dues
n. C / Un. the regular payments you make to be a member of a group, like a club or a union. It can also mean the respect or rewards someone earns after working hard for a long time.
n. regular fees paid for membership in an organisation or society. In a figurative sense, refers to the effort or suffering required to achieve a certain status or level of respect.
I need to pay my monthly club dues by Friday.
After years of playing in small, empty bars, the band finally paid their dues and signed a major record deal.
The union representative reminded the members that their annual dues funded the legal protections and collective bargaining efforts that benefited the entire workforce.
Usually plural in both the literal sense of fees and the figurative sense of earned respect.
he paid his duehe paid his duesWhen referring to the effort required to earn success, the plural form 'dues' is the standard idiomatic expression.