How to Set Up QKAP Memberships and the Paywall, Step by Step
Set up paid memberships and members-only posts on QKAP: payments, your first plan, locking posts, paywall settings, confirming orders and managing members.
On this page
To set up memberships on QKAP, turn on your shop and add a payment method in Payments, create a monthly or yearly plan in Memberships, then mark posts as Members only from the post editor or the Posts page. Choose how locked posts look in Paywall settings, check your page as a visitor, and confirm each new member's payment in Orders. Their locked posts unlock as soon as you confirm, whenever they're logged in to their follower account.
Key takeaways
- Memberships live in Dashboard › Store › Memberships; payment details live in Payments.
- Each plan has a name, a price you choose, monthly or yearly billing and a short description.
- Any post can be locked for all members or only for specific plans, with its own lock message.
- Paywall settings control whether locked posts show a blurred preview, a plain lock, or stay hidden.
- Members pay you directly; you confirm in Orders, and access runs until the paid period ends.
- Locking posts and reel series is a Premium feature.
Before you start
You'll need three things in place:
- A clear promise. Know what members get and how often. If you haven't decided, read what to lock for members first.
- A price. Pick a starting monthly price and, optionally, a yearly one. How to price a creator membership walks through it.
- A way to get paid. A UPI ID, or a payment link from a provider such as Razorpay, Stripe, PayPal or Gumroad.
Locking posts is part of QKAP Premium. Creating plans and running the rest of your store follow the same steps either way; check QKAP Free vs Premium if you're unsure which plan you're on.
Step 1: Turn on your shop and add a payment method
Open Dashboard › Store › Payments. Add your UPI ID, a payment link, or both, and make sure your shop is turned on. If the shop is off, the Memberships page shows a notice, because followers can't buy a plan until it's on.
Payments go straight to your UPI or payment account. QKAP doesn't hold the money and takes no per-sale cut. The trade-off is that you confirm each payment yourself, which we cover in step 6. For the details of UPI checkout, see UPI payments for creator memberships.
Step 2: Create your first plan
Go to Dashboard › Store › Memberships. If you don't have a plan yet, you'll see a prompt to create your first one. Fill in:
- Plan name: short and descriptive, like "Inner Circle" or "Monthly Deal List".
- Price: in your store currency.
- Billed: monthly or yearly.
- Short description: up to 140 characters, shown under the plan's name in your shop.
Once a plan exists you can edit it to change its price, cover, FAQs or welcome message. Use the welcome message to tell new members what to open first. If you add a yearly version of the same plan, keep the names clearly related so followers understand it's the same membership billed differently.
Step 3: Lock posts
There are two ways to make a post members-only:
- One post at a time: open the post, go to Visibility and choose Members only.
- Several at once: select the posts on the Posts page and change them together.
For each locked post you decide:
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Who unlocks it | Any of your memberships, or only specific plans |
| Lock message | Your default message, or a custom one for this post (up to 140 characters) |
Reel series can be locked too, so a multi-part series can be free for Part 1 and members-only for the rest.
Step 4: Choose your paywall settings
On the Memberships page, open Paywall settings:
- Default lock message: used on any locked post without its own message. Leave it empty to use the built-in "Join to unlock this post".
- Locked posts show: a blurred preview of the photo, or no photo, just the lock.
- Hide members-only posts from visitors' grid: when switched on, non-members don't see the locked tiles at all.
Each option suits a different style; blurred preview paywall best practices explains when to use which.
Step 5: Check your page as a visitor
When you're logged in as the creator, you see every post, with "Members only" badges on the locked ones. That's not what followers see. Use the visitor preview to see your page the way a non-member does, and check:
- Does each locked tile clearly say what's inside?
- Are the plans and prices showing?
- Is there still plenty of free content above and around the locked posts?
Fix anything confusing before you announce the membership.
Step 6: Confirm payments in Orders
Here's what happens when a follower joins:
- They tap a locked post or a plan, log in or create a free follower account, choose a plan and pay you directly.
- They tap "I've paid", optionally adding their UPI transaction reference (UTR).
- The order appears in Dashboard › Store › Orders.
- You check the money arrived in your bank or payment app, then mark the order as paid.
From that moment, your members-only posts unlock for their account whenever they're logged in, on any device, until the paid period ends. Orders left unpaid are cancelled automatically after a week, so your list doesn't fill up with abandoned checkouts.
Members who joined before follower accounts existed can add their membership by opening their order link while logged in. More on accounts in follower accounts for creator stores.
Step 7: Manage members
The Memberships page shows:
- Active members, with when their access runs until. You can copy a member's private unlock link or send it on WhatsApp if they switch phones or lose it.
- Ended members, with a renewal link you can copy or send on WhatsApp.
- Stats: active members, the number of members-only posts and an estimated monthly revenue, calculated from active members' last payments with yearly plans divided by 12.
Renewals aren't automatic. Members pay again each period, and when you confirm the payment their access extends by another period. Practical tips are in membership renewals and retention.
Troubleshooting
- "A follower paid but can't see the posts." Check the order is marked as paid and that they're logged in with the same email they used at checkout.
- "A visitor sees a plan I didn't expect." Check which plans unlock that post. If it's set to any membership, every plan is offered.
- "My locked posts aren't showing at all." You may have switched on hiding locked posts from visitors' grid.
- "No one can buy." Make sure the shop is turned on and a payment method is added in Payments.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run more than one membership plan?
Yes. You can create several plans, such as monthly and yearly, and choose for each locked post whether any membership unlocks it or only specific plans.
Do members need to download an app?
No. Members use your QKAP page in their browser and log in to their follower account with email and password.
Are renewals charged automatically?
No. Members pay you again for each period, and their access extends when you confirm the payment in Orders.
Can I lock a reel series?
Yes. Reel series can be members-only, like posts. Locking posts and series requires QKAP Premium.
Set up the plan, lock a few strong posts, preview as a visitor and confirm your first member's payment. After that, running a membership on QKAP is mostly about what you post next.