Fees

Fee regulation, version of 20 October 2026, proposed to the founding members for written adoption; until adopted, the version of 19 October 2026 applies. The English version is binding. Este documento é publicado em inglês e em mais cinco línguas. O texto em inglês é vinculativo. English

1. Principle

Every member pays an annual fee. Fees are graded by size so that they do not stand in the way of joining. Voting rights never depend on the fee: every member has one vote.

2. Annual fees (CHF)

Category	Annual fee
Individual (observer)	100
Organisation with up to 5 staff, non profit organisation, university or research institute	300
6 to 19 staff	800
20 to 49 staff	1,500
50 to 249 staff	3,000
250 to 999 staff	5,000
Strategic member, 1,000 to 9,999 staff	50,000
Strategic member, 10,000 staff or more	from 100,000, by agreement, no upper limit
Supporting member (optional, in addition)	from 20,000

Strategic members may disclose their turnover to the Board under a confidentiality agreement so that the fee can be agreed in proportion. All members, whatever their fee, have one vote.

3. Staff count and good faith

Staff means full time equivalents of the member and of all companies under common control (parents, subsidiaries, sister companies), excluding external contractors. Each member classifies itself when it applies and confirms its category each year. OVAIC accepts the declaration in good faith; the Board may, with discretion, ask for a light check of public information or, where there is reason, a deeper review.

4. Due date and first year

Fees are due within 30 days of the invoice for the calendar year. A member admitted in the second half of a calendar year pays half the fee for that year.

5. Reduction and waiver

On written request the Board may reduce or waive a fee, in particular for a small organisation in a difficult year or for an observer whose contribution is mainly expert work. Each decision is recorded; the annual report lists the number and total of reductions without naming the members. Every request is considered seriously and answered in writing. Where a fee cannot be paid, an idea, a contribution of work or a request for support may stand in its place (Memorandum, section 5). In particular, an individual who cannot pay the CHF 100 fee may apply all the same; the Board considers the application on the basis of the person's intellectual, creative or publicly useful contribution.

6. Contributions in kind

Strategic and supporting members may pay all or part of their fee in kind, at fair market value agreed in writing with the Board: for example enterprise subscriptions and access to AI models, API and computing credits, engineering time or direct integrations. Contributions in kind:

1. give no additional rights and no influence on methods or results;
2. are published with the giver, the kind and the value;
3. do not exempt the giver's own products from testing under the same rules as everyone else's;
4. should, where possible, come from several providers, so that OVAIC depends on none.

7. Supporting members, donations and grants

Supporting contributions and grants carry no conditions that affect independence, methods or results (Art. 9 of the statutes). Contributions above CHF 10,000 are published with the name of the giver, with the giver's consent. Donation receipts for tax purposes will be issued once OVAIC is recognised as tax exempt; membership fees are not donations. Part of the funds will support small members and newcomers through grant programmes.

8. Use of funds and transparency

1. All fees and contributions are paid into the association's own account against an invoice.
2. Funds are used only for the purpose of the association, for example editing, services and computing, servers, secretariat and legal costs.
3. The annual accounts are published with income by category and expenses by item. Members receive the detailed internal report.
4. No profit or share is paid to members (Art. 24 of the statutes).

9. Advances by members

If a member or the initiator advances costs before fees come in, this is done only by a written interest free loan, repaid from fees, or by a donation without conditions. Either is disclosed in the annual accounts and gives no rights in the association.

10. Non payment

A member that has not paid within 60 days after a reminder may be excluded under Art. 8 of the statutes.

11. Review

The General Assembly reviews the fees each year.

Payment

Fees are paid against an invoice into OVAIC's own accounts, never to the initiator. Until the bank account is open, the Board may mandate a treasurer to receive bank transfers in trust for OVAIC; such payments are booked in OVAIC's accounts and shown in the annual accounts. Until the bank account is open, fees can be paid in the stablecoins USDT, USDC, EURC, EURAU or CHFAU on Ethereum to OVAIC's own wallet; the address is given with the invoice. Fees can also be paid by PayPal; the PayPal address is likewise given with the invoice. Bitcoin and bank transfer (IBAN, SWIFT, also in other currencies) will follow.