Deposit, commitment, cancellation: understanding your office membership
Perrine Le Gall
Founder, Aeria Workspaces · 7 July 2026 · 5 min read
A flexible-office membership is simple in principle: you pay a plan, you access a space. But a few terms are worth clarifying before you sign. Here is the essential glossary.
Credits: the currency of the membership
Most memberships run on day credits. The principle is direct: 1 credit = 1 day = 1 workspace seat across the network, whatever the time spent on site. Depending on the plan, you receive a set number of credits each month. Good to know: credits unused at month-end are generally lost — better to calibrate your plan to your real usage.
Joining fee and bank pre-authorisation
Two elements to distinguish:
- The joining fee: an amount paid once at sign-up.
- The bank pre-authorisation: a guarantee required on some plans (typically the day office), which is not a payment but a deposit.
These always appear in the summary before payment: read them before confirming.
Commitment and changing plans
Two regimes often coexist:
- No commitment: renewed monthly, you can move up or down a plan from one month to the next.
- With commitment (12 months): a better rate, but a duration to honour. Generally, upgrading stays possible at any time; downgrading happens at the end of the contract.
Changes usually apply the following month, not immediately.
What if I run out of credits?
Two usual options: switch to a day rate to keep booking, or move up to a higher plan. Either way, you are never blocked: you can keep booking a space at the public rate.
In short
A good membership is one you understand. Remember three markers: credits (your volume of days), fees and deposit (what you pay or guarantee upfront), and commitment (your room to change). With these, you choose the plan truly suited to your rhythm — with no nasty surprises.
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