiniPay Accounts
- From the dashboard sidebar menu, select ‘Settings’ to bring up the ‘Global Settings’ screen.
- Click on ‘Payment Settings’ under ‘Your Account’.
- Click on the button that says ‘Fill in Application Form’.
- Fill out the application form with your contact and organization details.
- For US Applicants:
- Provide your organization’s federal tax ID, bank details, the Social Security Number, and driver’s license of the organization’s authorized signer or beneficial owner. Arizona residents should note an upcoming year as their license expiration year.
- Indicate ownership percentage unless you’re applying for a nonprofit organization.
- For Canadian Applicants:
- Enter the name, address, and identifying document number (driver’s license or passport) of your organization’s principal.
- You will be contacted via email to provide banking details, three months of bank statements, a photo ID copy, and the names of board members.
- For US Applicants:
- Click ‘Submit Application Form’ at the bottom of the screen. Upon approval, you’ll receive a confirmation email from AffiniPay, and for US applicants, an additional email from WildApricot.
- Before using your new AffiniPay account, confirm it by following these steps:
- In the AffiniPay confirmation email, click the ‘Confirm My Account’ button.
- Choose a password and select ‘Finish’.
- To connect your AffiniPay account to your WildApricot account, follow these steps:
- Go to ‘Settings’ from the admin sidebar menu and select ‘Global Settings’.
- Click ‘Payment Settings’ under ‘Your Account’.
- Click the ‘Connect to AffiniPay’ button.
- Use the email and password you set up during confirmation to log in on the AffiniPay screen.
- You’ll be directed back to the ‘Payment Settings’ screen to modify settings as necessary.
- Click ‘Save Changes’.
Connecting an Existing AffiniPay Account
If you need to connect an already existing AffiniPay account, follow these instructions:
- From the dashboard sidebar menu, select ‘Settings’ to bring up the ‘Global Settings’ screen.
- Click on ‘Payment Settings’ under ‘Your Account’.
- Scroll down and click on ‘Connect with Existing Account’ button. If this button is not visible but a ‘Switch Now’ button is, click ‘Switch Now’ then ‘Connect with Existing Account’.
- Enter your email and password to log into your AffiniPay account.
- After returning to the ‘Payment Settings’ screen, adjust the settings and click ‘Save Changes’.
What’s Next?
That takes care of the administrative setup – in our next entry we will get into configuring your memberships and customizing the public- and member-facing sections of the platform. Got questions? We’ve got the answers! NewPath Consulting offers 1-hour Hero Calls, during which one of our talented and knowledgeable WildApricot Heroes will help answer your questions and advise you on the best course to take for your unique situations. Click here to learn more or to schedule a call with a WildApricot Hero.
