Managing your membership FAQs

Our membership year runs from 1 July to 30 June. You can join at any time, but your join date may affect the length of your initial membership term.

If you join on a 6-month term:
Your membership will renew on 1 July, regardless of your join date.

If you join between January and June:
You can choose a longer first-year membership, so your renewal still falls on 1 July the following year:

• 18-month membership – available if you join from January
• 15-month membership – available if you join from April

After your first renewal, all memberships run on a 12-month term. Your renewal date remaining 1 July each year.
 
Discover the different renewal payment options and the latest membership fees here

Direct Debit payments (UK members only)

If you pay by Direct Debit and are based in the UK:

1. Log in to the Renewals Portal using your membership credentials.
2. Go to the renewal section, where you can manage your payment options.
3. From there, you can set up or update your Direct Debit details.
4. Make sure you save any changes and check for confirmation in the portal.

If you need help, please call our customer service team on +44 (0)20 8612 6208.

Phone lines are open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 9am–4pm (UK time).

SEPA (Euro) Direct Debit payments (Europe-based members only)

If you pay by SEPA (Euro) Direct Debit and are based in Europe:

1. Complete a new SEPA (Euro) Direct Debit instruction form.
2. Email the form to jeff.sawyer@cipd.co.uk.
3. You’ll receive an email confirmation of your payment arrangement, once processed.

Need extra help?

Live chat

Our customer service team is available Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 7am-7pm (UK).

During these hours, you can start a conversation by clicking the round chat icon. Displayed in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Other ways to contact us

Click here for additional contact options

Finding your latest renewal invoice

When your membership is due for renewal, your invoice will be available online through the Renewals Portal. Log in using your website account details.

On the first page of the portal, you’ll see:

• The amount due, and
• A link to download your latest invoice.

Adding organisation details to your invoice

If your organisation is paying for your membership, you can customise your invoice by adding:

• Your company name, and
• A purchase order (PO) number, if required.

To do this:

1. Select the ‘latest invoice’ button.
2. Choose ‘alternative invoice’.
3. Enter the required details and select ‘generate invoice’.

The updated invoice will download automatically for you to share with your organisation.

Can I request an invoice to renew multiple members?

Yes. To request a combined invoice for multiple members, email memadmin@cipd.co.uk with the following information:

• Company name (to appear on the invoice)
• Company address
• Purchase order number (if applicable)
• Name and membership number for each member who is renewing
• A contact email address

We aim to respond to all requests within 5 working days.

Receipts for online or phone payments

When you renew, you’ll automatically receive an email receipt once your payment is processed.

On the Renewals Portal, you’ll also have the option to:

• Download your receipt from the thank-you page, or
• Log in later to download your most recent receipt at any time.

If you pay by Direct Debit instalments

After each instalment is taken, you can download the latest payment receipt from the Renewals Portal.

If you need copies of earlier instalment receipts, please contact our customer services team (details below).

Important: The CIPD Renewals Portal is unavailable from December to April.

During this period, all receipt requests must be made through customer services.

Receipts for previous membership years

For copies of receipts from earlier membership years, please contact customer services, who can retrieve these for you.

Need extra help?

Live chat

Our customer service team is available Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 7am-7pm (UK).

During these hours, you can start a conversation by clicking the round chat icon. Displayed in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Other ways to contact us

Click here for additional contact options

If you're a UK taxpayer and haven’t been reimbursed for your fees by your employer, you may be able to reclaim some tax relief.

You do this by declaring the fee you paid to HMRC. Your personal tax allowance will be increased giving you tax relief at the highest rate you pay.

Find out more from HMRC (we're listed as an approved professional body under 'Personnel and Development Chartered Institute of').

Student Membership and its associated fees are designed specifically for first-time students. As they are likely to face greater financial pressures when starting their studies.

Once you’ve gained Foundation or Associate CIPD Membership, you’ve achieved an important professional milestone. These membership levels:

• Demonstrate your knowledge and experience in the people profession
• Show your commitment to ongoing professional development and learning
• Reflect your dedication to maintaining high standards within the HR profession

Because of this, downgrading to Student Membership isn’t possible. Doing so would undermine the professional status you've earned and the significant effort that went into achieving it.

Financial support

We understand that returning to study can present financial challenges. The CIPD offers financial assistance to support members who may be experiencing difficulties, helping ensure that membership remains accessible.

You can find out more about available financial support here. 

Need extra help?

Live chat

Our customer service team is available Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 7am-7pm (UK).

During these hours, you can start a conversation by clicking the round chat icon. Displayed in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Other ways to contact us

Click here for additional contact options

You’ll need your membership number to access member discounts and other services.

Find it in My Profile

Log in to My Profile and you’ll see your membership number in the top right-hand corner.

If you see a reference number instead, it may mean:

• You’ve logged in using a guest account, or
• Your membership account is no longer active due to outstanding fees.

If this happens, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.

If you don’t yet have a website account, you can create one here.

If you’re having issues logging in, you can find help with your website account here.

Other places to find your membership number

You can also find your membership number on:

• The top of CIPD emails
• Membership payment receipts
• Membership invoices

Need extra help?

Live chat

Our customer service team is available Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 7am-7pm (UK).

During these hours, you can start a conversation by clicking the round chat icon. Displayed in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Other ways to contact us

Click here for additional contact options

Digital proof of membership

All CIPD professional members - except Affiliate and Student members - receive a digital membership badge and certificate as proof of membership.

Student Members don’t receive a badge while studying. However, once you complete your qualification and gain Foundation or Associate membership, your digital badge and certificate will be sent to you within 10 working days of your outcome email.

Your badge and certificate will be sent from mybadges@cipd.org.

How to access your digital badge and certificate

You can:

• Bookmark your My Badges page for quick access
• Download your certificate (PDF) or badge (PNG)
• Add your badge to your mobile wallet
• Store and manage your credentials in your Accredible account

Find out more about our digital badges and certificates

Requesting a physical membership certificate

Physical membership certificates are available if you need one, please only request a printed copy if necessary.

Your options:

• Download and print your digital certificate instantly
• Request a printed certificate through My Profile; it will be sent to you by post

Delivery times

UK: 3–4 weeks

International: up to 8 weeks

Membership

If someone needs to verify your membership they can use the online verification system. To search and verify your membership, they’ll need your:

• Surname
• Full 8-digit CIPD membership number.

If you have any questions, please contact memadmin@cipd.co.uk or call us on +44 (0)20 8612 6208. Our team are available to take your call from 9am-4pm (UK), Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Qualifications

They may also ask for proof of your qualification or CIPD verification.

CIPD Qualification certificate

If you completed a CIPD qualification, you’ll have received a physical or PDF copy of your qualification and unit transcript when you qualified. This can be used as proof.

If you’ve misplaced your qualification certificate, you can request a replacement. Please contact our Customer Services team on the details below. Please note the cost of a replacement qualification certificate is £30.

Qualification verification letter

Alternatively, you can download and complete our Qualification Verification Request form.

We aim to process your request within 10 working days. If you have any questions in relation to this form, please contact our customer service team.

Contacting customer services

Live chat

Our customer service team is available Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 7am-7pm (UK).

During these hours, you can start a conversation by clicking the round chat icon. Displayed in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Other ways to contact us

You can submit a Contact us form  or email us on verifications@cipd.co.uk

Call us on +44 (0)20 8612 6208. Our team are available to take your call from 9am-4pm (UK), Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

It’s important that your CIPD membership grade reflects your current level of practice, experience, and professional impact. There are several routes you can take to upgrade.

Aiming for Associate Membership

You can become an Associate Member by completing one of the following study routes:

CIPD Diploma qualifications

• Associate Diploma (People Management or Organisational Learning and Development)
• Advanced Diploma (Strategic People Management or Strategic Learning and Development)

Successful completion of either qualification leads to Associate Membership.

CIPD-accredited qualifications

You can also gain Associate Membership by completing a:

• CIPD-accredited undergraduate degree, or
• CIPD-accredited postgraduate degree

Explore the CIPD accredited degree study options to find a programme that matches your goals.

Experience Assessment route

You can also gain Associate or Chartered membership through Experience Assessment route. 
This route does not involve studying - your membership grade is determined by the breadth and depth of your professional experience.

Aiming for Chartered Membership

If you're looking to achieve Chartered Member or Chartered Fellow status, there are a few options:

Qualification route

If you’ve completed an Advanced Diploma or a CIPD-accredited postgraduate qualification, you may be eligible to apply for Chartered Membership, provided you also have:

• At least one year of experience operating at Chartered level
• Sufficient evidence to demonstrate this

If you meet the criteria, you can apply for a Chartered upgrading assessment.

Experience Assessment route

You can gain Chartered membership through Experience Assessment route. 
This route does not involve studying—your membership grade is determined by the breadth and depth of your professional experience.

We can raise invoices for your renewal and Experience Assessment fees only. We cannot raise invoices for any other fees, including upgrading assessment.

To request an invoice for your Experience Assessment fees, please contact our Customer Service team. Please confirm the correct contact details required.

Please request an invoice using our Contact us form or email us at membershipenquiry@cipd.co.uk. We aim to reply within 5 working days.

We’re sorry to hear you’re thinking of cancelling your membership. To request cancellation, please contact our customer service team (details below).

They’ll run through a few security questions to confirm your identity before processing your request.

When you get in touch, please let us know when you’d like your membership to end - either with immediate effect or on a future date.

Financial support

At the CIPD, we’re committed to supporting our members. If you’re considering cancelling due to financial challenges, we offer several financial assistance options designed to help keep membership accessible.

You can find out more about the financial support available. 

Important

If you are studying a CIPD qualification, membership is needed so that your study centre is able to submit your unit results to the CIPD. This is so they can be confirmed and counted towards completing your qualification.

If you’re unsure whether membership is required for your programme, please check with your study centre.

Your CIPD web account

If you have a CIPD web account linked to your membership, you’ll still be able to log in after cancellation, although membership benefits will no longer be available.

If you choose to return in the future, please continue to use the same account to rejoin.

Contact us by:

Live chat

Our customer service team is available Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 7am-7pm (UK).

During these hours, you can start a conversation by clicking the round chat icon. Displayed in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Email

membershipenquiry@cipd.co.uk

We aim to respond within 1 working day.

Call us

+44 (0)20 8612 6208

Our team are available to take your call from 9am-4pm (UK), Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Contact us form

Submit a query using the Contact us form.

We’ll get back to you within 1 working day.

Whether you're entitled to a refund depends on when your most recent membership payment was made.

If your latest payment was made more than 28 days ago, you won’t be eligible for a refund.

In this case, we’ll set a future cancellation date on your account. This means:

• You will remain an active member until your next payment is due
• You’ll continue to have full membership access until that future cancellation date

If your latest payment was made within the last 28 days, and you request to cancel immediately, you’ll receive a refund for that instalment.

• Refunds are processed within 7-10 working days
• Please allow additional time for the refund to appear in the bank account used for the original payment

Need more information?

Live chat

Our customer service team is available Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 7am-7pm (UK).

During these hours, you can start a conversation by clicking the round chat icon. Displayed in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Other ways to contact us

Click here for additional contact options