RIPE NCC Billing Procedure 2023

1.   Introduction

The RIPE NCC is a not-for-profit association. The information below forms an integral part of the RIPE NCC Standard Service Agreement and is complementary to the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2023.

2.   Charging Scheme Model for 2023

The Charging Scheme model is based on the principle that members pay an annual contribution (service fee) per Local Internet Registry (LIR). Members also pay additional fees for independent and legacy Internet resources. New members and members registering additional LIR accounts pay an additional one-off sign-up fee alongside their annual contribution.

The contributions were decided by members at the RIPE NCC General Meeting held on 18-20 May 2022 (Resolution 3) and are included in the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2023.

2.1 Summary of contributions payable

2.2 Redistribution of excess contribution 2022 (Standard Service Agreement, article 7.3)

During the RIPE NCC General Meeting held on 26-28 October 2022, members voted to redistribute the entire financial surplus to the membership in 2023 (Resolution 1). The redistribution per LIR account will appear on the 2023 invoice when applicable.

Only members with active LIR account(s) on 31 December 2022 will receive a redistribution – no redistribution will apply for LIR accounts closed in 2022.

The amount of the redistribution applied to each LIR account is based on the annual contribution (service fee) paid in 2022, including the fees for independent and legacy Internet resources. Sign-up fees and/or re-activation fees are excluded from the calculation.

The redistribution formula is:

2.3 Fees for transferring resources

Members must pay the annual contribution (service fee) for all of their LIR accounts before they can transfer resources. Only once the annual contribution (service fee) for every LIR account has been paid can a transfer take place.

2.4 Fees when closing LIR accounts

If a member chooses to close one or more of their LIR accounts during the RIPE NCC financial year, the contribution (service fee) for all LIR accounts held by the member must still be paid in full, unless a valid closure request has been submitted before 31 December 2022. If the contribution (service fee) has already been paid in full, no pro rata refunds will apply.

2.5 Fees to reactivate the RIPE NCC Standard Service Agreement for existing members

In accordance with Article 9.6 of the Standard Service Agreement, a terminated Standard Service Agreement may be re-activated subject to prior written authorisation by the RIPE NCC, payment of a €1,000 sign-up fee, and payment of all outstanding invoices for all of the LIR accounts held by the member.

3.   Billing Procedure for 2023

For new members joining in the course of the year, the contribution (service fee) will be applied pro rata for each quarter based on the time of the year the membership application is submitted.

Existing members will be invoiced for the full year for each LIR account that they hold on 1 January 2023. The invoice will include the fees for the independent and legacy Internet resources as held on 31 December 2022. 

For the Russian and Ukrainian members, the Act of Acceptance will be available on the LIR Portal before 31 December 2023 in line with standard market practice. This document confirms fulfilment of obligations contained in the RIPE NCC Standard Service Agreement and is needed by Ukrainian and Russian members for substantiation that the services have been rendered.

Russian members should also refer to the following information regarding invoicing in their country.

The RIPE NCC operates in line with the Tax Governance Paper which describes how we cope and comply with domestic and international fiscal rules and regulations.

3.1 Date that members will receive invoices

We are planning to send the invoices towards the end of January 2023 via our automated system.

Please note that if you are invoiced before the date of the annual invoices (due to a change in business structure or a transfer), the 2022 redistribution will not appear on the invoice. In this case, a separate invoice will be sent to you with the redistribution amount.

3.2 Billing details

• Invoices are sent by email in PDF format. On the Billing Details page, RIPE NCC members can also choose to download a copy of the original invoice(s).
• Members can request a hard copy of their invoice by selecting the "Email and hard copy" option on the Billing Details page. This change will automatically apply to all future invoices.
• Invoices are sent via email to members’ billing contacts – billing contact details can be updated on the Billing Details page.
• Members are responsible for providing and maintaining correct billing contacts.

3.3 How to pay your invoice

You can pay your invoices by using one of the two options:

1. Direct bank transfer: please include the LIR number and invoice number as reference.
2. Online payment: all invoices sent by the RIPE NCC by email (in PDF format) include a unique payment URL. This leads to a payment screen where you can complete your transaction by selecting your payment method. The different payment options available are listed below – please note that the payment options may vary by country.
   1. Bank transfer: You can pay your invoice via bank transfer. Please include the LIR number and invoice number as reference.
   2. Credit and debit cards: select the credit/debit card option to complete your payment.
   3. PayPal

The following prerequisites are to be considered when you pay the invoice:You should make your payment in euros.

• Online payments (or bank transfers) must be made in full. You cannot make partial payments via the online payment system.
• We do not accept cheques. Any cheque that we receive will be returned to your billing address.
• You are responsible for ensuring that full payment for each LIR account you hold is received by the RIPE NCC by the due date.
• You should take into consideration the time taken by banks to process payments.

3.4 Payment Time Frame

In accordance with Article 5.3 of the Standard Service Agreement, payment is due 30 days from the date of invoice.

After 30 days, section 1.2.2.e (Non-payment) of the Closure Procedure will apply. In case of non-payment the RIPE NCC Billing Department will send out reminders on pre-scheduled times.

More information is available in the Closure Procedure (section 1.2.2.e non-payment).

3.5 Check Payment Status

You can view the details of your LIR accounts and the payment status of your invoices on the Billing Details page. In addition, by accessing the unique secure payment link on each invoice, you can verify whether your payment has been received.

4.   Contact us

If you have any questions about your invoice or payments, or if you experience trouble using the online payment system, please contact the RIPE NCC Billing Department.