Memberships

Seattle Worldcon 2025 is powered by members who actively participate in creation of the shared experience of the Worldcon. This page tells you what you need to know to join us by purchasing a membership. Please contact registration@seattlein2025.org with questions.

A Word About Costs

Worldcons are funded almost entirely by memberships. Our commitment to equity and inclusion leads us to offer membership options which are below the true per-member cost, which at projected attendance levels we estimate at $275. We encourage individuals who have financial constraints and those new to Worldcon to choose lower-cost membership options, including our no-questions-asked reduced rate membership. We rely on those who are able to choose our Friend of Worldcon Membership level or consider supplementing their regular membership with a donation.

Payment plans are available for membership purchases until May 30, 2025. Please see our payment plan policy page for further details.

Membership Rates for Seattle Worldcon 2025

* The reduced rate does not cover our costs based on projected attendance levels and is appropriate for first Worldcon members, staff, and individuals who would otherwise feel cost-constrained to attend the convention. We rely on sales of Friend of Worldcon memberships and you spreading the word to make this reduced rate experiment possible.

Note that when adding memberships to your cart, you will first need to add the WSFS membership, and then (if you wish) choose an attending or virtual membership option that adds up to the total amount shown in the above chart. A full description of membership types is below, or you can go straight to the membership portal to make a purchase.

Age cut-offs are based on age as of the first day of the convention, August 13, 2025.

What’s in a Worldcon Membership?

A Seattle Worldcon 2025 attending membership has two components: a WSFS Membership and an Attending Membership or Virtual Membership. The WSFS Membership denotes membership in the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), an unincorporated literary society consisting of the members of the current Worldcon. The Attending Membership or Virtual Membership confers the right to attend the convention in-person or virtually. We also sell virtual WSFS-Only memberships which do not include attendance or access to virtual content. This membership structure is provided by the WSFS Constitution. For more information, see the discussion of membership types below.

Membership Types

Friend of Worldcon Membership

This is a premium membership level which covers the full cost of your participation and supports our ability to offer lower-cost memberships levels to others for purposes including attracting first-time and younger Worldcon members and for purposes of equity and inclusion. In addition to receiving all the benefits of the Adult Attending Membership, Friend of Worldcon members will have access to a special lounge at the Sheraton Hotel providing non-alcoholic beverages and light snacks. Friends of Worldcon members will be acknowledged with their permission and will receive additional modest tokens of our appreciation which are yet to be determined.

Adult Attending Membership (age 25+)

Adult Attending Memberships are the regular attending membership and include the right to attend all five days of the convention, participate in the Hugo Award voting and site selection, and to access all virtual content and replays after the convention. The adult attending membership rate will increase as the convention approaches. As an experiment, we are also offering adult attending memberships at a reduced rate which is below our projected costs. The reduced rate is intended for first-time Worldcon members and individuals who would feel constrained to attend at the regular rate.

Young Adult/Teen Attending Membership (age 18-25 or 13-17)

Young Adult and Teen Attending Memberships come with all the benefits and rights of an Adult Attending Membership, with a special welcome-to-fandom rate.

Child Attending Membership (age 0-12)

Child Attending Memberships are free, but do not include a WSFS Membership, and therefore do not allow for voting in the Hugo Awards or site selection for future Worldcons. Please purchase a WSFS-Only Membership for your child if you intend for them to participate in these activities. Child memberships may only be purchased in conjunction with an adult or young adult membership.

Virtual Membership

The Virtual Membership includes a WSFS Membership and enables access to virtual content and replays after the convention. Virtual content for the Seattle Worldcon will include at least two program rooms enabled for live streaming, the Hugo Awards, and an online social gathering space. Virtual content items made available for replay based on participant agreement will be accessible for a limited time after the convention.

WSFS-Only Membership

This membership level provides a WSFS Membership but does not include attendance at the Worldcon or access to virtual content or replays. WSFS-Only members are considered supporting members in the Worldcon and may nominate and vote in the Hugo Awards, participate in site selection for the 2027 Worldcon, and receive a copy of all generally distributed convention publications.

Additional Donations

When you register you will be offered the opportunity to make a donation in addition to your membership fee. If the option chosen is to donate to the Seattle Worldcon 2025 Community Fund, the donation will be specifically used to fund low-to-no cost memberships for deserving individuals. Seattle Worldcon 2025 is a production of Seattle Genre Alliance, a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization.

How to Register and Pay

We are now accepting membership registrations with payment by credit card. To pay by check, contact registration@seattlein2025.org.

FAQs

How Do I Check My Membership Status?

You may already have a Seattle Worldcon 2025 membership if you previously pre-supported the Seattle in 2025 Worldcon bid, purchased a site selection voting token from the Chengdu Worldcon, or purchased a membership through our website. You can check your membership status using our membership portal.

How Do I Upgrade or Add-On to My Existing Membership?

You can use the membership portal to upgrade your membership. The upgrade cost is the difference between the cost of your current membership level and the cost of the new membership at their current rates. The membership tiers from lowest to highest are WSFS-only membership, virtual membership, attending membership, or Friend of Worldcon membership.

Refunds and Transfers

Generally speaking, Seattle Worldcon 2025 does not offer refunds. Exceptional circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Contact registration@seattlein2025.org to discuss further.

You may transfer your attending membership to another person with a WSFS Membership. According to the WSFS Constitution, the WSFS Membership component of an attending membership is not transferable, so if the person does not already have a WSFS-Only membership, this membership must be purchased by or for the transferee. To transfer an attending membership, please email registration@seattlein2025.org from the email address which is registered with the convention. The email should include:

• The attending membership number (found on the dashboard in our membership system);
• The name and email address of the person to whom the Attending Supplement portion of the attending membership should be transferred; and
• The membership number of the WSFS Membership to be linked to the transferred attending membership.

If you are transferring a discounted membership and the transferee does not meet the same conditions related to the rate reduction, the transferee will be asked to pay the difference between the two rates.