What is an APC?

An Article Processing Charge (APC) is a fee that some academic journals (incl. gold open access journals) charge to cover the costs of publishing an article. These costs may include managing peer review, copy-editing, typesetting, online hosting, indexing and long-term digital preservation.

APCs are most commonly associated with open access journals, which make published articles freely available to readers without subscription fees. However, some subscription-based journals may also charge publication or page fees.

Who pays the APC?

Where an APC applies, it is usually paid by the author’s institution, research funder or sponsoring organisation, rather than by the author personally.

Importantly:

• No payment is required at submission

• No payment is required during peer review

• Payment has no influence on editorial decisions

Are APCs the same as open access?

No. APCs and open access are not the same thing.

While many open access journals rely on APCs to cover publishing costs (gold open access journals), others operate under diamond or platinum open access models, where publishing is funded through institutions, scholarly societies, consortia or public funding, and no fees are charged to authors.

What are Article Submission Charges (ASCs)?

An article submission charge (ASC), also known as an administration fee, is a fee which is sometimes charged to authors when submitting an article for possible publication. This fee covers costs involved in administering submitted papers, especially where a journal title receives large volumes of papers. This fee is usually paid by an author's institution or research funder rather than by the author themselves.

ASCs are journal dependent, and may differ from title to title. It is the responsibility of the journal editorial board to take a decision on whether an ASC is charged and the amount. It is not common practice for journals to charge an ASC, and is generally considered poor practice.

How are APCs determined?

APCs are journal-dependent and may vary widely between titles. Decisions about whether an APC is charged, and the amount, are made by the journal’s editorial board and/or publisher as part of the journal’s sustainability model.

Best practice requires that:

• APCs are clearly stated on the journal website

• There are no hidden fees

• Any applicable charges are communicated before submission or acceptance

Sometimes charging APCs are perceived as a predatory journal practice. Journal owners are encouraged to be transparent about their incomes and expenses, and publish it as part of the annual journal report on the journal website, for anyone to access at any stage.

APC amounts can vary depending on:

• Article length (for per-page models)

• Whether the journal is society-subsidised

• Institutional or national subsidies

• International vs local author status (some journals set different APCs)

General APC patterns

• No APC at all: Many diamond open access journals (especially scholarly society or academy-supported titles) publish with no fee.

• Page-based APCs: Common in AOSIS and similar publishers, typically ZAR1 000–ZAR2 500 per page.

• Flat APCs: Fees often range from ~ZAR4 000–ZAR9 000 per article, depending on field and journal policy.

Editorial independence and peer review

In reputable journals:

• Peer review is independent of any payment

• Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, originality and relevance

• Paying an APC does not guarantee acceptance

• Not paying an APC does not disadvantage authors

• An official invoice for the payment of the APC is issued to the corresponding author by the journal owner. This is done once the manuscript has passed peer review and has been accepted for publication. The banking details should be that of the journal/journal owner.

These principles are central to the SciELO SA model and the DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.

Predatory publishing and APCs

Some journals charge APCs without providing proper editorial oversight or peer review. Such journals are often referred to as predatory journals.

Authors are encouraged to:

• Check whether an open access journal is listed in DOAJ

• Review the journal’s editorial board, peer-review process and contact details

• Be cautious of journals that lack transparency or pressure authors for rapid payment

Waivers and discounts

To support equitable and inclusive scholarly publishing, many journals offer APC waivers or discounts.

Waivers or discounts may be available for:

• Authors without access to institutional or funder support

• Early-career researchers

• Authors from low- and middle-income countries

• Other cases of demonstrated financial need

Good practice includes:

• Allowing waiver requests to be made confidentially

• Assessing waiver requests independently of peer review

• Ensuring that waiver decisions do not affect editorial outcomes

Authors should consult the journal website or contact the journal directly for details.

Payment and transparency

Where an APC applies:

• Payment information (invoice) should be provided only after an article has been accepted

• Secure and widely used payment systems should be used

• All fees and policies should be publicly accessible

Transparency around APCs is a key requirement of DOAJ and a core principle of responsible open access publishing.

Key takeaway for authors

A reputable journal will:

• Be clear about whether it charges APCs

• Separate editorial decisions from payment

• Offer waivers or alternatives where possible

• Adhere to recognised standards such as those promoted by SciELO SA and DOAJ

Making payments

Journals can ask authors to make online payments in various ways:

• EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) (to the official banking account for the journal)

• PayFast - see for example the South African Journal of Animal Science payment information.

Updated: 19 January 2026