AI-Admin-Assistant: Migrate EN content + KidsIntro + NotApproved (Lot 5, Theo 2026-06-13)

2026-06-13T20:50:38Z

Migrate EN content + KidsIntro + NotApproved (Lot 5, Theo 2026-06-13)

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{{KidsIntro|This page explains paying a small amount every month to support WikiDeal.}}

{{NotApproved}}

== Monthly Subscriptions ==
'''📋 Key Rule: Subscriptions are Optional but Required to Sign'''
* '''Free access:''' Anyone can browse WikiDeal, read wiki pages, and explore contracts without subscribing.
* '''Signing a contract requires being up to date:''' Both parties must have an active (or retroactively settled) subscription at the moment of signing.
* '''Retroactive billing at signing:''' If months are overdue, ALL unpaid subscription fees are collected retroactively at the time of the next contract signing — billed ''in addition to'' the transaction commission, not deducted from it.
* '''Double commission + subscription:''' The transaction carries a double commission (User Group + WikiDeal platform), between 5% and 15% total (justified exceptions possible). Subscription fees are charged on top of this commission.
* '''Micro-payments:''' For frequent small transactions, overdue subscription fees may be split into micro-installments. For larger contracts, the full overdue amount is settled at once.

WikiDeal operates two parallel subscription systems: the '''platform subscription''' (covering base access for all users) and '''User Group subscriptions''' (covering access to specific service verticals). Both are designed to be low-cost, transparent, and governed by market equilibrium rather than central pricing mandates.

Platform: 10 CHF/year (or 1 CHF/month + 2 CHF mgmt fee) · User Group: ~1€/month or 10€/year · Annual always cheaper

=== Two Levels of Subscription ===
{| class="wikitable comparison-table"
|-
! Level
! What it covers
! Annual price
! Monthly price
! Set by
|-
| '''Platform'''
| Base platform access, contracts, AI, governance
| class="highlight-cell"| 10 CHF
| 1 CHF + 2 CHF fee = 12 CHF/yr
| Ynternet.org Foundation
|-
| '''User Group'''
| Access to specific service (babysitting, etc.)
| ~10€
| ~1€ + fee
| Each User Group
|}

These are independent subscriptions. A user can have the platform subscription without any User Group subscription (access WikiDeal but not service-specific features). A user participating in three User Groups pays three separate group subscriptions plus the platform subscription.

=== Platform Subscription ===
The platform subscription is described in detail on the [[Gov/en/Portal:Economy/Subscriptions|Subscription Model]] page. In summary:

* 10 CHF/year if paid annually (best value)
* 1 CHF/month + 2 CHF management fee if paid monthly (= 12 CHF/year total)
* 20% surcharge for monthly payment reflects real admin overhead
* Billed at Transaction time (deferred model for inactive users)

=== User Group Subscription ===
User Group subscriptions are set independently by each User Group. They are typically very low — around 1€/month or 10€/year — but vary based on the services offered and the costs the group must cover.

Like the platform subscription, User Group subscriptions offer an annual discount to incentivise up-front commitment:

User Group subscription (example):
Annual: 10€/year
Monthly: 1€/month + management fee
Annual saving: 10–20% (set by each UG)

If a User Group sets subscriptions too high, members will fork and create a competing group at a lower price. This equilibrium pressure keeps subscriptions honest.

=== The Arrears Rule ===
WikiDeal enforces a strict '''arrears rule''' for User Group subscriptions to prevent free-riding:

'''Rule:''' If a member stops paying their User Group subscription (e.g. misses February and March), and then resumes in April, they must pay all missed months (February + March) at the time of resumption — before accessing the service again.

This rule applies to User Group subscriptions specifically (not the platform subscription, which uses the deferred billing model). It ensures:

* Members cannot selectively pay only during months when they need the service
* User Groups have predictable revenue even during seasonal lulls
* The group's cost base remains stable regardless of individual member activity patterns

==== Example: ====
* January: pays ✅
* February: does NOT pay ❌
* March: does NOT pay ❌
* April: wants to resume → must pay Feb + Mar + Apr to continue ✅

=== Annual Incentives ===
Both subscription levels incentivise annual payment:

{| class="wikitable comparison-table"
|-
! Payment type
! Platform sub
! UG sub (example)
|-
| Annual (once)
| class="highlight-cell"| 10 CHF → 10 CHF/yr
| class="highlight-cell"| 10€ → 10€/yr
|-
| Monthly (12 payments)
| 12 CHF (20% more)
| 12€ (20% more)
|}

The management fee on monthly payments is not arbitrary — it reflects the real cost of processing 12 individual payments, tracking 12 separate billing events, and managing 12 potential arrears situations versus one annual payment.

=== Equilibrium Logic ===
WikiDeal's subscription model is self-regulating through market equilibrium:

* If a platform subscription is too expensive → users leave or don't join → Ynternet.org Foundation lowers price
* If a User Group subscription is too expensive → members fork and create a competing group → prices naturally decrease
* If User Group subscription too low to cover costs → group may merge, raise rates with community approval, or dissolve

The threat of forking is a feature, not a bug. It prevents any single group from imposing unsustainable rates on its members.

'''See also:''' [[Gov/en/Portal:Economy/Subscriptions|Subscription Model]] [[Gov/en/Portal:Economy/Payment-Methods|Payment Methods]] [[Gov/en/Portal:R&D/Innovations:User Groups|User Groups]] [[Gov/en/Portal:Economy/Financing-Development|Financing Development]]

[[Category:Migration June 2026]]

Gov/en/Portal:Economy/Monthly-Subscriptions - Revision history

AI-Admin-Assistant: Migrate EN content + KidsIntro + NotApproved (Lot 5, Theo 2026-06-13)