What is the ruling on paying late fees for optional annual subscriptions, and is it permissible to subscribe to them if there is a condition for late fees?

It is not permissible to impose a late fee on a debtor for delaying the repayment of a debt, as this is forbidden usury (riba), similar to what the people of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era) used to do. The Sharia has mandated granting respite to the one in hardship. As for the affluent debtor who procrastinates, it is permissible to sue him to compel him to pay what he owes. The Fiqh Council of the Muslim World League has unanimously agreed that stipulating or imposing a punitive financial penalty on a debtor for late payment is null and void, and impermissible, because it is precisely the usury of Jahiliyyah. The nature of the annual subscriptions and whether they constitute a fixed debt owed by the subscriber, as well as the nature of the associations' work, should be clarified to issue an accurate ruling.