Standalone thrift groups
How a group that signed up only for Thrift differs from an association with the add-on: its own home, menus, people and settings on web and phone.
Thrift runs in two kinds of account. An association with the Thrift add-on is an association (with dues, finances, meetings and so on) that also runs savings circles. A standalone thrift group signed up only for Thrift. It has no association side at all, so everything you see is about circles. The circles themselves work the same in both: the same screens for paying, confirming, payouts, rules, the draw and reports.
What a standalone group sees
On the web
- Thrift Home is your dashboard. An admin or officer sees how many circles are running and open, how many people are in them, and shortcuts. A member sees their circles, what they are behind by, and the next payment.
- The menu has Thrift Home, My Thrift (your circles, one entry per circle, the Circle board of each rotating pot, your payout account and circle notifications), My Payments, and for those who run things Thrift Circles, Payments, Collect, Thrift Reports and People, then My Profile, Notifications, Help & Support and Settings.
- There is no Finances, Governance, Meetings, Elections, Cooperatives or Welfare. If you type an association address, SocietyLedger sends you back to Thrift Home.
- Settings keeps only what a group has: the group's profile, roles, users, notifications, the audit log, data and privacy, and the plan.
- People (the members list) shows contact details, when each person joined, their status, whether they can sign in, and the circles they are in. It has no categories, occupations or dues, because those belong to associations.
On the phone
- You land on the Thrift tab. There is no association Home, Community or Money ledger.
- A Circle tab appears for people in a rotating pot, and for the admin and officers of one. It is the circle's board.
- A Manage tab appears for admins, officers and collectors, with the circles, payments, collection, people and reports they are allowed to use.
- Profile has your details, security, notifications and help. "Switch group" replaces "Switch association".
Words
A standalone group calls its savings groups circles, and the account itself a group. Where an association says "association", a standalone group says "group". The roles are Administrator, Officer, Collector and Member. See Roles in a thrift group.
Plans and billing
A standalone group pays only for Thrift: one Ajo tier, chosen by how many people save with you. There is no association plan. See Plans, billing and limits.
If something looks missing
The most common reasons are your role (you only see what you may use), a circle that has not started yet (payments open when it does), or a setting such as the Circle board waiting for its notice period. See the FAQ.
Related
Setting up your thrift group
From a new account to your first circle with its people in it, in about ten minutes.
Roles in a thrift group
The roles in a standalone thrift group (Administrator, Officer, Collector, Member), what each can do, and how to give someone a role on web and phone.
Choosing a circle type
Rotating pot or collector thrift: how the money works in each, who each suits, and the settings you will meet.
Last updated 31 October 2026
Choosing a circle type
Rotating pot or collector thrift: how the money works in each, who each suits, and the settings you will meet.
What members can see in a circle
What each member of a rotating pot sees about the circle, what stays private, and what collector-thrift savers see about their own savings.