¶ Join the Makerspace
You sign up in the member portal at members.manchestermakerspace.org. It takes a few minutes. You create your account, sign the agreements, choose a membership, and pay. Then you come to an open house for your orientation and your key fob.
If an admin has already created an account for you, you do not need to sign up. Use Forgot your password? on the Log In page to set a password.
¶ Start
On the front page choose Sign Up, or the Sign Up button beside a membership option. You can also start from a link you were given, such as a partner discount link. Those links pick the right membership and discount for you.
The sign-up form has five steps along the top: Basic Info, Agreements, Membership, Payment and Review.
¶ Step 1: Basic Info
Fill in the Create an Account form: your name, mailing address, an optional phone number, your email address (twice) and a password. We ask for your mailing address because it is verified when you receive your key fob. We do not sell your personal information.
The form also asks How did you hear about us? Please choose the closest answer. If you took a class, a box asks which one. If a friend or member told you, a box asks who. It does not affect your membership. It helps us see which classes and referrals bring people in.
Choose Next.
¶ Step 2: Agreements
Read the Code of Conduct and the Member Contract. Tick the box for each to say you have read and agree, then sign with your mouse or your finger in the signature box. Use Reset Signature to start over, then choose Next.
¶ Step 3: Membership
Choose the membership you want. The portal shows the options and their prices. Choose Sign Up beside the one you want. If you have a discount code, enter it under Qualify for a discount?. Choose Next.
- The Household option covers two adults in the same household.
- Some memberships are a subscription that renews automatically. Others are a single payment for a period.
- Choose None if you will pay with cash or another way, or want to choose later. You can pick a membership at any time in your account settings.
¶ Step 4: Payment
Pick a saved payment method, or add a debit or credit card, PayPal or Venmo. The payment method you use for a subscription becomes your default for later payments until you change it. The screen explains how recurring payments work. Read it, then choose Next.
If you chose None in step 3, there is no payment step. Choose Submit instead.
¶ Step 5: Review
Check everything. You can go back to change your membership or payment method. Then choose Agree if asked, and Submit Payment to pay. You see Payment Successful! and a link to View Receipt.
¶ After you sign up
You arrive on the portal's Home page with a Welcome! message. Then:
- Accept your Slack invitation (check your email) and your Google Drive invitation, once they arrive.
- Come to an open house to complete your orientation and receive your key fob. Open house is on Mondays from 6 to 8pm. You can also ask in #discuss-talk-to-the-board on Slack.
- Request tool checkouts for the tools you want to use. See Request a Tool Checkout.
Your membership starts when you receive your key fob, not when you pay, so you do not lose any membership time while you wait. If you joined through a class, your membership starts when the class is held or when your key fob is issued.
¶ Why your payment date and expiration date can differ
Your payment date is set the day you pay. Your membership term starts the day your key fob is registered, which can be a few days later. Each payment adds a billing period, usually one month, to the end of your term, so your payment will always come a few days before your membership expires. You are not paying extra and you do not lose any time. It just means you are paid up a little ahead.
For example, if you pay on the 1st and your fob is registered on the 11th, your membership runs to the 11th of the next month, and your next payment is taken on the 1st of that month, ten days before it ends. That gap stays the same for as long as you keep your subscription. Each payment still adds a full month to the end of your term.
¶ If something goes wrong
See Troubleshooting.
Last reviewed: October 2026