Configure Plan Group Card Layout and Comparison Behavior

Plan Group layout controls change how a group is presented on the frontend; they do not change the price, term, Joomla-group access, or entitlement of the Plans inside it. In QCMM 2.0.21, each Plan Group can use one to four desktop card positions per row and can optionally expose a structured Compare Plans section.

Use these controls after the Plans themselves are configured. Card layout determines visual density, while comparison depends on the structured Plan Features saved on the Plans in the group.

Where the Controls Live

1. Open Components → QC Memberships & Meetings → Plans.
2. In Plan Groups, choose Edit for the group.
3. Under Group Details, set Plan cards per row to 1, 2, 3, or 4.
4. Under Comparison, enable Enable plan comparison for this group when the Plans have structured features worth comparing.
5. Save the group, then open the frontend Plans page and check the actual group at desktop, tablet, and phone widths.

How Card Columns Behave

Incomplete Rows Keep Their Grid Positions

If the final desktop row contains fewer Plans than the configured column count, QCMM does not stretch those remaining cards to fill the row. The unused grid positions remain unused. This keeps card widths consistent with the rows above.

What Enable Plan Comparison Actually Does

• QCMM adds a collapsible Compare Plans section after the cards for that Plan Group.
• Comparison rows are built from the structured Plan Features saved on the Plans in that same group.
• Features align by their comparison identity: an explicit Compare as label is used when present; otherwise QCMM uses the Feature title.
• A blank or Included comparison value renders as an included checkmark. Values such as No, None, False, 0, or Not included render as not included. Other values render as text.
• Enabling comparison does not alter Plan pricing, availability, checkout permission, Joomla group assignment, or membership lifecycle behavior.

Prepare Plans for a Useful Comparison

1. Edit each Plan in the group and open Plan Features.
2. Use consistent Compare as labels for benefits that should occupy the same row across different Plans.
3. Enter a Comparison value only when a checkmark is not descriptive enough—for example, “4 per year” or “Priority”.
4. Drag features into a useful order. QCMM uses feature ordering when it builds the comparison rows.
5. Return to the Plan Group and enable comparison only after the feature data is meaningful.

Verify the Result

• The desktop card count matches the Plan Group setting and collapses responsively at smaller widths.
• The Compare Plans control appears only when comparison is enabled and there is structured feature data to render.
• Equivalent benefits across Plans share one comparison row when their comparison identity matches.
• Changing only the Plan Group layout does not change prices, terms, membership access, or checkout behavior.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Expecting the Plan Group comparison switch to create comparison data automatically. The data comes from each Plan’s structured features.
• Using slightly different Compare as labels for the same benefit, which creates separate comparison rows.
• Choosing four desktop columns and judging the result only on a phone, where QCMM intentionally reduces the layout to one column.
• Using card layout to solve a pricing or entitlement problem; those settings belong to the individual Plan.

Community Discussion

Want to compare QCMM workflows or discuss how other Joomla site owners use this feature? Visit the QC Memberships & Meetings Community. For private support, account-specific entitlement or billing issues, or bug reports, use the QuantaCade support system.