When DiEM25 was officially launched, it did not yet have a bank account, so it was not possible to have everyone pay a membership fee. Even donations proved tricky, and this is part of the reason why DiEM25 took a few years to build up a good level of staff.
While members were able to choose whether or how much to pay, around 5% of members had to pay for all the expenses, all while everyone felt entitled to the services bought with this money. This was not a fair nor sustainable solution, so in autumn 2020 DiEM25 members collectively decided (through an All Member Vote (AMV)) that paying a membership fee should be the default, exempting only those who cannot afford it. Since April 2021, this rule is actively enforced, with "undecided" members (those who neither pay a membership fee nor request an exemption) unable to use the Members Area or forum.
The default fee is 5 EUR / month or 60 EUR / year. Members who are able to pay more are encouraged to do so, with a guideline of paying 1% of one's income, as for a trade union. There is a reduced fee option of 25 EUR / year* for those who cannot afford this much. Those who cannot afford even 25 EUR / year may write to info@diem25.org in order to request an exemption.
Go to https://internal.diem25.org/membership/upgrade . At the top, there will be a blue notification informing you previously opted to pay (if anything) and below that you can choose your new contribution level. You can pay using credit/debit card, Paypal, or bank transfer (SEPA). Your previous contribution will be automatically canceled when you select a new one. Only in case of bank transfers do you need to manually adjust your payment amount.
The My Payments page provides more detail on your past and present payments, including your donations (one-off or monthly) to particular causes within DiEM25. Payments towards these causes do not count towards your membership fee because the funds are earmarked e.g. for certain national branches or local groups or for hiring outside lawyers, so DiEM25 cannot pay salaries and regular expenses from these donations.
On the My Payments page, all active contributions have a "Stop subscription" link. If you are paying using Paypal or credit/debit card, the cancellation takes place immediately once you click this link - if a payment would have been due tomorrow, it will not come out. If you set up a recurring bank payment, you need to cancel it in your online banking.
If for any reason you have paid too much, please contact tech@diem25.org for a refund.